Rock of Edges (2006 to 2017)

Levy Abad
The Diversity Times  , 
April 2017 , Vol.6 No.4

The Beginnings of the Band

Rommel , Mandy , Al, and Brian

Rock of Edges, formerly known as Rock of Ages, is a Filipino-Canadian band. According to Al Federis, they changed their name into Rock of Edges in the Fall of 2016. The band plays classic Rock. The members are Norman “Mandy” Bustarde (bass guitar), Al Federis (rhythm, lead guitar and back-up vocals), Brian De Nieva (lead guitar) and Rommel Torres (vocals).  Rock of Edges is known in the Filipino Rock and Roll scene as a touring band, as most of their weekend gigs are outside Manitoba. These guys cover songs of Guns and Roses, Bon Jovi, CCR, Metalicca, ACDC, Kid Rock, Led Zeppelin and Queen.  When I called Al Federis last September 3, 2016, the band was in Thompson, Manitoba for a two-day gig. Rock of Edges has performed at the Beer Fest on October 1 and 2, 2016 at PCCM. The festival was organized by the Winnipeg Filipino Beer Festival and Vocal Arts Centre whose CEO is Jose “Bobbit” Nepomuceno. I asked Al  to share names of places where they have performed  and here are some of them:  Neon Lights  (Canadiana Hotel, 1400 Notre Dame), United Tavern (2100 McPhillips), St. Joe’s Garage (103 Bond St.), KABAYAN  64 (Keewatin St.), Brooklands Inn (97 Keewatin St., Club) and  St. B. Bar and Grill (171 Dumoulin St.).  Al added that Rock of Edges performed at the Fall Music Festival at St. Andrews on August 26, 2016.

Some interesting facts about the band members

Mandy Bustarde, the founder and band leader, started playing the guitar when he was in high school. He confided that he had no band experience in the Philippines but he gained the same mainly here in Winnipeg. His first gig was with a band called Wreckless from 1987 to 1997 (FB interview).

Rommel Torres, the vocalist of Rock of Edges who works at Deer Lodge and been a wedding singer for eight years  and a DJ  prior to being a member of the band, commented, “It’s always exciting, especially when you see all the audience having such a wonderful  time and fun singing along and dancing with the  band. Sometimes even the owner of the bar is dancing and singing too.”  Rommel added that, “I always wanted to prove that even with our colour in a white dominated industry, we can always overcome the race factor and make folks enjoy our music for what it is.” He believes in the saying that “You got to perform or play like it is your last.”

Brian de Nieva shared his reflection as a member of the band. “Rock of Edges is an experience of a lifetime for me, not only that it gave me an opportunity to continue my love of music/guitar playing and performing, it also gave me a taste of how touring musicians live, get to meet different people and go to different places.”  As for his band mates, here is what he shared, “Have good relationship with my band mates. We are like family. On out of town gigs, we go around exploring the place during the day, go for coffee or eat after the gig etc.”

Mandy Bustarde (Band Leader )

Brian started playing the guitar back in 1994 when he was fourteen years old and that was during the Grunge era and Pinoy Alternative bands. He was in 2^nd year high school in the Philippines. His early influences were Nirvana, Guns N’ Roses, Bon Jovi, Metallica and local bands like Eraserheads and the Youth.

Like other touring groups, Rock of Edges had their share of funny moments, one of them Brian clearly remembers. He quipped, “On one occasion, our drummer forgot to bring the drumsticks. We were in Yorkton Sk. to perform in a bar called City Limits Saloon. We arrived there around 6 pm and while setting up our instruments, the drummer found out he forgot his sticks! And the gig starts in 3 hours! So we went out to look for music stores but all the stores we went to were already closed, so we thought we’ll just improvise. For our last try, we ended up at Walmart. We found some wooden dowel sticks and taped them together. Thank God, those survived one night.” He shared another story, ”There was also one time, going home from Creighton SK, our van developed a radiator leak  and we ran out of water to put in the radiator. Being in the middle of nowhere, we had no choice but to get water from the ditch.”

The music continues

Reflecting on the years of Mandy’s experience as a member of the band, I cannot help but notice the consistency and persistence he demonstrated as a musician. As a musician myself, I know that the band scene is tough. Another striking thing about Rock of Ages or Edges is that most of their performances are outside of Winnipeg. Even Jojo Yso who has been in the band scene for quite some time affirmed “Rock of Ages/ Edges touring character.” They had gigs in Thompson, City Limits Inn, 8 Betts Ave., Saskatchewan, Queen Street Station Bar and Grill, Dryden and Lac du Bonnet, to mention a few. Rommel Torres shared that they were also offered to play in Sandy Lake, Ontario by one of the native chiefs at their biggest yearly event called “Muddy Waters Festival” in 2016, but since two of their members can’t make it, they turned it down. Given these mode, I asked Mandy if they are full time musicians and he replied that they do this on weekends with consistency.

