By Nickie Wang
Mga Gitarista and Doobie Night
Various instrumental and compilation albums are out in the market but rare in the country that local artists collaborate to produce a material that would entice the listeners to play the CD. Let’s take the high-profile compilation Mga Gitarista, and Doobie Nights that has been out for quite a long time now. These two albums are brave enough to woo the Filipino audience’s more mature and discerning taste.
Six Strings
Mga Gitarista is a 14-track compilation album that features the county’s legendary six strings masters like RJ Jacinto, Jun Lopito and Noli Aurillo. It also includes guitar aces Francis Reyes of The Dawn, Mike Elgar of Rivermaya, Mong Alcaraz of Sandwich and Chicosci, Hale’s Roll Martinez, Rocksteddy’s Juven Pelingon, Slapshocks’ Lean Ansing, Pupil’s Yan Yuzon. Jeff de Castro, currently playing for the Kitchie Nadal, Ian Umali of POT and Jack Rufo of Neocolors are also part of the album. The male dominated instrumental album is flavored by Barbie Almalbis fresh and confident piece called Shapes Of Things. Barbie proves that Filipina rockers can etch their own niches in the male dominated guitar universe.
The album’s opening track Space Jungle could remind listeners of old movies with cosmic warfare theme. However, it doesn’t create the same appeal like you’re riding a space shuttle ready for a space collision. Unlike the first track, Haymaker is a hotshot arrangement. With an electric guitar, the composer’s personality reflects on the music. It’s a bit different from Rivermaya’s signature sound.
The Veil by Lupito is a mushy ballad of guitar madness. With Aurillo on the acoustic, it would definitely hit the charts if accompanied by sappy lyrics just like Pelingon’s Geyb’riel, which is superbly strummed in a very emotional manner, and Rufo’s Aratig.
Tracks that are listener-friendly and will definitely be appreciated by non-rock lovers are: Jacito’s Mashi Mashi that is good to have on your player while driving the congested roads of EDSA and España; Reyes’s pop rock Cutout Horizon which is accompanied by keyboard and drums; Martinez’s very appealing Isabelle, a track that is a little different from the usual sound we hear from Hale, but wait until you reach the next half of the piece.
Ripple and Swarm by Aurillo and Castro respectively sound definitely plucked by virtuous masters only that the first will bore the listeners for its droning sound until the end.
Final Decision by Umali is a track with international appeal. Take Charge Brown Jacket by Alcaraz plays something different. With little noisy voice over, that doesn’t sound annoying though, is a good track to wrap up the whole album.
Jamaican Flava
Another CD on our shelf is Doobie Nights. It’s unmistakably reggae with Pinoy touch. The genre is definitely a culture in Jamaica but the way local artists did the songs is quite off because if you would listen carefully, you would know how the real McCoy sounds like and how the impressionist’s alien tongue does the injustices. But of course, Pinoy artists are good in creating twists to conceal the difference. Take the track Diksunaryo for as an example:
"Kapag ang tao'y mahilig mambola, bolero! Kapag ang tao ay mahilig uminom ng Yakult ay yakulero! ...kapag ang tao'y mahilig gumawa ng kanta, kantatero! Ang gumagawa ng kanto..."
The humor of this subjective track by The Chongkeys is also supported by intoxicating Lab Stori and Miguel by Enchi and Brown Outfit Bureau respectively. The first’s staggering use of intoxicating beverages as the verbs in the lyrics makes sense and the latter’s being slight subjective makes you wonder.
For those who wonder what does Doobie mean, well it’s not actually just an expression that we hear from the famous APO Hiking Society hit Doo bidoo. It’s a Jamaican slang that means marijuana cigarette. The etymology of the word is unknown but just like any other previously coined words, doobie was born on the street and had life of its own popularized by those who covertly crave for weeds.
The album is not a clandestine expression of craving but a medium of open expression and depiction of life. G2 and the Bundocks’s Dream Cloudy gives a cloudy day a good name while Ngiti of the Peacepipe ironically will never make you smile. It’s over by Cherry Cornflakes is an emotional song that won’t make you cry but would make you sway a little bit. Pop seasoned Hangover Song by Sefyla, Boogieman by the Space Flower, Humble Beginnings by Humble Sauce and Sweet Lovin by the Coffee Break Island are outstanding tracks with infectious lyrics that would make you fidget from your seats and head on to a beach party.
Shuffle Union ’s Dance With Me is a friendly track that can attract kids to strut with the beat. Sinister Sister by Indio i is a fresh track sang a fresh female voice and Down and Lonely has a strong Jamaican influence but the redundancy of the lyrics will make you feel cheerless for the song.
Sarung Banggi by Mudflow and Sigbin (Dud) by Junior Kilat are the tracks that would really be appreciated by few people who enjoy their kind of style.
Comments