Hi! I’m Cindy and I’m a Filipino, Capiznon to be exact. I was born in Malic Street Pontevedra Capiz, a place where the people always laugh, smile, drink, gamble, and ready to lend a hand despite of their problems. You’ll probably ask: What’s so great about Pontevedra or Capiz?, Why would I waste my time reading this article about some place that’s not worth exploring?, or What’s Capiz anyway? I’m about to tell you how marvelous, beautiful, peaceful, and wonderful is my home town, so brace you self.

       

          Almost a year ago I broke up with my boyfriend, and to divert my attention from the pain that I’m feeling I dated a guy I met at school. He was tall, dark, and not handsome but cute. The guy doesn’t talk much but I can sense that he is enjoying my presence, or so I thought. I should have never gotten my hopes up while we were dating. I shouldn’t have believed and trust a gut I barely know.
     It all started when our eyes met. He sat beside me and we started talking. Surprisingly, two days later I received a text message from him asking me to go out with him and I obliged. He took me to a fancy restaurant for dinner. The night was very pleasant and very nice. We were laughing and talking. In fact it made me thought that this guy might be the one that’ll me happy. But I thought wrong.
    After that night we’re always together. I liked spending time with him. Maybe because he made me feel secure or maybe because he kept admiring me and say the exact word I want to hear. Whatever the reason is, all I know is that liked being with him. But I should have never let myself be that intimate with somebody that I just met.
    We were enjoying each others company for weeks. Every time my friends ask me he was my boyfriend. I wished he was but fortunately he wasn’t.
    Our last date came. We went to the mall to roam around and went shopping. He was sweeter than ever that day. He used to kiss my forehead and held my hand as though he was leaving. For me that was the most wonderful we ever had. My only regret was that I didn’t bring a camera with me to capture those moments for those are the last.
    Days after that wonderful date I started to feel his avoidance. He doesn’t text me or talks to me at school. The I’m-so-glad-look in his face every time he sees me was gone. It made me wonder. What could have gone wrong? So I decided to ask him why he was avoiding me he said “I just got tired” then he walked away. When he said this words I felt like the world fell on me.
     How could I be so stupid? I was stupid enough to think that that the guy really liked me. Even though he hurt me I still approach him and say hello but he just kept ignoring me. So I got tired. I stopped smiling at him and stopped greeting him. And I moved on.
     I realized that I don’t deserved to be treated like that, no one does. From then on we treat each other like strangers. True, I moved on and forgotten him but I couldn’t help but wonder, where did I go wrong. What did I do? Unfortunately, I don’t have any answer for those questions. All I can do is just sigh and never mind those questions.
     Can anybody tell me if I’m not the only one that experienced this?
I don’t know how to end what I’m writing so I’ll just say goodbye.

         

I am 18 years old, a college student, and a proud pinoy. Like many young adults I have a passion and love for music. Music is a melody of harmony and said to be the language of the soul. Usually people define music as ballad, pop, jazz, mellow, classical, and etc. but there came a new genre that is loud, provoking, not typical, unique, deep, and highly appreciated by the youth. It was introduced by the United States in 1955. From then on Rock Music lives.

          Ever since high school I am a fan of rock music. In fact, I myself have a list of my own favorite rocks bands and artist such as Silverchair, Oasis, Nirvana, Beatles, Janis Joplin, Francis M., and many others. The really enjoy listening to their music even until now. Oblivion to my knowledge was that Filipinos are also capable of producing the same music. I never thought that my own fellowmen can produce such a beautiful music that influence people’s minds and way of life.

          It all started in the 60s when electric instruments and new technology became available. Instrumental American and British band flourished in this in the era. Filipino instrumental bands arose as well in this period; bands like The Deltas, The Celtics, RJ & the Riots, The Technicolors, The Downbeats, The Hi-Jacks, and The Electromaniacs. These bands spawned the first Filipino singer-songwriters. And this is the birth of Pinoy Rock. Pinoy Rock is a brand of rock music produced by Filipinos. It is the kind of rock music with Filipinos cultures and sensibilities.

          In 1963 the so-called British invasion began. Bands like The Beatles were brought to the mainstream audiences and because of their widespread popularity and their embrace of the counterculture injected the possibility of socio-political lyrics with mature comments on real life into popular music. Many Filipino bands were influenced by this new breed of British Artist and adopted similar musical styles. This era produced acts like Circus Band, Maria Cafra, Anakbayan, Isang Kilo Band with members Boy Katindig, Pabs Dadivas, Walter Calinawan, Wally Ang, Bambi Borromeo, and Boy Fragante, Psyclones, Makati Avenue Blues Band, and the Juan Dela Cruz Band to name a few.

