The Philippines: Manila, Sweet and “G-Hetto” Fabulous

Manila, Hot and Sweet: Well, here we are, summertime in the Philippines and its HOT! So hot that the local folk come out around 7:00am to hang out at the docks and piers around Manila Bay with their families to swim and buy fish from the local fishermen until around 11:00am. Then its off to the shade elsewhere. School starts back up in June when it gets too hot to be outside.
I remember the first time hearing of a place called “the Philippines”… it was during the Vietnam War. My brother Walter had completed training in the Marine Corp on Parris Island, SC and was now going to the Philippine Islands for further training before being sent to Vietnam. That’s all I ever heard or new about the Philippines, other than it was “hot”. After reading a bit, I figured it must have been a good place to train because of its closeness in proximity and similar climate to Vietnam. But I never knew which Island he trained on, nor did I know (until now) there are about seven thousands islands (800 inhabited) that make up the Philippines! I learned a bit more about the people, their traditions, religions and food when VanOs and I moved to Jersey City and lived in a Filipino community on Manila Ave. A good time we had - parties, parades, food, food, and more food!
Now from experience I can say, the Philippines is a beautiful tropical archipelago in South East Asia, with beautiful skylines in Manila, Makati City, and Quezon City to name the few in our sight and vision from the sky. It also has a great night life complete with interactive Karaoke Bars set-up for viewers watching on the internet to chime in a vote for the best Karaoke performer, dance clubs, casinos, and great hotels with some of the best restaurants i’ve ever eaten in! The Philippines have been an international hot spot for a a long time apparently… I’m just getting put on.
The Cultural Center of the Philippines is a great place to spend a few ours and catch up on the culture of the archipelago and just walking around talking to people is a pleasant activity because the people are generally open. Maybe next time I’ll get to see some of the less inhabited islands.

Diggin’ The Grub: What I found true in my Philippine culinary experience is that there are major influences from China, Japan, India, the Middle-East and later Spain. There’s the simple whole fried fish with rice & vegetables dish, the fried rice aka “sinangag” which has ground chicken or pork-garlic&onion spice w/fried egg on top. Then there is “arroz caldo” which is a rice porridge w/chicken, ginger, onions and coconut milk that makes it more like a cereal, and there are various stews such as the popular Kare-kare (peanut stew) often made with oxtail or tripe (stomach lining of an animal). There are popular street foods that I came across but had to avoid because I could not take the chance of getting sick with the commitment I had… but one I was curious about was “betamax”… that is roasted dried chicken blood cut and served into small cubes for which it received its name…it looks like a Betamax tape. Although we did not get to experience many of the traditional dishes (and there are many others not mentioned here I have tasted), we did have great meals and a memorable tasty Philippine seafood dinner consisting of fried cuttlefish, large crab, sauteed vegetables, steamed rice, dried seaweed, chunks of fried grouper, and dumplings. I think there were a few other items I cannot remember… …Anyway, I now have a taste for grilled fish and a beer.
BTW, many of the locals drink Red Horse Beer, but I prefer the San Miguel.

Ear To the Street and Head to the Sky: I’ve found this Southeast Asian metropolis to be as complex a society as its food.

