[9+ drinks, one hoarse voice and many hugs later]

Thank you to all of you who made it out to my birthday bash at Silver Clouds. It almost didn't happen, because they originally had a private party who booked the place. I told them that I'd guarantee them a good business night. 2/3 of the crowd there were for our bash.

Unfortunately I couldn't drink too much because I had the work the next day.

Make Mine Music

~No Tations~

As a response to the article that I've sent out to another egroups I am a part of...

Two replies --

my! my! my! such harsh words ^_^... This is a Caution for those people who don't know anything about the Philippines or the life in the Philippines. I have been watching this topic about the Abu Sayyaf since 1995. Please be careful on what you say. ^_^ a lot of people have suffered and died or "lost their head" under Abu Sayyaf.
_____________
I agree with you Adrian..the Abu Sayaff is nothing but trouble..it has caused the economy and the security of the filipino people way too much. I have lived in the Philippines for 13 years and I can say the economy is getting worse and worse. Inflation has caused many people much poverty. This poverty is very much affected by political unrest in the south. We need the help of the Americans in the Philippines. The Philippine Armed forces is weak and the help of the US troops can help them fight these extremists. I seriously believe in a peaceful process but these extremists have caused too much. They do not even consider themselves Filipino. I hope you guys can look at both sides of the argument and make a educated and realistic decision. I'm not saying anything bad about those people who think the idea of US troops is going to cause imperialism and colonialism again. Having political and social stability will pave the way for more foreign investment which the Philippines desperately needs more of. The Philippines is lagging behind the rest of its South East Asian neighbors. And to think 30 years ago it had tremendous economic growth rates. I just want to say instead of protesting about Americans in the Philippines, do something that will promote the economy of the Philippines to grow. Anyways just my 2 cents on this issue.
P.S Filipinos in the Philippines spell Filipino with an F!!!! and Filipinos in the Philippines hate it when people say PI !!!!!! ( please say Philippines when you talk about the Philippines to a Filipino)

___________________
Interesting eh?

Make Mine Music

~No Tations~

US Military is going to the PI!

FUCK THAT...

AND FUCK 'THERE IS NO LESSER OF TWO EVILS' BULLSHIT AS WELL...

GW...GET THE HELL OUT OF MY ANCESTORS' HOMELAND

Master Danongan 'Danny' Kalanduyan
director of Palabuniyan Kulintang Ensemble

Danongan Kalanduyan is a master of all aspects of the Maguindanao tribal style of kulintang music and has been a central artistic figure in virtually all major Filipino-American communities for nearly two decades. Born in the fishing village of Datu Piang in the Cotabato area of Mindanao, he was raised in a strongly traditional musical environment. "If you were born in my village you'd hear no Western music, just traditional music," he says. "The music was everywhere and for everyone, not just as entertainment, but also as an accompaniment to rituals and ceremonies. I didn't need a tutor; it just automatically came to my head, day and night. I learned it through exposure, through listening." Like many kulintang musicians, he began by steadying the large agung gongs when they swayed back and forth as the older musicians struck them. At the age of seven, he began to study the other instruments--the kulintang the dabakan goblet-shaped drum, the small babandir "timekeeper" gong, and the gandingan four-gong set--from his grandmother, father, uncles, and cousins. As a young man, he won island-wide competitions on the gandingan and became widely recognized as a master musician. In 1971, he toured the Far East with the Darangan Cultural Troupe.

In 1976, a Rockefeller grant brought Kalanduyan to the University of Washington in Seattle as an artist-in-residence in the ethnomusicology program headed by Dr. Robert Garfias. He has resided in the U.S. ever since. Word of his presence spread among Filipino communities, and he was soon very much in demand as a performer and as a guro, or "teacher." He has taught and performed with virtually all of the American kulintang ensembles. His missionary zeal and endless patience have brought success in his efforts to make his cherished musical tradition a respected part of American life. In the words of Los Angeles-based World Kulintang Institute director Eleanor Academia-Magda, "he can pride himself in exposing kulintang to the masses in America, which he has quietly done almost single-handedly." It is ironic to some that kulintang music, almost entirely confined to a small Muslim minority in the Philippines, has been enthusiastically embraced by scores of young Christian Filipino-Americans for whom, through its pre-Hispanic, pre-Muslim roots, it now serves as a cultural icon of pan-Filipino-American unity.

Danongan Kalanduyan has been a featured artist in performances at major venues such as the Hollywood Bowl (with the Los Angeles Philharmonic) the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Kennedy Center, as well as in countless concerts and festivals throughout the United States. In 1990, he served as a master artist in the California state apprenticeship program. In his own view, passing on the tradition is his foremost goal. "I feel that transmitting the knowledge I possess is important for Filipino Americans everywhere, not only to preserve what may be the only authentic Filipino musical form, but also to encourage Filipino Americans to maintain contact with their cultural heritage."

Excerpt from "Kulintang Music of The Philippines" by Gregg Butensky, 1997
_________________________________________

Master Kalanduyan is the equivalent to what the Japanese call a "Living Treasure".

