October 25, 2008, the 45th anniversary of DZRJ via the concert dubbed as SUPERSESSION in A. Venue Hall in Makati. It was the night of fun and reminiscing, the era of Pinoy Rock as well as the classic rock of the golden era of music—the 70s.

We were there so much early as we travelled 64 kilometers from our place just to be there on time and witness once again the culminating event in the history of Philippine music. The event ain’t so much of a Woodstock or anything like that of love, peace and music for three days but anything close to that would merit my attention in this rap stricken-shallow fad country of ours.

The stage resembles the humble beginning of DZRJ 45 years ago, when Ramon Jacinto put up his first radio station in his Dad’s garage. The stage is an 18-wheeler flat bed trailer truck, a makeshift reminiscent of my Mendiola days where we held most of the theater and band performances during the demonstration. I remember Noel Cabangon and Chikoy Pura, as we used to perform together on top of the flat bed truck in Mendiola during Cory Aquino’s State of the Nation Address many years ago.

It has been a while since I’ve attended such a concert, and I tell you the crowd is much different ever since. Though they are not that stage-diving-slam-dancing people, they know how to appreciate a good song when heard. Most of the crowd age ranges from 25 to 60, I guess.

An hour before the show people started pouring in. You will immediately notice the absence of the slam-banging teenagers in Punk get up, Poseurs and other wannabees. However, my attention caught an old man in his 70s I think, in white ponytail, beard and long hair. The old man is a frail looking rock n’ roll veteran wearing a reporter’s vest tattered with button pins complete with wrist band and other paraphernalia except for the microphone and guitar. I’m glad I didn’t wear black shirt that day—as everybody does, complete with huge print of different bands or personalities of rock music, a cliché during concerts like these.

Beside the 18-wheeler flat bed truck-cum-stage is an old automobile, a 1940 limousine where the VIPs of the show wallow in their wine and songs. The lighting is great as it gives justice to an improvised look, but the sound system lacks luster. The organizer could have surrounded the place with good speakers instead of putting it only in front. The vocal sound suffers quite a bit and being overshadowed by the instruments.

Joey “Pepe” Smith brought the house down with his own antics. Joey is a legend on his own when it comes to Pinoy Rock music scene. The 65-year-old ex-detainee and a veteran musician come in sober in a leather suit and sporting a clean cut hairstyle. The crowd suddenly rush near the stage as Joey belts out songs from his legendary JUAN DE LA CRUZ BAND.

Marc Abaya of KJWAN gave justice to the seminal song Stairway to Heaven as Cookie Chua sings out with him in the last part while Tirso Ripols of RAZORBACK axed down the road with his Peavey Guitar. Chikoy Pura of THE JERKS was the busiest among the performers; he was almost always present in every set and sessions doing vocals of DOORS’ Light My Fire, STEELY DAN’s Reelin’ in the Years and ERIC CLAPTON’s Sunshine of your Love, and Layla along with Ramon Jacinto and Pepe Smith.

The finale was awesome; the makeshift stage was full of Pinoy talent. Pure music at its best as the crowd was misty eyed in between riffs of 13 guitarists all session and seasoned musician. Two hard pounding drums set left and right, percussion instruments and keyboards in the middle. The musicality was so thick and the fusion of the American-born and Pinoy-bred music can’t be distinguished.

All artists played their own original piece in between covers and the fusion was good, in fact, it was great. The crowd isn’t that much frenzy back in the old days of Pinoy Rock era, maybe it comes along with age. But still, the passion can’t be denied. It was still there that evening; burning as soon as the event started with the national anthem played in a bluesy-passionate guitar while the crowd raised their fists.

A Child's Prayer-Against Abortion - More free videos are here

I found this very interesting video on the site of Rain Contreras as most people nowadays (at least in the Philippines) are going ga-ga over this video as it shows what could have been and what should have been Manila. This video is Manila Queen of Pacific 1938 footage. Every one that have already seen the video especially Filipinos residing in Manila have one way or the other wish for that "glory days" of old times to remain, well at least through this video time travel exists. Thanks to Rain Contreras for posting this video. Enjoy it!

It happened in a spur of the moment. I just grabbed my video camera as my partner and I headed off to the railroad tracks in a nearby town to shoot some footages that we might find interesting; and interesting indeed, as we found out a whole life of community surviving on the railroad tracks, unknown to many.

As we live comfortably numb in our own shelter and at the comfort of the four corners of our sanctuary, there just a few miles from our asylum, is a place where nobody dares to hoof. A place what they call slum area at the railroad tracks. About a hundred or more families squeeze themselves in a vacant lot beside the railroad.

Their means of living also depends on the tracks. It is so incredible how they managed to make a living, as they make their way earning about 50 to 200 pesos a day or $1 to $4 by pushing a “Trolley” as a means of transportation. The Trolley is an ingenious creation of the railroad tracks resident they substituted for the train.

No, the train wasn’t replaced at all. The residents, in their attempt to earn a living and to survive created a means of transporting people to their home. A 5x3 feet wooden Trolley pushed and powered by human energy and wheeled by small bearings resembling the structure of the train’s helm.

The driver charges 4 pesos or a dime each passenger for a 10 to 15 minute ride. Whenever two trolleys meet on the same flow of the tracks one must give way by carrying his trolley away from the track as the passengers must get off first. Yes I know, the journey wasn’t that pleasant as you have the view of the slum area. You also get to witness life’s profanity at its best, personified in the living condition of those who dwell beside this God-forsaken place.

However, the government sprayed perfume on their facial makeovers and superficial “nip and tuck” programs, the truth still stinks. The poverty in these places is insurmountable. It is a miracle that people living in this condition still find time to smile and think that there will be time that they will be alleviated from their present condition.

I happened to interview one of the Trolley drivers; I will feature him in my video and show it here in my blog soon, awaiting further completion. The interview was an enlightening, as well as a chest pounding encounter of a soul surviving in the condition unknown to many. Stories you can only find in the primetime slot of a TV drama or in the pages of a newspaper.

This is my first installment of the Life’s Drama on the Railroad Track.

Technorati Tags:railroad video, video, railroad drama, slum area, poverty, philippine national railways, trolley, train, railroad tracks
Generated By Technorati Tag Generator