Al Federis, who started playing the guitar in 1990s and influenced by Black Sabbath, Metallica, Ozzy Osborne and Filipino alternative rock groups like Eraserheads and Rockstar and the first member of Rock of Edges whom I interviewed has this to say, “It is a very rewarding career as a Filipino musician and a member of an all Filipino rock band here in Winnipeg.  I’ve been playing with the band for ten years now and a member of CMA agency. I experienced gigs in a lot of hotels /bars here in Winnipeg and Manitoba, Ontario, Saskatchewan. Unfortunately, the partisan nature of some people in our community still exists. Some folks would ask you to attend their events and even ask you to perform, but when it is your time to ask for help, nobody bothers to support.”  This reminded me of Jim Croce’s “Ages” where a line says, “When your down nobody gives a damn anyway.”

To have a taste of their music, I invite you to go to YouTube and type Rock of Ages or Norman Bustarde (better known as Mandy in the band scene) and you will hear some of their covers  like Bed of Roses (Bon Jovi ), Living on a Prayer( Bon Jovi), Crazy for you, Creep (Radiohead), Sweet Child of Mine(Guns N’ Roses), and Shook Me All Night (ACDC).

Writing this Rock of Edges narrative simply amazed me. These guys are going around the Province and even venturing as far as Ontario and Saskatchewan, showing their prowess as Rakista representatives of the Filipino community of Manitoba.  It makes me imagine standing up to this challenge and travelling to perform as a folk and country musician in the last quarter of my life and chronicle the process. This takes me back to 1974 during the time of Butch Jularbal and the Cobra band or its later evolution, The Jade Band, which also toured outside of Manitoba.  I am happy and grateful for the chance of writing the narrative of this band and musicians so that their story will never be forgotten.

(Levy Abad is a freelance writer and also a singer songwriter/recording artist and a member of Migrante Canada-Mb chapter and also a founding member/ program coordinator of Winnipeg Multicultural Human Rights Forum, Levy has released three albums , Canadian Experience Vol. 1 (iTunes ), Never Give Up and Rhythms of Compassion CanEx 3. Levy is soon to release a his fourth album by fall titled "Tara ng Maglakbay". You can reach Levy Abad through , lev67.abad@yahoo.ca or on Facebook.).

Nothing Personal
March 3,2017 The Diversity times
http://thediversitytimes.ca/2017/03/03/new-nothing-personal/

Levy Abad

On the Peace process in the Philippines. “The National Democratic Front of the Philippines,” the Government’s counterpart in the failed peace talks, has expressed optimism that the Duterte administration would return to the negotiating table and work for “All Out Peace” despite the President’s termination of peace talks with communist rebels.  Indeed, what a wasted opportunity to resolve the roots of the civil strife in the Philippines through peaceful means. Even former President Fidel V. Ramos and retired Brigadier Gen. Victor Corpus of the Philippine Army who defected to the NPA back in the 1970’s and author of the book “Silent War,” expressed their support for the continuance of the peace talks. Just as the negotiation is entering the crucial phase of addressing the social and economic roots of belligerency, the President terminated the talks and declared All Out War on a movement that fights for “nationalist industrialization and genuine agrarian reform,”  free health care and free education,  to mention a few. If the President declares All Out War on the left, where does the President stand? Is he taking the rightward drift?

On Total War. During the time of Cory Aquino as President of the Philippines, there were a lot of left wing progressive leaders in the bureaucracy working for genuine change for the people. Even the 1986 Constitution contains progressive provisions that, if implemented with patriotism, will lead to some progressive changes. In the midst of these, the militarist wing launched a series of coups to pressure the Aquino regime to the right and consolidate foreign domination leading to globalization. Out of fear, the regime succumbed and betrayed the people’s agenda by declaring total war against the people's movement.  Funny that a Lady President has to be hounded with several coup attempts to turn right, while in the case of the present regime, mere gossip of a coup led to an “All Out War” declaration.

Shock Doctrine. In a short period of time, the Duterte regime is “allegedly  involved in 7,000 drug related killings” (Philippines: The Police’s murderous war on the poor) of  pushers and addicts who mostly come from the poor. These extra-judicial killings bring a chilling effect into the psyche of the people, inspiring fear and serves as a symbol of supposedly “radical change,” while the social system remains intact and integrated with neo-liberalism. Is this a case of “shock the people” so that they will never resist and instead embrace a neo-liberal agenda?

Anti-American Rhetoric. The President of the Philippines has projected an image of standing up against the United States’ policies verbally while on the other hand, expressed that he needs the military that is oriented towards the US to help him in governance.  Where is the stand on independent foreign policy and national sovereignty? I hope this won’t lead to killing more nationalist and patriotic activist.

A SONG FOR YOU by Leon Russell. The passing of Leon Russell before Christmas reminded me of the song “A Song for You,” one of my favourites.  From the time I heard it being sung by Chikoy Pura of the Jerks at Mayric’s in España St., Manila, I  was drawn to it right away and had ever since learned and performed it at gigs and special occasions, both in the old country and here in Canada.  “I’ve been through many places in my life and time, I’ve sung a lot songs  and I made some bad rhymes, I’ve acted out my life in stages , with ten thousand people watching , but we’re  alone now and I am singing this song for you.”  Leon is a legendary artist whom I never met but has impacted my youthful soul back in the 90s to embrace the life of a songwriter.