Different religions, different philosophies about life amongst islanders, farmers and those on the mainland, different politics, different goals, etc., etc… all this while a large body of the population is starving. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not criticizing the Philippine government because for all I know they’re probably doing everything in their power to make things right for the people. But I am curious about the disparity in the areas I’ve seen. For instance, the Philippines is known to be one of the world’s most highly mineralized countries with untapped mineral wealth estimated at more than $840 billion. We’re talking copper, gold, and chromate deposits. Other important minerals include nickel, silver, coal, gypsum, and sulfur. The supreme court gave the OK for investments by foreign companies for large scale exploration of these resources… and i hear the Philippine government was cool with that. But I also read that the work gets outsourced. That’s a drag. Is it because 33% of the population aren’t educated or trained for the jobs and thus live in poverty? I hear another 55% of the population works in the service industry, leaving 12% to slurp the chocolate off the side of this sweet sugar cone. Is this true?
Well, not sure what’s what, but this is what I saw: People surviving, whole families, barefoot, taking up residence on street corners, alleys, bus depots, on the banks of polluted rivers, under walkways and bridges and basically where ever they could and not be run off. At these “residences” I saw families eat from one plate, devise makeshift stoves to cook on and sell what ever mystery was over the flame -maybe Betamax…They also sold nuts, various loose fruits, some peeled and cut… and capsules of “viagra” and “cialis”. .. Oh yeah, did I not mention the dens of promiscuity? Apparently they were all around as men would come up and offer to “take you to see nice girl”… I saw these things throughout Manila, and Cebu.
I guess all countries have there problems and complexities…? And all this while the smell of roasted meat, fish, vegetables and other palate pleasers from some establishment with a grill and vent fill the air. Keep ya’ heads up.

Ghetto Fabulous: And just how does the vast majority get around? Answer: In some of the funkiest truck-buses ever created known as the “Jeepney”!

Mostly old WWII Bantam Jeeps but now you’ll even see old Mercedes pick-up trucks refurbished to look and serve as a bus.
These vehicles and their drivers serve the mass population of the Philippines and are the glorified equivalent of the Flatbush and Jamaica Avenue (Brooklyn & Queens) $1 vans. Except they run throughout the entire country! Every city or populated island has their own (We didn’t go to all the cities, but i asked a local source) i was told.
The outer bodies are usually unfinished or have had the paint removed, a wagon with seating for 10-12 people added along with a metal or thick canvas ragtop to protect the passengers from the sun.
These vehicles have been converted into short buses that look like steroid enhanced coffins on wheels and are personalized with accessories from the simplest and plain to those with chrome bars and megaphones, from christmas lights to a collage of a drivers favorite pics…, from cow bells to sea shells, from neon signs to strobe lights. The names of street routes and stops are hand painted on the sides and above the back bumpers. This is Ghetto Fabulous deluxe! And I love it! They should be made a national symbol as they perform a service for a nation and are truly the countries identity.

Maya’s lyrics in the song “G-Hetto” (her hip-hop anthem), “what I got, is all I got in the G-Hetto…” rang true for most of our stops in Southeast Asia and definitely so here in the Philippines. People making and doing the best with what they have. It is easier to see this taking place when there exists a dichotomy of those that have… and those that do not. The difference between the two creates anxiety, desire, and fear. Classic capitalist-American thinking says this is good because it motivates. Well, if this tropical sugar cone with all its sweet sauce running down the side has been influenced by American culture in any way… then this is just as true: One who strives to be beautiful utilizing the items one can only afford, in the glamorous way beauty and richness is portrayed in the media IS “Ghetto Fabulous”.
To see people strive in this way is a beautiful act in itself because the individual is not allowing any perceived disadvantages hold them back. One can rise above all obstacles when the mind is in this state- reference the “funky truck-buses”…

But off the streets its all MALL CULTURE. From SM Mall to Glorietta Mall to Landmark Mall to Ayala Mall.
In some areas, these city-like Malls have crosswalks or bridges connecting one to the other and once you’re in, its like being on (or in…) the internet…. you better keep in mind what you came there for, time yourself, leave soon, and remember which way you came in… ‘cause the mall is trying to eat just like those people on the street. The concept of “the mall” itself is Ghetto Fabulous! I was diggin’ it for the air- condition alone…

