| | Radio Insect -- What's That ? |
Radio Insect What's That ?
There are a few good things that came out of the celebration of the Philippine Independence Centennial at the Skydome last year. One is the promise of a Filipino community centre being established (somewhere, sometime, somehow). Another is the discovery of the abundance of musical talent, particularly among our youth, otherwise left untapped. Even greater and encouraging news is the fact that there are people who have faith in this talent and that they are doing something concrete so it will not waste. This is the story of Radio Insect Records or RiR.
RiR is the label one will find on a debut CD compilation called Timog Kuwarentay Kuwatro (TKK) that features 12 original compositions performed by the four bands that contributed to the production of the album. It involves two true-blue music buffs, Philip Mark and Elena Naņez, who started it all. Philip and Elena took divergent routes to arrive at their present involvement (as producers that is !). Philip, a computer techie with the province of Ontario, is a self-admitted product of the barkadang musikero sa isang kanto ng Navotas who has done everything from deejaying or performing at Filipino weddings and baptismals (and a barmitzvah or two in between) to jamming with friends since immigrating to Toronto post-Edsa Revolution. A guy with a lust for music (and the technology to produce it) like Philip is the dynamo needed to perk up a big project like Timog Kuwarentay Kuwatro. Style and attitude are what Elena brings to the partnership. Abreast with music trends (thanks to her youthfulness and exposure to international settings, the latter courtesy of mom Nanette Naņez who is in the Philippine diplomatic service), Elena must have introduced 'the rave' (which I'm sure is nowhere near my discotheque upbringing) to Manila crowds whilst vacationing a few years back. But it could have been Elena's background in theatre (performing or volunteering at Toronto's alternative theatre,'Buddies in Bad Times') that landed her the volunteer job as production manager of the 'Spirit of Kalayaan' event at the Skydome. Philip and Elena first teamed up as members of Jules, one of the bands that performed at the Skydome.
Possessing the creative itch and the desire to give young Filipino-Canadian musicians the avenue for artistic development and exposure, Philip and Elena formed Radio Insect Records which also aims to open a window to the soul of Filipino alternative music. Featured in Timog Kuwarentay Kuwatro (referring to the latitudinal orientation of Toronto to the northern axis) is the music of Jules ('Amag', 'Sana Tayo', 'Happily Never After'); Julian ('Realize','Ikaw at Ako','Panaginip'); Chivalry ('Guardian Angel', 'Chive's Peeves', 'She Amazes Me'); and GIMIK ('Pusong Inulila', 'Makilala'). A formal CD launching will be done in late October or Early November. For updates, visit www.radioinsectrecords.com.
(RJS Caluen)
extracted from 'Filipino Bulletin' (October 1999) with permission by RJS Caluen.
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