4-in, 4-out rule for Temporary Foreign Workers is no longer in place, effective immediately. Honorable John McCallum, former Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, and the Honorable MaryAnne Mihychuk, former Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour made this announcement  on December 13, 2016. According to Ethel Tungohan, Ph.D, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, York University, “Here’s my take on the removal of the four year in four year out rule. It is through the tenacious efforts of Migrant activists that the rule was removed. This is a testament to the importance of activism in eliciting change.  The fight for landed status for all TFW, of course continues” (Source: pinoy-canada.com).  Long live migrant activism!  Unfortunately, for the two Ministers, after announcing the good news, they were replaced.  Why?

Two Richest Canadians have as much wealth as poorest 30 per cent, report says. According to an article by Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press, “Oxpam report says the wealth of billionaire businessmen David Thompson and Galen Weston Sr., equals that of about 11 million Canadians.” Is this for real?  Is this happening in so called “Socialist Canada?”

“No one can stop me declaring martial law,” Duterte warns amid escalating drug epidemic (Published time 15 Jan 2017 Reuters).  “While earlier the President said that, we had martial law before, what happened? Did it improve our lives now? Not at all.”  These conflicting statements are coming from the President of the Philippines, who is a lawyer by profession. During the time of Marcos, the insurgency was still weak that the dictatorship had to fabricate the reason for its declaration. Nowadays, could it be possible that the drug war is only an alibi for attacking the people’s movement, which has already matured and has grown stronger in almost 5 decades of resistance?

On the MPNP.  I was discussing the policy changes that the sitting government is planning to implement, like the $500 increase in fees for the MPNP, and somebody told me that I am being political because I mentioned the Premier, as if silence isn’t? Policies implemented by a government reflect the decisions approved by the leadership of the province. How come mentioning the name or naming who’s who, is partisan? How come attacking a policy isn’t? As if policies are ideology free. Is there such a thing as political neutrality when silence can be the ultimate political act?

(Levy Abad is a freelance writer and also a singer songwriter/recording artist and a member of Migrante Canada-Mb chapter and also a founding member/ program coordinator of Winnipeg Multicultural Human Rights Forum, Levy has released three albums , Canadian Experience Vol. 1 (iTunes ), Never Give Up and Rhythms of Compassion CanEx 3. Levy is soon to release a his fourth album by fall titled "I Love Canada". You can reach Levy Abad through , lev67.abad@yahoo.ca or on Facebook.).

Immortal Sacrament  (2008-2016)
Filipino Journal, March 5-20,2017, Volume 31,Number 05
Ano'ng Masasabi Mo? (p.19)
Levy Abad

 One of the best Filipino -Canadian Metal bands in Manitoba, Immortal Sacrament, during its heyday in 2012, was comprised of Paul Magnaye (vocals),Marron Versoza (guitar) Niko Guilbang (bass ), Victor "Vic" Bautista (guitar), and Joseph David (drums). 

How did Immortal Sacrament start ?

Paul Magnaye provided the answer when I went to interview him in his house on February 10, 2017 about the history of the band. He told me that it started out as L.A.D. back in 2008. Joseph David told me the same information when I asked him what L.A.D stood for.  I asked Paul about the meaning of LAD and he jokingly said that it means “Leaving at Dads,” referring to adults who still live with their parents.

L.A.D's original members were the following: Paul Magnaye, Chris Pangan, Joseph David and Michael Borja. LAD, as a band moniker, was kind of a provisional name, since during that time, they were still thinking of a better name.  They were able to come up with something better by October 16, 2009. After performing as front act to the Winnipeg concert of the visiting Philippine Alternative Rock band PUPIL, they decided to adopt “Sacrament” as the new name of their band. They also started writing original music.   

Joseph David said that it was one of the judges at a local "Battle of the Bands" that they participated in who suggested to change their name. Apparently, Sacrament is a common word, they need something unique. If one would search "Sacrament" online, then the automatic hits would have referred to the religious meaning of the word. Besides, there is already a Metal band named Sacrament (an American band that was formed in 1989, in Pennsylvania, United States) Even the 90s forming American band, Lamb of God might get a hit; its fifth studio album is titled Sacrament. That was enough to convince the guys to add "Immortal" to their name, to make it more unique without sacrificing the name recall that their name Sacrament had already gained in the local scene.

Mid-2009, Chris Pangan and Michael Borja quit the band for personal reasons. Niko Guilbang replaced Borja; Vic Bautista and Marron Versoza became the 1st and 2^nd lead guitars respectively.The name Immortal Sacrament was legitimized in 2011,when they joined the competition  “My Band Rocks”  at the Dylan O’ Connors Irish Pub,winning three consecutive battles and eventually emerging  as the overall winner during  the finals, held this time at Henderson Draft House.

In Late 2011, Joseph David left, joining Pangan in another band named Ethnica. Bautista left too - who had to concentrate on his work and family. Magnaye said that afterwards, he and Versoza became the core of the group. By the ensuing year, Immortal Sacrament consisted of Magnaye,Versoza ,Ronnel Villamar on guitars ,and Jolo Mejia on drums. Magnaye also mentioned that the band wanted to acknowledge fellow Filipino musician Mandy Bustarde, for he was the one who introduced Immortal Sacrament to the Metal community and who convinced the organizer of the "My Band Rocks" to give Filipino bands a chance. 

