Bands blare aggressive music in 'Mga Ingay ng Bayan'

Splendid was the 2006 YearEnder Special dubbed "Mga Ingay ng Bayan" of the GMA-7 Kapuso Network aired last December 30 that it preempted the jolt I was looking forward to, due in the next two days.

Anchored by top broadcast personalities Mike Enriquez, Jessica Soho, Mel Tiangco, Arnold Clavio and Vicky Morales, issues tagged noisemakers in 2006 were woven in songs by bands, presented in the aggressive, progressive style.

The yearender special opened up with "Reggae Mistress" enumerating issues hurled against President Arroyo, a collage of the big news that the tri-media (ermm… quadri-media if one is to count the e-zine or e-paper) feasted on. Then, "dongabay band" with Dong Abay of what used to be Yano screamed to air sentiments of the nation against scams and frauds of sorts, emphasizing those in governance affecting delivery of basic services; nation's wealth improperly channeled to supposed recipients.

I doff my hat to the creativity of the writer and director of that segment with "Kjwan" playing songs of senseless deaths in the name of faith and that brought about by a culture of mendicancy underscored by the Ultra tragedy. The camera rolled presenting a video footage on the Feast of the Nazarene wherein one died in the stampede, and then panned to the Kjwan main man lying among bodies (a reenactment) trampled upon by those who stood outside of the Ultra from dawn to late morning hopeful of the P20,000 promised to the first set of spectators of a noontime game show on its anniversary episode that tragically left scores lifeless in a stampede.

"Shamrock" joined in the recall of significant events in 2006 through the airing of their "tibay at lakas ng Pinoy" anthem to rejoice in the victory and success of our literally sweating and battling sportsmen.

Bisdak pogi rock band "Cueshé" was also around to jam with other aggressive rockers in their rendition of a song that tackled natural calamities that hit various parts of the country - typhoons Reming and Seniang which left hundreds dead, thousands homeless and hungry, damage to properties; wrath of Mounts Mayon and Bulusan in the Bicol region, landslide in St. Bernard, Southern Leyte that buried thousands alive, including public elementary school pupils with their teachers in a gathering.

To cap the yearender special, "Bayang Barrios" carried the whole nation's paying of last respects to those who made important contributions in their respective fields and or significant figures in history like constitutionalist Cecilia Muñoz-Palma, national artist for the dance Ramon Obusan, beauty titlist turned actress Rosario "Chat" Silayan-Bailon, former DepEd Secretary Bro. Andrew Gonzales, FSC; Abra lone district Rep. Luis Bersamin, Jr., former PNP chief Cesar Nazareno, among others.

Most remarkable of that yearender special was the presence of bands that were utilized to help present faces of society in a manner that society itself would be attentive to, very much like the principle on the works of European painter-sculptor Marcus Cornelius Escher on a hand that traces its roots from a hand that draws itself.

I find the presentation of events effective with the presence of the bands to catch the attention of viewers, instrumental in presenting socio-political and environmental issues in an interactive manner. If at a segment of history, street parliamentarianism was a way to exhaust the stink in social order, today aggressive music has been tapped to tackle burning issues that could hit the proverbial two birds with just a single stone - to allow listeners to enjoy the rockin' and headbangin' while jouncing up their social consciousness.

At this point, it was underscored that aggressive bands could serve as catalysts for reform; music moving to this direction a "mover for change". And band-ism a potent ideology just like the rest of the ideologies where its very own hand traces its roots from the very hand that has drawn it. If those watching the yearender special failed to notice that the bands did deliver their points home, it must be because there are people who choose to be deaf. In their subconscious, they do not want to hear. And the failure to hear varies proportionately with the failure to heed.