Artists in revolt

The video on YouTube (and at a website I’ll give you later) starts with the Philippine flag occupying the screen. To the tinkling of piano music hitting the strains of the “Scaramouche... dance the fandango” part of the anthem-suite Bohemian Rhapsody by Freddie Mercury and Queen, the images unfold — Malacañang in spilt-screen with a big question mark, then mug shots of the President and some so-called “presidentiables” referred to in the song adaptation.

The lilting music provides a satirical take-off, in jaunty Filipino: 

“Sinong mga kandidatong tatakbo?/ Sino ba, sino ba?/ Tignan natin sa diario/ Number 1 si Noli/ Erap daw ay Num-ber 2/ Inang Bayan, Inang Bayan/ Inang Bayan, Inang Bayan/ Di ka ba kinakabahan?/ Kinakabahan.../ Tatakbo din daw si Loren Legarda/ Si Mar Roxas tutulungan ni Korina/ Manny Villar, meron pa bang pag-asa...?//

“Easy come easy go/ GMA must go/ G-M-A, no, she will not want to go/ She must go!/ G-M-A, she will not want to go/ She must go!/ G-M-A, she will not want to go/ She must go/ ...Will not want to go/ She must go!/ ...Will not want to go/ She must go-o-o-o-o... / Go go go go go go go-o-o!/ Mama mia, Inang Bayan/ Inang Bayan, she must go/ May balak daw manatili ng pang 2-0-Ten... O-Ten... 0-Te-e-ehnn...//

“So you think you can stop me in 2-0-Ten?/ So you think you can stop me in 2-0-Te-e-ehnn?/ Oh baby, makinig kayo, baby/ Hawak ko nang lahat/ Di niyo na ko kayang paalisin/ Ha ha ha ha...// 

“Cha-cha really matters/ Anyone can see/ Cha-cha really matters/ Cha-cha really matters/ to you and me.”

The video lasts exactly 2:23 minutes. A chorus sings the replacement lyrics for the most part, but it turns into a solo voice mimicking (or representing) the President in the penultimate stanza or paragraph above.

The voice has become familiar — that of the increasingly popular character created for YouTube and our delectation (by our I mean everyone who tips his/her hat off to irreverent humor) by comedienne Mae Paner. She is “Juana Change” — spearheading by way of comedic music and video an apparently ongoing effort to comment on current socio-political conditions.

I had first cued in on the Juana Change videos several months ago when they started with a spoof billed as “Fixer.” Others followed: “Chacha,” etc. Now as I check out a website, among several others linked up, I realize I haven’t seen each one.

There have been many others, 15 as of last count, I believe, including the following spoof music video titles: Xmas Offering, Bayani, Kilala Mo Ba Ako, Sta. Niña, Face Off, Kulungan, Rowbaht, and Baligtaran. The one I’ve described in detail is titled Election Rhapsody.

It’s what greets you if you visit http://artistsrevolution.ph — which I did upon hearing of a musical concert held exactly a week ago, one that involved several friends I’ve known to take their socio-political conditions seriously. 

It seems a movement has been organized, with the name Artists Revolution. The lack of an apostrophe intrigues no end, in fact sharpens my curiosity. Since the Beatles came up with that seminal song, the word “Revolution” turns me somewhat feline, occasionally wolverine, and in need of a clawing post.   

Our fellow PhilippineSTAR columnist Jim Paredes recounts how it all started.

“Last March 7, a few artists including Mae Paner (of Juana Change fame), Sockie Fernandez, Leah Navarro, Rody Vera, Raymond Lee and myself called on the artists’ sector to a meeting at La Salle, Greenhills. We gathered about 50 of them and challenged them to be the catalysts to break the hold of apathy, cynicism and hopelessness that seems so entrenched in our country today. With major challenges like the 2010 elections on the horizon and a host of other big problems that grip us in fear, no one seems to be in the mood to dream, to move to action except the trapos who are lusting to seize power and control for their own ends.

“It was quite encouraging to discover that so much concern and love for the Philippines resides among the artists who showed up. We dangled before them the exciting concept of a movement for hope and change that we wish to infect every sector with. If we want major changes to come, we must be able to get beyond just electing a new and better leader. Whoever the new leader will be, he/she can only institute changes amidst a climate of change everywhere.

“We called the meeting the ‘Artists Revolution’ and we intend to have more of these to reach more people. Meanwhile, the attendees vowed to contribute time and output to help in espousing the inspiration of hope and change in their respective fields. As I write this, short films, songs, ringtones, concerts, iconic figures are being made and hopefully will get people to move out of apathy and create a climate conducive to and supportive of change.”

I hope Jim doesn’t mind so much that I’ve cribbed from material that might also go into his column. First come first served, pare ko. Easy come, easy go.

In any case, the starter group just had its “first salvo” of a planned series of concerts. This took place at Music Museum in Greenhills on May 11, with the following participants, among others: Bituin Escalante, Isay Alvarez, Robert Seña, Ariel Rivera, Yeng Constantino. Paul Zialcita, the Philippine All Stars, Jim Paredes, Leah Navarro, Drae Ybañez, and bands like Radioactive Sago Project, Tempestuous Jones, etc.

Quite a lineup. I’d join a revolution anytime if only for the elegant belter Bituin. Throw in the First Couple of Song, Isay and Robert, and I’ll help throw piles of tires to raise the barricades. Rock it up with in-your-face poetry the way Lourd de Veyra and Sago dish it, and you’ve got me raising my insurance premiums.

The concert was held on a day exactly one year before the May 2010 elections. The movement’s website promises it to be the “first of a series of explosions that will rock this nation till May 2010 and Beyond.”

Further, the call is sounded: “Every support you make will be funneled to a year’s line-up of activities: concerts, festivals, performance tours, art exhibits, film showings, symposia and conferences for truth, justice, freedom and Change.

“Artists Revolution is a non-partisan movement. We refrain from endorsing candidates, political parties, or partisan political agenda while advancing the spirit of expressing outrage against evil and corruption as well as inspiring the spirit of vigilance for truth and justice, reform and good governance.

“Your support will go directly to specific cultural activities set up by Artists Revolution. We enjoin you to step out of the gloomy, depressing state of apathy and indifference and stake your claim for a better Pilipinas. 

“Together we can do this. Maniwala ka.”

Anyone interested may check out the website and get in touch with these artists committed to do something for the future of our music together as a self-respecting nation — perhaps even one that manages to raise its self-esteem enough so that no variation of our anthem (not even a musically awful one) will ever raise any hackles.

Surely there are more important concerns than RJ rendering it as an electrifying guitar solo or Martin Nievera (or anyone else) turning it into a ballad. But then that’s just my view on that matter; call me tone-deaf.

But regarding the 2010 elections, let’s just say I’ll tap my best foot along to any music that calls for BIG CHANGE.