David said that the major musical influences of Immortal Sacrament were “System of a Down (SOAD),” “Killswitch Engage,” and “Bullet for My Valentine”. This was reaffirmed by the journalist Alfie Vera Mella,who featured the band, in 2014, in his column "Sa Ugoy ng Musika" in the local community newspapaer Filipino Journal. Asked where they get the songs that they covered, Magnaye said, “We usually cover famous metal songs that  get regular airplay on Winnipeg's Rock station Power 97.” 

The awesome thing about this band is the fact that they write their own songs.  Magnaye and  David wrote the songs; and then Bautista started contributing too. I personally listened to some of their songs on their FB page and they really sounded great. It feels like a really wasted talent if  they really would not be able to emerge with their original music in the community at large.

On March 8, 2014, Immortal Sacrament performed in Brandon at the North Hill Inn.In addition to that, the band  got to perform also at bars and other events such as The Zoo,Ozzy’s (160 Osborne St.), Club3D at Kirkfield Motor Hotel (3317 Portage Avenue), Dylan O’ Connors Irish Pub (2609 Portage Avenue)  and Henderson Draft House at Curtis Gordon Motor Hotel (1011 Henderson Highway), Rookies at Central Hotel (201 Melrose Avenue E), The Cavern (112 Osborne Street),  Chugfest at  Ridgeville, Rock Against Ignorance at West End Cultural Centre and the FAMOUS-produced Pinoy Rock Fest on May 24, 2014, held at Jimel’s International Cuisine (A-1045 St. James St). Aside from this, Alfie’s article also mentioned, “Immortal Sacrament was the winner of the Dylan o’ Connors’ 2011 My Band Rocks competition, performing alongside many of Manitoba’s prime bands.” Mella, in the same article, described Immortal Sacrament aptly as the “Ultimate Filipino –Canadian Metal Band in Manitoba.”

I messaged some of the members of Sacrament to ask for  quotes. Pangan's short reply was, “The experience is totally different and new to me. I was never a metal head until Paul (Magnaye) introduced  me to the genre and after having watched Slapshock  during  the Philippine Metal band's concerts in Winnipeg. Furthermore, it was during my time in Immortal Sacrament, when I begun learning how to write original materials. We also had the opportunity to share our music outside the Filipino community, becoming well-received even by non-Filipino Metal music enthusiast. The experience I had was amazing and it also brought out other fledgling Pinoy players hiding in the shadows who also got inspired to start writing their own songs."

Borja:“Our first gig as Immortal Sacrament was at The Cavern in Osborne Village.  Nobody knew us. Four Asians playing heavy metal in Winnipeg? This can’t be real, right? People thought that we were a joke, but we proved them wrong. From that night on, we started building connections outside of the Filipino community and invitations started to come.”

In my visit at Paul Magnaye’s home, I asked him for a quote and he said that, “As an artist, one should not stay in one’s comfort zone because music is unlimited.  You will never grow if you stay in your comfort zone. One must always explore. I am happy that we were able to help in paving the way for other musicians in the Metal scene.”  He added enthusiastically, "It is a great ride,one of the best, having been a part of the music scene."

(Levy Abad is a freelance writer and also a singer songwriter/recording artist and a member of Migrante Canada-Mb chapter and also a founding member/ program coordinator of Winnipeg Multicultural Human Rights Forum, Levy has released three albums , Canadian Experience Vol. 1 (iTunes ), Never Give Up and Rhythms of Compassion CanEx 3. Levy is soon to release a his fourth album by fall titled "I Love Canada". You can reach Levy Abad through, lev67.abad@yahoo.ca or on Facebook).

Support for Duterte resonates in Winnipeg

Levy Abad
Ang Peryodiko Vol. XV NO.5
March 1-15,2017
Winnipeg ,Manitoba

courtesy of  Nelson  `Nonie` Manalili

Cold weather did not deter the supporters of President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines from gathering at the Forks to respond to the call of  groups supporting President Duterte to organize a global campaign in solidarity with the homefront, which many people perceive as being destabilized by the opposition forces whom they call "Dilawan" (Yellow).

Around fifty supporters converged with their flags, streamers and a life size picture of "Mayor Digong."  It was also an opportunity to discuss the latest developments in the Philippines. They also brought food for the participants to partake.

Simultaneously, in the Philippines, rallies were organized and held in the traditional venues. One group had  a rally at the EDSA Shrine where some of the veterans of the EDSA uprising gathered by the thousands. On the other hand, the supporters of President Rodrigo Duterte had their rally at the Quirino Grandstand, which according to Reuters, police estimate that around 200,000 people gathered to show their support for the programs of the Duterte regime against poverty, corruption and illegal drugs ("Duterte`s opponents turn historic event into protest march," Manuel Mogoto, Reuters, February 26, 2017). 