The past few nights I have been up till 4AM practicing on my saronay, which is basically a mini-kulintang that children first use.

It's been a long time since I have been inspired to put out that much effort and concentration for music.

I MUST ON BE ON TO SOMETHING....

Make Mine Music

~No Tations~

Born To Be Blue
Words & Music by Mel Torme & Robert Wells, 1946

Some folks were meant to live in clover,
But they are such a chosen few;
And clover, being green, is something I've never seen,
'Cause I was born to be blue.

When there's a yellow moon above me,
They say that moon beams I should view;
But moon beams, being gold, are something I can't behold,
'Cause I was born to be blue.

Bridge:
When I met you, the world was bright and sunny;
When you left, the curtain fell.
I want to laugh, but nothing strikes me funny;
Now my world's a faded pastel.
And that alone is more than I was created for
'Cause I was born to be blue.

Happy February 14th!

Always.
Making Mine Music

~No Tations~

So I missed the BRL gathering last night. Dangit. Damn retail job doesn't let me out till 9 pm. Anyway.

Do you ever get the feeling that you're hated on because you can't speak Filipino? [or Tagalog or another dialect.] Two specific places come into mind: Sinugba and Edna's Libraryi [formerly Edna's Echiban.]

Last night my friend Elicio and I went out to eat, and since I was fiending for Japanese, and also because it was 1030 pm I figured the only place to go was Edna's Libraryi, right over on Westborough. I should have known. They were having karaoke contest there, so I filled out a little slip of paper so I could sing "If This Is It" by Huey Lewis and the News. This was around 1045 pm. I ordered a chicken teriyaki/tempura dinner. So I ate. And drank a San Miguel. By this time the contest is over and the regular 'sing along' has started.

So I wait. And wait.

It's now midnight. 8 people have sung already. Plus the six who were in the karaoke contest. On top of that the third place winner sings, and then the host says, "Special request for Marie [the 3rd place winner] to sing Celine Dion." In other words she sings 2 in a row.

So I wait another song. Finally the waiter comes back. "Did you put in my song request?" I asked. He nods and walks over to the little booth that controls who sings. "You're coming up soon."

So I wait. The 2nd place winner [this cool dude who sang 'Play That Funky Music']. The waiter comes back. "You're next," he says. It's now 1235 am.

The host comes back. "Okay now we have the first place winner here to sing."

I got up and went to the booth. "My name's Chim and I have to go. I put in my request almost 2 hours ago!"

The guy in the booth was apologetic but I got the point. I wasn't a 'regular'. I didn't go and kiss his @ss by speaking Tagalog to him. Whatever. Edna's Libraryi is not getting my business again. Same as Singuba. If I don't speak Tagalog, or my skin is not white, they don't give a rat's @ss whether or not I'm getting service.

If You're Happy And You Know It Bomb Iraq
by John Robbins
[Sung to the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It"]

If you cannot find Osama, bomb Iraq.
If the markets are a drama, bomb Iraq.
If the terrorists are Saudi,
And your alibi is shoddy,
And your tastes remain quite gaudy,
Bomb Iraq.

If you never were elected, bomb Iraq.
If your mood is quite dejected, bomb Iraq.
If you think that SUVs,
Are the best thing since sliced cheese,
And your father you must please,
Bomb Iraq.

If the globe is quickly warming, bomb Iraq.
If the poor will soon be storming, bomb Iraq.
We assert that might makes right,
Burning oil is a delight, For the empire we will fight,
Bomb Iraq.

If we have no allies with us, bomb Iraq.
If we think that someone's dissed us, bomb Iraq.
So to hell with the inspections,
Let's look tough for the elections,
Close your mind and take directions,
Bomb Iraq.

If corporate fraud is growin', bomb Iraq.
If your ties to it are showin', bomb Iraq.
If your politics are sleazy,
And hiding that ain't easy,
And your manhood's getting queasy,
Bomb Iraq.

Fall in line and follow orders, bomb Iraq.
For our might now knows no borders, bomb Iraq.
Disagree? We'll call it treason,
It's the make war not love season,
Even if we have no reason,
Bomb Iraq.

Are your panties in a bunch?
Bomb Iraq!
Is your honey late for lunch?
Bomb Iraq!
If your shoes are feeling tight,
If you're itchin' for a fight,
Bomb Iraq! Bomb Iraq! Bomb Iraq!

Bitter Tuesday

Posted later

CD Recording

On Sunday, I joined the Oakland/Alameda Community Chorus in Richmond for the recording session of our first CD. Man, it was pretty fun. I had a solo so I was put in the other room [with my own headphones.] I felt like American Idol. Naw, but really, it was a fun session. We recorded six songs, five of which were Traditional Black Spirituals. The only downside was that I had to work on Saturday which took time away from the rehearsal session with Herb Geller. I should be starting that back up on the 22nd though.