 

Into the early 1970s, Filipino music was growing more nationalistic and socio-political in nature, as well as using Tagalog more often. This period was the prime time of the Juan de la Cruz Band. The band is often credited for ushering in the very first “rock & roll revolution” in the Philippines that lasted from the late 60’s to the late 70’s it was also known as the Golden Age of Pinoy Rock. The members of the bans were guitarist Wally Gonzalez, bassist Mike Hanopol, and drummer Pepe Smith, they are considered by many as the “grandfathers” of Pinoy Rock. They played a large role in re-awakening national pride through their bluesy Tagalog rock songs at a time of English-dominant music in the local scene. The band, outside of the Philippines, is often mentioned on a number of 70’s obscurity lists. Being heavily influenced by the counter culture, the bands of the 70’s were known to have never been sidelined commercially and sometimes took the center stage by storm.

          During the 80s Pinoy Rock became the music of the Filipino Protesters. Bands in this era used socially aware and socially relevant lyrics that would trigger the minds of their listeners and urge them to give peace a chance. The most famous band I the 80s was The Dawn, whose early songs were largely influenced by New Wave music, the dominant Alternative music genre in the Philippines during that period. Other Pinoy Rock groups took their cue from these pioneers and started recording their own songs; and this proved beneficial to the Pinoy Rock scene, which brought back creativity and originality to the awareness of fledgling musicians. Among the lot, The Dawn, The Youth, Afterimage (band), and Introvoys proved to be the enduring and more successful. Each was able to sustain a relatively long career.

          For the best period of Pinoy Rock was the 90s for many younger bands emerged in the society of rock music. During this era radio stations advocated Filipino rock music, encouraging original amateur (even if poorly recorded) singles and gave new avenues for emerging bands. The band that stood out of the amateur clutter was Eraserheads, which to this day many Filipino music enthusiasts regard as the Pinoy rock icon of the 1990s. In 1993, with the release of Eraserheads’ first commercially released album, Ultraelectromagneticpop, a new type of Pinoy rock emerged and many Pinoy rock bands followed their lead. Rivermaya, another Pinoy rock icon, also emerged, further injecting pop sensibilities to rock music, making rock more accessible to the general public. It was also in this period when NU Rock Awards was born. Socially relevant lyrics persisted as well, as exemplified by the band Yano, whose lyricism dwelled mostly on social and political issues. The commercial success of Eraserheads paved the way for more Pinoy Rock acts getting signed in major labels and gaining more exposure. Among the 80’s Metal and Classic Rock-influenced bands that emerged, most successful were Teeth, Wolfgang, P.O.T., and Razorback, recognized for their songwriting prowess, technical abilities, and extended live performances.

Siakol and Pinoy humor masters Parokya ni Edgar, meanwhile, popularized Alternative Pinoy Rock. Notable bands and artists showed the diversity of Pinoy Rock during this time included the hard rock-inspired Mutiny, socio-political rockers Datu’s Tribe, dark metal-influenced Dahong Palay, and New Wave torch bearers Half Life Half Death. It was in the 90s when the OPM was introduced in the international spotlight, as the Eraserheads won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Asian Artist in 1996 and spawned the internationally released album Aloha Milkyway. In the mid 1990’s emerged the first pinoy Rap Metal group Erectus with their hit song “Trapik” making the benchmark in the Underground Pinoy Rock Industry. In the late 1990s, with the rise in popularity of nu metal bands Korn and Limp Bizkit, local bands followed suit. These acts include Greyhoundz, Cheese, Slapshock , and Chicosci.

          Few of the bands I mentioned are still in the mainstream. But new Filipino bands and artists are producing newer and more sophisticated music to contribute to Pinoy Rock. You see, as a Filipino, I can say that Filipinos have great traits, assets, skills, and intelligence. We’re not just audiences we’re also perfomers. Philippine music or Pinoy Rock is internationally admired and appreciated. We can compete.

           

 

 

 

 

I can see the beauty

Though I feel the agony

Everything is cheery and bright

But it seems not right

The world is full of changes,

And rough challenges.

 

But gaea was tampered

By the people whom she loved and cared,

This wonderful world which we call our home

This beautiful world, which we must cherish

This amazing world, which, with no hesitation, we destroy

 

Oh, my dream for this world is to be peaceful

Oh, my dream for this world is to be blissful

Oh, my dream for this world is to be filled with beauty

Oh, my dream for this world should last to eternity.

cindy

October 9,2005

 

          Hello fellow humans… this is my every first blog. For now I have nothing to say. But I hope that you’ll enjoy my future creations. And since blogging is the newest trend today, I will do my best to inspire and entertain the reads. Hopefully I won’t offend or provoke anybody in my future writing. Well this is it. I’m running out of words to encode so just enjoy life. Hehehehe…