I asked Elaine Sauler- Tumbokon, the Winnipeg Manitoba Coordinator for the group - Duterte Winning Team, to give some words about the gathering and this is what she said, "We organized this event to support President Rodrigo Duterte because it is more fun in the Philippines if it is drug free."

Another lady who attended the Forks rally of the Duterte Winnipeg Team is Katya Labelle, who is also from Mindanao and whose mom is from Davao. She was surprised to know that I am from Davao too. Here is what she said, ʺI am here to show my support for the President. Even though I am not in the Philippines, I am proud of what he is doing to make the Philippines better.”

Joel Salazar of Batangas and the President of Talisay Association of Manitoba explained, ʺKahit kami ay nasa abroad, ‘di kami papayag na manahimik kung aatakihin nila ang Pangulong Digong. Si Digong ay ginagawa ang lahat para sa mga mahirap at hindi lang para sa iilan. Ang Pilipinas ay parang taong may cancer at hindi na pwedeng gamutin ng band aid lamang, ang kailangan ay matinding operasyon.ʺ

Edwin Ponce, for his part, said, ʺFeel na feel namin ang malaking pagbabago within 7 months governance. Si Mayor ay ginagawa ang lahat para matuldukan ang mga problema lalo na ang corruption, droga at kahirapan. Itong sa kabila naman, ginagawa ang lahat para patalsikin si Digong. They are doing black propaganda to tarnish the image of the Duterte government.”

Jesus Diotay from Negros, who grew up in Jolo, Sulu, has this message for President Duterte, “Continue with the programs that you are implementing and we will be at your back supporting you along the way. We are also ready to struggle even if we are here in Winnipeg in the midst of the cold weather, we will be supporting you.”

Elmer De Guzman commented, “We are here at the Forks to support President Rodrigo Duterte, and we are also thankful for the changes that Digong did. All the barriers that block the way of Digong have to be cleared.”

Aristotle Cedilla, also from Davao City, explained that he grew up with President Duterte when the latter was still the mayor of Davao City. He said, "Mayor Duterte is a hands-on leader. He responds to the needs of the ordinary people and that is why I support him.”

Last but not the least, Ray Forbes Argulla from Bulacan gave me his brief remark, "Mayor Digong is our President and he is doing well. The “Dilawans” are trying to oust him and so, even if it is freezing, we gathered here to express our support."

As a freelance writer, I went to the Forks thinking that most of the attendees would come from Mindanao or Davao City, in particular, but I was surprised to meet participants who came from different areas of the Philippines as well.

As an EDSA 1 and EDSA 2 participant, I can understand the frustration of the people with the previous regimes of Presidents Corazon Aquino, Joseph Estrada, Fidel Valdez Ramos and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, since these regimes are considered as failures in implementing the promises of the 1987 Freedom Constitution. From 1986 to 2016, thirty years had lapsed and not one of these regimes was able to launched nationalist industrialization and genuine agrarian reform.  It is only now under the Duterte administration that some patriotic and progressive individuals were appointed in the Cabinet. Among them are Secretary Judy Taguiwalo (Department of Social Welfare and Development), Secretary Rafael “Ka Paeng” Mariano (Department of Agrarian Reform), Under-Secretary Joel Maglunsod (Department of Labour and Employment), and Gina Lopez (Secretary of Department of Environment and Natural Resources).  

The Duterte regime will be buffeted by tremendous pressure coming from the right, as represented by the `Yellow" opposition and the militarist faction in the AFP, to veer absolutely to the right and let go of the patriotic tendency and presence in the Cabinet.  We can see that this is happening now when the peace talks have been terminated, making the peace process the first victim of this tremendous pressure. Fortunately, talks are still going on.  Aside from Duterte`s programs against corruption and drugs, addressing the root cause of belligerency through socio- economic reforms is the most strategic way in achieving justice and lasting peace. 


(Levy Abad is a freelance writer and also a singer songwriter/recording artist and a member of Migrante Canada-Mb chapter and also a founding member/ program coordinator of Winnipeg Multicultural Human Rights Forum, Levy has released three albums , Canadian Experience Vol. 1 (iTunes ), Never Give Up and Rhythms of Compassion CanEx 3. Levy is soon to release a his fourth album by fall titled "I Love Canada". You can reach Levy Abad through , lev67.abad@yahoo.ca or on Facebook.).

Jhayzon Paredes:  90's Rock and Roll
Levy Abad  
Ang Peryodiko Vol.XV No.3 February 1-15

I sent a message to Jhayzon Paredes asking about the bands that he got involved with and he told me to drop by his place and he has the record of rock bands back in 1993. Jhayzon had organized three bands and they were the following:  Palitaw (1994- 2004), FourSight (2004 to 2011) and the last one that exists up to now is Fhamathou (2012 to 2016). But before I write anything about the bands that Jhayzon organized in the 90s, I would first try to explain the context so we can somehow appreciate the process that shaped his band, band mates’ consciousness and the time.

