Para sa Masa?

Para kay Marcus, Raimund, Buddy at Ely,

Hindi ninyo ako kilala at hindi tayo kailanman nagkita o pinakilala. Hayaan ninyong ako'y magpapakilala. Ako si Ted, isang masugid na tagahanga ng inyong banda. Hindi kalabisang sabihin ko dito na isa kayo sa kinikilala kong malaki ang impluwensya sa musikang pinipili kong pakinggan at sa mga Pilipinong bandang sinusundan.

Hindi pa kayo kasing sikat at kasing galing ay narinig ko na kayong tumugtog; sa mga gigs, maliit at malaki. At ako'y napahanga, unang una, sa tindi ng pag-unawa ninyo sa diwa, kaisipan at sikolohiya ng pangkaraniwang masang pilipino, at mas higit pa dito ang pangkaraniwang masang pilipinong estudyante. Maraming mas malupit tumugtog ng gitara, baho at tambol; mas maraming mas maganda ang boses. Ngunit, sadyang bukod tangi at di pangkaraniwan ang pagsasama ninyong apat dahil, unang una, sa lalim ng pagkakaibigan ninyo at, pangalawa, sa lalim at tingkad ng pag-unawa ninyo sa mga iniisip ng kapwa ninyong pilipinong estudyante at kabataan; sumunod na lamang ang pagiging bihasa sa pagkanta, pagitara, pagbaho at pagtambol.

Alam kong sasabihin ninyong hindi ninyo pinlano na maging "role model" at tingalain ng mga kabataan, at ng masang pilipinong naki kanta sa inyo mula pa noong 1989.
Ninanais nyo man o hindi, nung nag-umpisa kayo sa UP, naging modelo kayo para sa mga kabataan na ninanais lamang tumugtog, kumanta at ipadama ang saloobin sa lingwahe na natatangi at di-mapagkailang sariling sarili. Nasa plano nyo man o hindi, tiningala kayo ng mga kabataan, mga dati'y kabataan at, oo, ng masa. Silang bumili ng inyong mga plaka, kaset, cd at tumugtog, kumanta at nakimura sa sinensor na "Pare ko."

Kung hayaan ninyo akong magyabang ng bahagya, yan naman ang galing UP. Sa bawa't gawain, nagiging bukod-tangi. At, oo, kinikilala din kayo na bukod-tanging bandang peyups na peyups.

Ngayo'y magtitipon tipon uli kayo. Sa Agosto 30 daw. Ngunit, one night only at 45 minutes lang daw. At, ang malupit, ang isponsor ninyo ay ang gumagawa ng yosi--Marlboro, Philip Morris. At eto pa ang mas malupit, bawal ang pag-iisponsor nila sa inyo. Maniwala kayo, nagtanong ako sa abogado.

Alam ko namang hindi ko papel ang pigilan kayong tanggapin ang perang ibinigay na ng Marlboro at Philip Morris. Kung ako lang ang may pera, siguro higit pa sa diumano'y 2.5 Million bawa't isa ang ibabayad ko sa inyo (huwag kayong mag-alala sa BIR, may matitinik akong mga "tax lawyers" na kakilala); pero wala akong ganyang pera at hindi ko kayang pigilan ang pagsasama sama ninyo uli dahil sa "Marlboro country."

Isa na lamang ang pakiusap ko: maaari kayang kayong magsasama uli, BAGO mag Agosto 30, sa Sunken Garden ng UP Diliman; sana'y wala nang Marlboro, Fortune, Philip Morris o kung sinomang gumagawa ng yosi ang magpakana, sana'y sa inyo na lamang ang kusa. Tutal, sentenaryo ng Peyups sa 2008 at kulang pag wala kayo. Isang gabi lang ang pakiusap.

Sana'y magsasama uli kayo at muling kantahin ang mga dati nang naging themesong ng marami; baka maaaring kantahin uli ang "Pare Ko" kahit na may kasamang pagmumura, at baka maaaring matapos sa "UP Ang Galing Mo!" at sa "UP Naming Mahal" (na sana'y walang pagmumura).

Wala kaming maaaring ibayad sa inyo kundi ang aming taos-pusong pasasalamat na minsan sa taon ng sentenaryo ng Peyups ay nagsasama muli ang pinakadakila, pinakatanyag, pinakamalupit at pinakahinahangang Eraserheads--at hindi dahil sa sigarilyo.

Maraming salamat at lubos na gumagalang,
Ted

PS. Lubhang napakaganda ng kanta ninyong "Para sa Masa". Eto ang sinabi ninyo noon, nawa'y maging totoo uli ngayon:

Para sa Masa

Ito ay para sa mga masa
Sa lahat ng nawalan ng pag-asa
Sa lahat ng aming nakasama
Sa lahat ng hirap at pagdurusa
Na-aalala niyo pa ba
Binigyan namin kayo ng ligaya

Ilang taon na rin ang lumipas
Mga kulay ng mundo ay kumupas
Marami na rin ang mga pagbabago
Di maiiwasan 'pagkat tayo ay tao lamang
Mapapatawad mo ba ako
Kung hindi ko sinunod ang gusto mo

La la la la, la la la la....
La la la la, la la la...
La la la la, la la la la....
La la la la, la la la...

