Sweden is my music mecca, I know it.

The Knife – Pass this on (Live)

The Knife – Pass this on

For now, I’ll give you this rendition by Bill Evans Trio. Leave it up to you to look up on Chet.

I absolutely dig their album “Declaration of Dependence”. Full of feel good song, healthy for the heart. Thanks to Kaye for bringing my attention this music.

When in love, in the mood for Jazz.

John "Trane" Coltrane

John Coltrane - Ruby, My Dear [Download]

Chet Baker - My Funny Valentine [Download]

Mishka Adams - The Very Thought Of You [Download]

Poster of Puccini's Tosca

Puccini’s Tosca, one of the most popular operas in the repertoire ever since its January 14, 1900 premiere, is a violent drama based on Victorien Sardou’s hit play La Tosca,which was written as a star vehicle for the famous French actress Sarah Bernhardt. In the translation from play to opera, the action was tightened, the characters were “Italianized,” and most of the political motivation was cut. The action of the play and the opera takes place in Rome between noon of June 17, 1800 and dawn the following day, during which time all of the major characters die violent deaths.

– Ten Things You Didn’t Know About Tosca by N.V. Nicassio (source)

Following a very uneventful day, it’s nice to unwind to Tosca over a glass of wine and the soaring spirit of the libretto.

Here I wish to impart with you a characteristically unique rendition of Puccini’s Tosca, which features the performances of the profoundly gifted Maria Callas and Giuseppe di Stefano as tenor. A note on Callas: these recordings were produced at the latter time of her career when numerous critics have slammed Callas’ for her vocal deterioration which was attributed to her mid-career weight-loss. However, I agree with her backers that this show of vulnerability in her voice is precisely what makes Maria Callas a deservingly celebrated Soprano – her vocal inconsistency has only magnified her intense internalization of the Tosca, and is an undeniable testimony of her commanding presence.

Puccini’s Tosca - Moderato Con Moto [Download]

Puccini’s Tosca - Vissi D’Arte [Download]

My Brightest Diamond

Okay, what just happened there in 2009?  It went by like a blur.  All snide comments aside about my utter lack of indie juice for that year, I could say that my personal evolution has tremendously affected the course of this website’s content.  As I review all my entries it’s been so issue-oriented and later on, I tried to experiment on describing sensations evoked by music and vice-versa.  The latter is a somewhat out-of-body experience, if you will, which might require a slight intoxication on my part (again, real or imagined).

But enough of my self-indulgent musings.  This year, I wish to introduce a new dimension to this blog which is to feature guest writers.  That’s right.  Other voices writing on this blog aside from moi. I’m sure by now you’re tired of this highly cynical and weird eccentric behind the keyboard.  Fine.  We’ll drag in another highly cynical and weird eccentric behind the keyboard! Hah.

So yes, expect some guy named Francis to pop into this scene once in a while.  By the way, Francis is a guy I can easily monitor.  By that, I don’t mean in the Foucauldian sense of the word nor at a predatory sense whereby I am the stalker and he is the stalkee.  No.  It is like the kind of monitor where I can see him sitting in front of class and slap his back startling enough that will remind him to write some more.  Take not that Francis is in no way being remunerated for his efforts yet (at least as far as cash is concerned because I will probably be subject to some ‘homework collaboration’ in the future should he ask for assistance in the event that I will be guilt-tripped to oblige).  But you know!  You get the point. He is also a ‘prolific’ indie artist.  By that I mean he has his own myspace! (Okay, up to you if you get my sick and twisted humor).  Kidding.  Again, let’s get that out of the way and just anticipate his words because you can probably pick up a thing or two from this extremely tenacious music geek.

I am also dragging some of my other friends into this salad of music geekery.  When they are no longer pretending to be busy – like I used to do.  Of course, in case they are telling me matter-of-factly that they have work this blah blah blah, I’m sure I’ll find a way to squeeze out a little piece of their wonderful minds once I’ve found their bargain weakness.  So there.  That’s what you’ll be expecting this 2010 in Southisms.  Shove Kim to the sides with her boring commentaries at late and in with the new fabulous music critics who’ve got some fresh insights in to the musical esse.

Now, time for a playlist. Maestro! Music!

My Brightest Diamond - Something of an end [Download]

Moby - Shot in the back of the head [Download]

The Books and Jose Gonzales - Cello Song [Download]

She was certainly the most talented solo soul act that came out since, dare I say, Aretha Franklin.  The reason I brought up the comparison is because of Franklin herself, who at one point refused to perform with Alicia Keys at a MusiCares event in Los Angeles because she had apprehensions at the prospect of being upstaged by Alicia Keys and co-performer Mary J. Blige.  Why the diva, Aretha should be worried is indeed a mystery, but she must have her reasons.  And they may seem evident to you once you’ve seen Alicia Keys perform.