What struck me with writing this article is the year 1993, which according to Jhayzon, was the time when he organized Palitaw band.  This was the time when I was still in the Philippines and active in the cultural movement and occassionally was given a chance to gig at the Mayric’s Bar (later Sazi’s Bar) when Burt Chavez and Sazi Cosino were still the alternate managers. During  that time, the fall of the Soviet Union’s  revisionist regime was still fresh  and  you can still hear the song of the band Scorpions, “Winds of Change”  (1990) being played, as well as the song, “Don’t Dream It’s Over” by Crowded House (1986) constantly played by the mainstream media  after the crumbling of the Berlin Wall. Philosophically, with the crumbling of the revisionist regimes (socialism in words and capitalism in deeds), post-modernism/ deconstructionism as a philosophy unfolded, and so it spread like wild fire in the field of culture that lead to new forms of art.  From the traditional forms of writing music based on a system/ structure, suddenly, groups like Nirvana (1987 to 1994) exploded with their new approach to writing songs, power chords, growling style of singing and lyrical incoherence, for short new forms of artistic rebellion with a strong sense of post modern tendency.

In the midst of the cultural tsunami that struck during the 90s, I asked Jhayzon where he was in all of this.  Was he in Manila?  He explained through FB message that he was already in Winnipeg. He was in high school during that time and already starting to toy with idea of forming a band. High school means Del Pilar Academy in Imus, Cavite and Daniel McIntyre at 720 Alverstone St. in Winnipeg. He added that in the Philippines, he was not involved with any bands. It was only here in Winnipeg that he started to do some gigs in 1994. Jhayzon told me that as early as the late 80s, he was already listening to Guns and Roses, Bon Jovi and Metallica. Persistenly, I asked how old he was when he started to play the guitar. He replied that he began to play at the age of 13. He learned to play guitar through an evangelical church community program of giving guitar lessons and with the song “This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made.” What an interesting evolution.

During this period of Jhayzon’s formation, folk, rock and country were the main themes at Mayric’s Bar and Restaurant (1320 Espana Street- in front of the University of Santo Tomas). By the 90s, new forms of music were  growing so fast most especially in the ranks of the youth, and businesses realized the potential and tried to capitalize on the trend and created new  icons of  music that reflect the psyche of the young rebels of the 90s.  With this, the likes of  Yano Folk/ Punk Rock Band (1993), EraserHeads Rock Band (1989-2002), Siakol Band , Alternative and Punk Rock (1994-Present ), Slapshock Heavy Metal Band  (1997), Parokya ni Edgar (1993),and many more, will make it big time and popularize new forms of music, the different forms of alternative music.

 In the 90s, I recall clearly that most of the alternative groups usually perform and sadly, nobody cares until suddenly they hit the waves.  At Mayric’s Bar, while alternative bands played, everybody watches television on the opposite direction.  Yano, one of the favourites of the time was composed of three cultural activists, Dong Abay of Patatag and Erik Gancio and Onie Badiang, a sessionist of Joey Ayala’s “Bagong Lumad,” another activist from Mindanao.  I had the opportunity of being with these three at a workshop organized by Musika Philipines in Los Banos where Rom Dongeto of Buklod, the one who composed Kanlungan (sung by Noel Cabangon } and Tatsulok (which was interpreted by Bamboo), Rey Asis, and Rossette Taganas were the facilitators.  Another hang out of alternative bands during the 90s was Club Dredd, and the favourite radio station was NU 107.

Reflecting on all these reminds me of  Jhayzon’s generation .Somehow, I have an idea of what really influenced them in terms of music and style. You have the North American influence of lyrical anarchism, as influenced by the deconstructionist trend in philosophy riding on heavy metal musical forms like Nirvana and Green day punk band (1986), which made it big in the first half of the 90’s. On the other hand, you have the Filipino Rock influence of alternative rock with socially reflective lyrics of Yano, Eraserheads etc.  Truly, these are some of the tendencies that run through the minds of artists of the 90s that has a lasting influence in the way they make their music and write their lyrics.  With this in mind, I guess it is time to focus on the bands of the 90s here in Winnipeg where my friend Jhayzon Paredes led a significant role in the music scene in the growing Filipino community which will be featured in part two of this article.

(Levy Abad is a freelance writer and also a singer songwriter/recording artist and a member of Migrante Canada-Mb chapter and also a founding member/ program coordinator of Winnipeg Multicultural Human Rights Forum, Levy has released three albums , Canadian Experience Vol. 1 (iTunes ), Never Give Up and Rhythms of Compassion CanEx 3. Levy is soon to release a his fourth album by fall titled "I Love Canada". You can reach Levy Abad through , lev67.abad@yahoo.ca or on Facebook.).

Jhayzon Paredez: 90’s Rock and Roll (Part 2)
Levy Abad
Ang Peryodiko Volume XV NO.5
March 1-15,2017
Winnipeg ,Manitoba

In the first half of this article, I tried to dig into the influences of Jhayzon Paredes as a musician and founder of three bands: Palitaw, FourSight and Fhamathou. At this point, I will be discussing a bit on the bands, just to make sure that they will be documented.

Forming a band is not a joke and managing it is tougher.  You have to establish relationship and trust among the members for a band to survive.  Jhayzon, through the years, was able to maintain friendship with musicians who he came into contact with and this in itself is already a great feat and a contribution to the cultural tapestry of the community. 