Pinilit kong iahon ka
Ngunit ayaw mo namang sumama

Ito ay para sa mga masa
Sa lahat ng binaon ng sistema
Sa lahat ng aming nakabarkada
Sa lahat ng mahilig sa labsong at drama
Sa lahat ng di marunong bumasa
Sa lahat ng may problema sa skwela
Sa lahat ng fans ni Sharon Cuneta
Sa lahat ng may problema sa pera
Sa lahat ng masa (sa lahat ng masa)
Sa lahat ng masa (sa lahat ng masa)
Sa lahat ng masa (sa lahat ng masa)
Sa lahat ng masa (sa lahat ng masa)

Huwag mong hayaang ganito
Bigyan ang sarili ng respeto

La la la la, la la la la...
La la la la, la la la...

Kulang Kung Wala Sila

UP kicked off its centennial celebration on January 8 with a 100-torch relay (that's including Richard Gomez) led by a 100 year old engineer (who sounds less senile than a lot of younger alumni and who displays a great wit and sense of humor in thinking that he could hook up with his classmates; LOL), sky divers, 100 kwitis salute, bogas thundering, the lighting of 100 acacia trees and the lighting of the centennial cauldron (shades of HP and the Goblet of Fire, he he he). The night was capped by a concert led by Ryan Cayabyab and various bands and a 15 or so minute fireworks display (courtesy of Beta Epsilon).

Astig! Galing! Kewl! Pero, may kulang . . .

Since the centennial preparations kicked off, I'd been thinking about this (and apparently I wasn't alone)-- it would be a really great idea to have the most famous luntian at pula band play. Of course, anyone who has been to UP or has lived within the last twenty or so years knows that I'm referring to the 'Heads, the Eraserheads, to be exact--Ely, Marcus, Raimund and Buddy. The only hitch was that they had disbanded some time back and had gone on to individual pursuits (all of them with their own bands; some producing, all still writing music).

While we were waiting for the centennial cauldron to be lit, I was expressing that hope to the law school staff-- it would have been awesome had the boys been asked to play again, maybe for one last gig--the first and probably the last! It would have been similar to a Beatles reunion. But as the night wore on, it was not to be; I don't know if it was because no one from the centennial preparations team thought of it (or had even heard of the 'Heads) or maybe if they had thought of it, they couldn't get them together, or had lost their numbers in their rolodexes or what. But, hey, they got a 100 year old graduate to come and run the torch relay; they even got Richard Gomez to light a torch (how bogus is that?). Of course, they could get the boys back together again--for U.P., if not for anything else?

Jam is right--it would have been perfect as the kick off--for the 'Heads to sing their songs that are full of UP flavor; it would also have been a perfect tribute to a band that managed to blow the lid off the local band scene at that time and influence the local band scene for generations to come.

I remember watching them at Red Rocks (along Scout Tobias), later to become Club Dredd, when they were really struggling; barely able to play but already armed with the charm that was to become their signature. Ely's songs were already unmistakeable and the attitude was totally radical. It didn't matter then that they weren't the best musicians in the planet or that Ely wasn't the best singer, it mattered only that they were singing about things they knew in a manner that they knew about. That was what the 'Heads brought into the scene; and, of course, we (who were then following them) were proud to say, "UP 'yan!"

Listen to any of the local bands that came after them and catch the hooks of the "heads in their songs; watch the bands and see the attitude that these four put on.

The centennial tag line is "UP, ang galing mo!" Very apt indeed for the boys who simply wanted to play and sing their own songs, reflective of countless generations of iskolar ng bayan who simply forged ahead, fueled by their dreams of making a difference for their country and their people and, in the process, making an impact, influencing lives, thought and action by simply being who they were trained to be: UP graduates.

The centennial celebrations just kicked off, so there still is time.

Let me be the first to ask for it then in writing--BRING THE BOYS BACK!!! Let's have the Eraserheads reunite for one last gig (proceeds to go to endowment for the Narra residence hall restoration, he he he; Dan Calica, are you reading this? Popo Lotilla? Pete Abinales?)

Maybe Jam or others who know the 'Heads, wherever they are, can circulate this until it reaches them.

One more gig! Sa harap ni Oble--promise, ipasasara natin ang U Av at ipapasuspindi ng maaga ni Chancellor (kung sino man ang Chancellor ng Diliman sa pagtatapos ng centennial year) ang klase nang makakuha ng magandang pwesto--sabay sabay nating kantahin ang 'Pare Ko--kasama ang mura. At baka pwede nyo rin kantahin ang UP Naming Mahal--pero walang mura.