The Chamber Singers are doing a song, "Kasar Mie La Gaji," The Earth is Tired. This is one of the songs which won in the choral music contest for works dedicated to the events which happened on 9/11. It talks all about how we humans are using and abusing the resources and the planet is literally tired. It looks simple but the song is very exhausting to sing. I'm looking forward to the finished product, which will be on our set in Oregon.

The University Chorus started singing Karl Orff's "Carmina Burana." Once again, when this is put together I'm guaranteeing that this is something that should not be missed. I'm hoping some of you can make it out.

And last but not least come to My Birthday Party

Yeah, yeah, parking sucks. Oh well, if you gots nothing else to do...

T'BOLI

The T'Boli performance was very interesting. A little more theatrical than I usually like, but still very fascinating. The T'Boli people resisted conversion to both Islam and Christianity, which says a lot for strength of will and mind. What got me was the very beginning of the show, which starts off with three women sitting down and singing. The first woman was singing in her T'Boli dialect, but the style of singing sounded like it was from China. Then the next woman sang, and I could have sworn that she was singing country music [although in her own dialect]. Very trippy. Still, it was pretty interesting. Another aspect of the T'Boli culture is their textiles/weavings. They were beautiful. Expensive, but beautiful.

My dad was also impressed [though he doesn't care much for one of the people in Kularts, who sponsored the show.] Anyway, it was a fun night, although I got lost in the Mission. I watched the show with my parents and The Baby Blog was also there as well. I guess GIMB2 is almost ready to burst!

At Serramonte, I work right next to both Taco Bell�� and Burger King��. Both of these places have elderly Pilipin@s working there, mopping, sweeping and cleaning up. If I'm tripping then say so, but seeing them doing work like that upsets me. It makes me think of my grandmother, who is now 74, and I would be very upset to find that she's wiping tables at the local fast food place.

Just a thought.

Make Mine Music

~No Tations~

If you have nothing to do this weekend...check this out:

THE T'BOLI ARE COMING!

I'll be there tomorrow. This is ancient Pilipino music. The sad part is that it's dying, what with more and more of the "Western" style music invading the Philippines.

I'll also write about it soon, but it would be cool to see some of you there!

Make Mine Music

~No Tations~

I sang my voice out on Saturday at The Mint in the Castro. It was a fellow Chamber Singer's birthday. Man, the host makes a killing on tips. If you drop some dough, he'll move you up in the rotation. I just wanted to be able to sing that night, but as soon as I dropped some cash, three people later it was my turn. Unfortunately, I was out of commission for the choir practices on Monday and Tuesday.

*SHAMELESS 'COME VISIT ME AT GREAT EARTH VITAMINS' PLUG*
Caught a fever on Sunday night. That wasn't good. I'm telling you guys, OSCILLOCOCCINUM is no joke. Take a couple of vials of this and it'll knock the flu out before it can start to do damage.

The Oakland/Alameda Community Chorus is recording a CD Sunday!! Can't wait.

As Always,
Makin' Mine Music

~No Tations~

[Serramonte Center]

Long time no post eh?

I finally paid off my first ever credit card, one of those Wells Fargo Student ones, which I got waaaaaaaay back in 1994 [at DVC thank you very much!]. But in order to do it I had to cash out my FedEx 401K which has been sitting in limbo since I quit FedEx way back in 2001. I needed to pay for my tuition [$813, could ya believe it!] So I cashed it out, minus a phat @ss penalty, minus the FED taking taxes, and the remainder was almost $2200. Dayam. So I took out $900 cash for tuition and transfered the remaining $1250 into my account. Then I figured, what the heck let's get shave some of my debt. I asked the teller what my balance was -- $1245. So it was either pay half and have $$ in my pocket now, or pay it now and have $$ in the future. The decision was actually harder to make than it looks. But I gulped and told the teller to pay it off! Since Wells Fargo closed the account like two years ago, all I was doing was paying the interest. Now I just have student loans and a $400 Associate's Bank card.

First of all, I hope you all click on the link below this post and register yourself on the "Yes, I'm going to the party group".

I'm here at work, though I'm not supposed to be. My coworker called me to tell me that her mom took her car and she has no ride to work. Luckily my rehearsal for "Jazzy Josie B" ended at 5 so I could shoot across the bay from Berkeley to San Mateo in time so that the guy on the first shift [who, if not for his girlfriend, would not have had lunch at all] could leave when his shift ends, at 6. So now I'm here, totally bored, waiting for this dang store to close.

Had two rehearsals today, Oakland/Alameda Community Chorus (OACC) and for Jazzy Josie B. Added that to a week full of singing and, despite all the 'Throat Coat' tea I've been drinking, my throat is very raw. The rehearsals went good today. In the OACC rehearsal we went over some old rep, songs like "Aint-A That Good News", "His Name So Sweet" and "God's Gonna Set This World On Fire." We'll be recording our CD on February 9th. I also went over my two songs from the Jazzy Josie B musical. Herb Geller, the guy who wrote it, is back from Germany, and now the cast gets down to the nitty gritty. Remember, this is running every weekend in March, so I hope some of you out there are gonna show up.

Make Mine Music

~No Tations~