To be honest, I have never explored nor appreciated rap, battle rap, hip-hop or beat box music.
In my 27 years of existence, my idea about music is limited to what I hear on the radio and only when I started travelling and exploring the country- that was the time my mind opened up to the various artists and musicians as well as actors and theater productions that are existing in the country.
Most of the time, we just rely on what we see on television, very little time is given to actual travels that could enrich life.
Since, I have devoted my life to travelling together with artists, a decision was made to write down any thing, anyone or any group worth considering- the works that are presented in this blog, would be transferred into a more permanent one as part of an archiving project- and it would contain some of the most brilliant art projects that I was able to see and experience throughout my lifetime.
After all, Baguio City is still a small town, it might be the hub or center of education in the North, but not a lot of people are able to go beyond than what is seen in their respective schools.
I was fortunate enough to be invited in TIU theater for the Bakata theater show.
Last May 8, 9,10 TIU theater released Bakata.
Creative Image Foundation has funded this project.
The foundation's main objective is to assist the people of Payatas and Smokey Mountain to achieve success in life. TIU theater is opening opportunities for Filipinos, the theater is used to bring out children's artistic talents and to increase art appreciation in the country.
The foundation's main objective is to assist the people of Payatas and Smokey Mountain to achieve success in life. TIU theater is opening opportunities for Filipinos, the theater is used to bring out children's artistic talents and to increase art appreciation in the country.
At the moment, the foundation if sponsoring theater plays, dance and singing rehearsals as well as various musical events since 2014.
Together with writer musician Pio Balbuena and executive producer Toshihiko Uriu, they gathered children from Smokey Mountain, Payatas and other areas in Manila and created a script that would present the life of the children using the medium of music and theatre stage.
Getting to know Microphone Mechanics:
TIU production also collaborated with one of the best emerging beat box musicians in the country, Microphone Mechanics,
Truth be told I was never a fan of rap, hip-hop, battle rap nor beatbox music- most of the music played on the radio seems like trash to me, and the battle raps that are presented on TV and on YouTube at times seems violent for me.
For this reason, I never did take the time to hear the lyrics, the message of these singers and just assumed that the songs they are giving and providing is of no use to me.
After all, I would rather not hear what they have to say, most of the time, bad words and curse words are the only ones that stand out in the lyrics--but then again--
I was meant to travel to Manila and watch Bakata at TIU theater so that my prejudice and unwillingness to hear and discover more about life occured- this was meant to be.
I was meant to gain respect and understanding for this kind of community present in Manila--this is something that Northern Luzon has to be prepared for in the coming days of rapid urbanization.
,
A lot of people in Baguio City and other areas have already heard much about rapper Abra, children are already singing the songs created by him including that of Ron Henley- these are the mainstream ideas of what Hip-hop culture is in the country, these singers are the ones being aired on the radio, the ones that are being followed by teenagers because of their swagger and on the surface ideas.
The message remains unclear and the music that they create is very much like any rapper inthe mainstream music- they speak about the flesh, the sex-just like any other hip hop or RNB music video we have seen over the past decades-- relatively nothing new.
You see this has been my prejudice about this kind of music, this is what I know and if it were not for the invitation to play- I would know nothing about this emerging world.
Manila is undeniably urban, a lot of characters are here, a lot of experience and people converging with each other.
The people in Manila work like a tribe, a tribe that has the need to sustain itself, this goes to say they have a language of their own-- and the language best suited to express what is happening around them is rap, it is about beat box- the sounds of the city, the feel of the city--no music genre can better express what is happening in Metro Manila.
Microphone Mechanics is a new and emerging beat box artist, they are composed of 4 members: G-Who, AbdhuL MouthFX and Mckoy.
There Genre focuses on Acapella Human Beatbox and they also have experience in theater and providing comedy shows.
Four are currently active, while one would be representing the country in the Beatbox International Competition in Germany.
I was given a chance to had a chat with G-who, the one leading Microphone Mechanics- we conversed about what Beat boxing is all about and the various differences that are being seen in the music industry.
According to him the Beatbox Community is still young in the country, much has yet to be explored, beat box is another genre from Rap as well as Hip-hop.
He fell in love with the culture of beat boxing when he was residing in another country.
He was able to observe how independent people are about their self expression- beat box is being used by various people to explain what they feel- just like the lyrics in rap- the musician is able to express the social ills of society through battle rap.
In the country, there is a reason why the Hip Hop culture is emerging, this is because Rap and Hip Hop music is the poor man's music, the chanting has been natural to us.
In fact even before the idea of swagger came to be-- rapping and beat boxing has already been a part of tribal and even Tibetan and Hindu culture.
The very first instrument is our voice- and beat boxers make ample use of this fact. Beat boxing has become universal, the way it was supposed to be.
Microphone Mechanics will release their single this April 2016:
Check their FB page here.