Filipino artists perform during the launching of the album entitled Mag-alay sa Bayan (serve the nation) by the League of Authors of Public Interest Songs (Lapis) on Saturday, March 18 at The 70s Bistro in Quezon City. From left: Bayang Barrios, Gary Granada, Lolita Carbon, Cookie Chua and Lapis President, Chickoy Pura. (Contributed photo)
DAVAO CITY — Filipino artists gathered on Saturday, March 19 at The 70s Bistro in Quezon City during the launching of an album that speaks their love for the country.
The League of Authors of Public Interest Songs (LAPIS) launched its debut album dubbed “Mag-alay sa Bayan” (serve the nation) which includes 16 songs.
In an emailed statement, LAPIS Executive Director Karl Ramirez described the album launch as “an act of service to the nation stressing the importance of a collective and united effort in putting together public interest songs that would spawn public support especially from the millennial generation.”
Ramirez said “it took around two years to fully materialize its plan in seeking support for their aspiration to bring public interest songs and performances closer to the public.”
LAPIS started when its founding members visited and performed in the communities struck by Typhoon Yolanda in the Visayas. Since then, Lapis president Chikoy Pura of The Jerks, together with artists Gary Granada, Cookie Chua, Bayang Barrios and Lolita Carbon, affirmed that they “wanted to do and contribute more in helping people figure out and act upon their concrete conditions.”
Pura thought that it is high time for public interest songwriters and performers to come together and reach out to more people. While he recognized that the dominant media has some resistance towards public interest songs, he believes that this type of music “carves out its niche in the industry and has long proven its crucial role in exposing social realities in the most truthful manner that will inspire action and meaningful change.”
The following are the songs included in the album:
- Tambay Prototype by Jimmy Melendrez
- Anyare? by Monet Sylvestre
- Mag-alay sa Bayan by Karl Ramirez and Boogs Villareal
- Katribo Ko by Bayang Barrios and Naliyagan
- Guro by Gary Granada, Chikoy Pura, and Tres Marias
- Mabait na Bata by Karl Ramirez, Elian Ramirez and Hugo Ramirez
- Pangarap ko ngayong Pasko by Bayang Barrios and Christine Bendebel
- Kapayapaan Ngayon Na by Xandra Bisenio
- Cancer by Plagpul
- Migranteng Manggagawa by Gary Granada, Chikoy Pura and Tres Marias
- Kababaihan Makapangyarihan by Tres Marias and Geejay Ariola
- Sandugo – Gary Granada, Chikoy Pura, Tres Marias
- Paskong Biyaya by Chikoy Pura
- Mamamayan Mamamayani by Gary Granada and Ciara Ombao
- Bangon Pilipino by Karl Ramirez
- Bayan Muna
Xandra Bisenio said public interest songs have “the power to awaken both the hearts and minds of the people and inspire them to take action.”
She said her participation is her “way of adding voice and texture in finding resolutions to the long-standing societal ills such as poverty, joblessness, absence of social services, foreign intervention and bureaucrat-capitalist and elitist governance.”
Bisenio added that the album is “a contribution to the rich tradition of protest culture among Filipinos.”
For more information about their album, you may contact LAPIS through their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/lapisphilippines. (davaotoday.com)