Palitaw Band

As mentioned above, Palitaw (1994-2004) was one of the earliest bands that Jhayzon was a part of in the Peg in the 90s. Jhayzon explained to me that Palitaw, as the name suggests, means palutang or a float for a bait of a fishing gear. The pioneer members were Jhayzon Paredes on bass guitar, Fortune Caranay (lead guitar), Danny Lizardo (drums).  These three guys started playing alternative Tagalog songs and decided to concentrate on such.  As to influences, they claim they were avid students of Nirvana and Green day.  Back in March 1997 when the musicians organization FAMOUS (Filipino Association of Musicians and Other Unknown Artist)  was founded, Palitaw was one of the original convenors of FAMOUS.

When FAMOUS organized its first concert, Palitaw performed and got projected in the community that led to invitations to perform at birthday parties and wedding socials. Palitaw also became a front act of the 1997 visit of Mike Hanopol in Winnipeg. Eventually, the organization FAMOUS started to mellow down and together with it, the band Palitaw also faded in the background.

FOURSIGHT Band

In 2004, Jhayson Paredes known for tirelessly organizing events formed a band called FourSight..
 
  According to the FourSight’s web page, the group was formed back in Winter 2004 when it was terribly cold (-55) and boring.  It says that out of boredom, the members of the band came together and decided to call themselves FourSight. The one who coined the name of the band was Trexier (nickname of Lord Arwin Bautista), the vocalist of the group. The members of FourSight band (2004 to 2012) were the following:  Lord Arwin Bautista (vocals), Jhayson Paredes (bass guitar), Ricky Lontoc (lead guitar) and Dennis Francisco (drums).  By 2005, Brian De Nieva was the lead guitarist and James De Nieva played drums. Come 2006, the original lead guitarist Ricky Lontoc came back, but there was a new drummer in the person of Rod Dizon. The latest changes in band members happened in 2007 with Jeff Reyes playing lead guitar, Jan Castillo (2 2nd lead) and Chester Pangan (Drums).

In the website of FourSight , it says that that the group performed as front acts for bands that

performed here in Winnipeg like Siakol, Mike Hanopol, Parokya Ni Edgar, Slapshock and many more.  The band considers itself as a metal alternative band, a fusion of North American Metal, Grunge influences and Filipino Alternative music.

Fhamathou

The third band that Jhayson Paredes helped organize was the Fhamathou back in early 2006.

Fhamathou simply means Pamato /Pambato in Tagalog or star/ace, like in a star player or band. In the 90’s, it means a vanguard band. The original members of this band were the following:  Jhayzon Paredes –guitar and vocals, Rod Dizon- bass and vocals, Danny Lizardo on drums.  As to influences, they adhere to the 90s Philippine Alternative Rock tradition like the E-heads, Yano, Teeth, Siakol, Parokya ni Edgar, just to name a few. These were the bands that played at Mayric’s Bar in the 90s where I used to hang out as a folk singer during the time of Burt Chaves and Sazi Cosino as managers of Mayrics. The band also covered classic rock (Eric Clapton and Credence Clearwater Revival).

According an article written by Alfie Vera  Mella of Filipino Journal,  Fhamathou not only covers songs but also writes their own songs like “Chatroom,” “Sinayang Mo,” “Bakit pa?” to mention a few. Most of these songs were written by Jhayzon Paredes.  Jhayzon also owns a recording studio equipped with the latest instruments according to Alfie’s article, “Fhamathou: A pride of Pinoy Musikero of Winnipeg.” I had the privilege to visit Jhayzon’s place and he made me listen to some of his compositions that he also arranged. I must admit that I cannot do the things that he did.  In my case, I write the lyrics, put the melody and go to a friend sound engineer to lay in my songs.

As a Winnipeg band, Fhamathou has experienced big gigs as front act for famous Philippine bands

that visited Winnipeg like The Youth concert, Yano and The Teeth. Alfie wrote that Jhayzon Paredes produced concerts for both local and Philippine based bands and artists. Among the acts that he already brought to Winnipeg include Siakol, Parokya ni Edgar, True Fath, Pupil, The Youth, Dong Abay and Glenn Jacinto. If you want further reading on the background of Fhamathou, I suggest Alfie Mella’s article in Filipino Journal.

 

To date, Fhamathou performed as front act for Lolita Carbon’s Pagbabalik concert in the Peg.  Jhayzon played a huge role as the band leader of Fhamathou and as an organizer, he was instrumental for the success of the concert that was held at the Pampanga Restaurant on October 14, 2016 and at the Canton Buffet Restaurant on October 16th where hundreds from the Filipino community attended.

Summing up from 1994 up to the October 2016, Jhayzon  Paredes played  a crucial link in the band scene of the Filipino community.  Twenty two years of involvement is proof enough of his commitment to the cause of rock and roll culture in the Manitoba’s Filipino diaspora.   Together with the earlier artists who I mentioned in my previous articles, Jhayzon and his Metal Alternative rock and roll buddies must not be forgotten as they contributed and are part of the narrative. 