No Lacking in Music: For many years, the Philippines has access to nearly every musical genre coming out of the U.S. and Europe. As a result, the country produces very talented musicians with high levels of musicianship. We’ve met kids ages 11-15 with their own bands playing covers by The Who, and adult professional bands working the club scene and touring internationally. There are also children studying classical music. And it was a real joy to hear the diversity of music played on radio, in malls, by DJs in clubs, even heard that Peter Malick recording featuring Norah Jones (The Chill Albulm) for the first time. So the Philippines does have a lot going on musically. But, as influenced by American culture as the Philippines have been, it is surprising to me that the language of self expression is not in the forefront of creative education (as has been the case for all the countries we’ve visited thus far). Here as well as other countries we’ve visited I’ve noticed that older musicians are only playing/copying (note-for-note) what they’ve heard and that includes solos, without interjecting any phrasing, arrangement or style of their own. Not necessarily a bad thing when studying music and/or learning how to play. But it becomes self-surpressive when it is repeated throughout a repetoire. One may not realize it… but its true. Now, there is one genre that boasts of self expression… yes, Hip-Hop. And even though in the U.S. Hip-Hop is “dead” in terms of its progressive evolution, it has become the starship of self-expression and is helping to empower the young and old creatively. Still, as a teaching-artist, I would like to see more self expression in the earlier stages of development. And for that to happen, Jazz and the idea of improvisation remains very important. I just feel the “improvisation” aspect of Jazz or any genre for that matter should be considered FIRST when sharing American Music Abroad. I’ve found that 8-10 year olds in an ensemble setting absorb the concept very easily. So a few good places to start would be in vocal ensembles, percussive ensembles, guitar ensembles, brass, string, etc… This is where confidence is built. This is where one learns what she or he has to contribute. This is what we (Americans) are taught “in the G-Hetto” and elsewhere. This is the lesson that needs to be “shared”.
“My Umi says shine your light on the world, shine your light for the world to see”
- Mos Def. .

How We Shined the Light: “Tour of The Malls” I call it - our concert series in the Philippines were held in 3 Malls: Ayala Center Cebu, TriNoma Mall (Quezon City), and Greenbelt 3 Park (Makati City). We also held 2 Master Classes- one at Cebu Arts Council at the College of Architecture and Fine Arts at the University of San Carlos. The other was held at University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music.

One of the joys about the Master Classes was the attendance of a lager group of kids ages 10-15 at Cebu Arts Council, who were eager and open to the concept of self expression and showed a desire to be mentored as was clear when Maya divided the groups into 4 sections and kids would shift seats to be amongst the artists or group (Bass/keys, Drumset, Guitar, or Vocals) they had an affinity for. We then had each section sing their part first, then invite them to the stage area with their own instrument or to play ours. Then we created a jam session with each group playing their part but allowing for some interpretation of the B-section of Maya’s “Set You Free”. At first it seemed like the sound would be a bunch of mumbo-jumbo but we coordinated by synchronizing with Ivan’s drum group. So the groups always noticed how we listened to each other before counting them in to play their part. Christian had a group of 10-12 year olds that could play basic chords on guitar and sounded great!
Maya also had a group of highly enthusiastic singers who also sounded great! Ivan always had the charisma and talent to ‘drum up’ exceptional musicians and get them to play! He also managed to get in an extra workshop here and there before and after shows-amazing! I’m sure his groups walked away with a lot of information. My keyboard players were great too! I would have them play in duos, one playing the bass part and the other playing the chords then rotate. A fine session it was.

The Master Class at UST Conservatory of Music was fantastic. We had about 200 teachers in attendance who asked questions about how to teach rhythm and phrasing in a group setting. When we asked about traditional Philippine Music, the point was made that they are trying to expose themselves to music beyond that. That was great except the point of ‘sharing’ was missed. A little sad, but as the little girl Kyra said in the documentary When Fried Eggs Fly, “I’ll get pass it”.
We were happy the teachers all left the workshop ecstatic (as Maya pointed out) about what we presented. Hopefully they left with new ideas about teaching music. And do note, about 80 of those in attendance arrived late about 2/3rds the way into our presentation - we were nearly done but took a moment to summarize what had been conveyed earlier and continued from that point. Apparently, they still got a lot from that. Yehhh! On to Sri Lanka…

-B. Mack