Her latest single “Empire State of Mind” which features Jay-Z was used as an anthem for this year’s New York Yankees victory.  When stripped of all its mainstream hype, the song is actually a poignant recollection of Key’s domicile, New York, that makes one wonder what her memories must have been. Although it gets cheesy toward the end, the emotion is still there and is especially crystallized in this stripped down version of the song:

Alicia Keys - Empire State Of Mind Pt. 2 (Broken Down) [Download] [Lyrics]

1969

1969 was such a great year for music regardless of the historic Woodstock which took place at the outskirts of New York state.  1969’s music glory owes itself to the culture surrounding it at that time. The restlessness of Vietnam protests.  The counter-culture youth in face with the highly conservative and blindly patriotic generation that had lived through the traumatic World War II.  1969 was the height of hallucinogenic substances which inspired new ways of recognizing the world.  It was also a time of repression and therefore resistance.

1969 also inspired indie.  That music celebrates loving the street musician or playing the record on mono.  Indie was also about Bob Dylan rejecting to play at Woodstock.  Indie was making music for the sake of music. Or music to save lives. And that there was something hateful about record companies, especially after what they have done to The Beatles.  And speaking of The Beatles, 1969 was the last time The Beatles were seen in live performance at the rooftop of Apple Records.  It was also the year when John Lennon performs as a solo artist and cries, “Give Peace a Chance”.  There was something so distinctly resounding about those words at that time, which now is just a song that we happen to know and have heard on the radio before.

1969 was when Bob Marley and the Wailers emerged from obscurity and began to popularize Reggae.  It was also Elvis Presley’s most monumental and critically-acclaimed comeback.  Simon and Garfunkel and Jackson 5 debuts –  a mark of the beginning of another era in music which is the 70’s folk or pop ballad.

When I close my eyes and think about the alternative lifestyles and the music and the pleasures so prolific in 1969, I kind of wish I lived at least a day in that year and just have a look-see of what was going on.  Just as though the Times they are a ‘changin. Just to feel that sense of wonder as one watches the first man land on the moon.

Gig logos courtesy of tunogtimog.tk

At late, I’ve been sort of a drifter in the so-called local  music “scene”, partly because having to go to all the gigs and listening to the same people and the same songs over and over can eventually grow tiring, (not to mention being coaxed in to yet another drinking session, which I have already outgrown) even though it’s totally hip to support the local music scene. A part of me still thinks that showing up to these things is helpful in mobilizing gigs, and as a result you’ve got a healthy music sub/culture. (Note: In fact, this was exactly what Paolo Castillo and the early Kaibans have envisioned. Making music gigs a habit in order for musicians to habitually create and play music.)

Years later I realized that in Davao, the music culture has met some difficulty in departing from the “gig” machinery.  On one hand, you have got to admire how the locals have finally warmed up to the idea of recording their original music, also home recording at that.  However, recording became an alibi to go out and support yet another gig.   I know I’ll divide the discussion on this but I daresay that music distribution hasn’t outgrown selling CDs to friends (even giving them away for free – as alternative interpretations of “indie” permit).   And so it comes as no surprise that you have a handful of very talented musicians and even music producers that have a day job. Unless you’re the likes of Noel Cabangon, Gauss Obenza, Bayang Barrios, Popong Landero…you know…the MTS people.

In a “scene” where music is appreciated but not necessarily “sold” (not to be confused with “sold out” as that requires a more complex qualification), being a musician  is just not a career option around these parts.  And so Davao has made it possible to have a music scene without a music industry.  Because the latter for me is manifested by the proliferation of artists who have records people go out of their way to buy in order to listen to.  When artists have a listener-ship with demand high enough to “inspire” more music, then tautologically, you’ve got yourself a market.  But unlike this ideal scenario you notice that in Mindanao, the artist is lax on the business side of music.  Which is fine but it’s symptomatic of obscurantism and a low appreciation of independent music.  Independent music is a musical process or genre that is, more often than not, commercially relaxed or devoid of formulaic musicality that the only way to give it artistic justice is for it to be appreciated by as wide an audience as possible.

This is the predominant trend in Mindanao.  We could make an exception of this period in time in Cagayan de Oro, when they were at their most abundant musical days thanks to the emergence of music powerhouses from the city, like Nuncyspungen.   Before even knowing that the band was from CDO, I was able to acquire a copy of their music off Manila racks.  It’s just an example of the potential for artists to enjoy wider circulation than most Mindanaoans.  Although in this case, they had a little help coming from the “South” music industry, which is actually Cebu (it’s strange that they call it South when Mindanao is a lot more…southern).  But I digress.

Digression #2: Wait a minute, what about Myxtreme?  Or Sidecrash?  Aren’t they widely proliferated? Well, I’m only talking about Indie here, get with the program.

Digression #3: What’s Indie by the way? Let’s keep these ideas at bay for now.

I categorically exclude mainstream artists from Mindanao who’ve been absorbed by “big” recording companies because there’s really no point in calling them independent.  And recording companies tend to hegemonize sound such that they become commercial and formulaic – creative impositions that Indie culture resists.  I’d like to think that aside from independence from companies, it can also be said that it’s a culture that resist creative conformity.

And so the point of this article is: Yes, Davao has an existing independent music culture but with some internal issues that need to be addressed in order to grow.  Your thoughts?