(Levy Abad is a freelance writer and also a singer songwriter/recording artist and a member of Migrante Canada-Mb chapter and also a founding member/ program coordinator of Winnipeg Multicultural Human Rights Forum, Levy has released three albums , Canadian Experience Vol. 1 (iTunes ), Never Give Up and Rhythms of Compassion CanEx 3. Levy is soon to release a his fourth album by fall titled "I Love Canada". You can reach Levy Abad through , lev67.abad@yahoo.ca or on Facebook.).

Nothing Personal

Levy Abad 

Migrant Perspective, THE DIVERSITY TIMES

January 2017,Vol.6 No.1

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Paskong Pinoy, A trailblazing event. December 17, 2016, what a day at the RBC Convention Centre where the Paskong Pinoy sa Canada event was held! It was spearheaded by the Asian Community magazine led by Bong Roscuata, Producer, and Lourdes Federis, Project Manager, together with 204 Filipino Marketplace, which celebrated its 1^st year anniversary and Christmas Party by giving away prizes to its growing members. Thank you for the warm welcome and, last but not the least, thank you too to Bobit Nepomuceno and Jun Isla of Vocal Arts Centre for inviting me to perform three songs (Dito sa Winnipeg, Paskong Wala ng Digmaan and my Toronto community hit song Na-shock Ako). Special thanks to the leadership of 204 Filipino Marketplace for inviting me to lead the opening prayer.

Bobit Nepomuceno, Artist Par Excellence.  Bobit is the classically trained CEO of Vocal Arts Centre. He organizes concerts and provides great mixing as an audio engineer.  One thing I really appreciate with Bobit is that he makes sure that the artists receive a little appreciation for the gasoline spent and for the time they devote in preparing for their performances. I heard that Bobit is planning to organize an MYMP (Make My Mama Proud) concert here in the Peg next year. Something to watch out for!

Understanding the Philippine Left.  As a member of Migrante Manitoba, activist and a singer songwriter, I used to go around and listen to the opinion of folks regarding Philippine politics.  The frequent commentary I hear is, “Why do activists keep holding rallies even when Rodrigo Duterte is already in power?”  As far as my research can go, activists are trained not to be loyal to personalities but to issues, ideas or ideologies.  Activists focus on programs like the people’s agenda on Nationalist Industrialization and Agrarian Reform. If a president’s leadership indicates a determination to implement these important changes, activists will support such initiative, but if a leader implements policies contrary to the people’s agenda (e.g. release of political prisoners), then you can expect that the activists will be there to criticize and remind the leaders of the people’s priorities .

On Political Prisoners.  I hope that President Rodrigo Duterte will be true to his promise of releasing political prisoners. One of them is a comrade in the social movement in the Philippines, Alexander Arias. I know him personally as a tireless advocate of landless peasants’ (farmers) rights. Alex is an intelligent and compassionate person who, instead of working to get rich, devotes his whole life on peasant liberation from feudal bondage. Release All Political Prisoners Now!

On Democracy. Too often, I encounter people who are into personality cults, meaning, looking at leaders as responsible for the progress of a country as contraposed to leaders who focus on social movements and capacity building. This tendency is so antithetical to the concept of democracy, which etymologically means demos or people and kratien or power, in short, People Power or people’s empowerment. Even the constitution of the Republic of the Philippines states that the “Philippines is a democratic and republican state, sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them.” This is one of the provisions I memorized well from Law school and Political Science. I remember the great nationalist historian, Renato Constantino, who emphasized that the essence of democracy is freedom and its forms are varied, one of which is the Philippine democracy that we know. In the Philippine context, you have national democracy, liberal democracy, popular democracy and social democracy. These are ideological tendencies that interact and shape Philippine history. Most people embrace these according to their social situation.

 MPNP blues. The Conservative Party in power in the province of Manitoba is planning to implement an additional $500 fee to the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program, which supposedly will be “re-invested into the improved service standards and supports for immigrants and refugees.” This idea is being questioned by multicultural leaders like Helal Mohiuddin as comparable to head tax in the olden days. With this contentious issue in our midst, who do you think among the various communities of Winnipeg will be effective in waging opposition to this policy?

Perspectives on Jose Rizal. Last November 19, 2016, the Knights of Rizal-Winnipeg Chapter organized a Night of Poems, Songs and Essays Celebrating “Rizal the Artist.” In the event, different perspectives on Rizal’s ideas were expressed by youth participants like Johsa Manzanilla, Alfie Vera Mella, Cristine Mazur and Jon Malek. Some of the guests expressed the pacifist tendency of Jose Rizal while others expressed that Rizal espoused revolutionary tendencies.  We all know that the result of Rizal’s writings like Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo led to his martyrdom and eventually, his death sparked the revolution of 1896, which ended Spanish colonialism.  Is this a case of “you reap what you sow?”

The Story of the Goat and the Sheep. One summer in a farm, a goat and a sheep had a talk. The Goat known for his ego as big as the farm asked the humble Sheep, “How come you guys don’t follow me?” The sheep replied, “Well, you know, we love you and please don’t get us wrong, but you must always remember that you are a Goat.”