Stand Up at Hangar Market

We had a swell time at the Hangar Market noontime last October 17. But prior to that it was a nightmare as I was the only one talking to six different people at different levels of market bureaucracy. All were not receptive of the idea and two were violently against holding a concert at Hangar. They cited traffic and crowd control. Snatching and consumer complaints etc. The secret of diplomacy is to win one of them and use him or her to persuade the others. So at the last minute, we were able to hack it. March Fianza was there early to check the music and at 11 am was already ready to rumble. We can only pay one band, the Binhi. But one band tagged along. This was the Shakilan which is a sort of the Third World Music band. Binhi has been alive for 17 years and they have songs about the poor. Choy was feeling "da pressure" and was raring to go as well. City Hall was bargaining for a 1 pm start. We started at 12. There were so many people. The jeepneys which are used to carry vegetables became the balconies. Tourists actually forgot to buy veggies and stayed throughout the concert. The komboys were so cooperative. We rented their carts for the stage. The Vocas artists brought the wire installations they made in two days. The bands were comfortable with the crowd and the crowd was very cooperative and appreciative. The Binhi boys were still good and the Shakilan was a revelation with their Igorot music set to a slightly Andalusian feel because their percussionist is a Bolivian. People came and went and those who stayed forgot their hunger. This was the first time that a free concert was held there. The komboys were our friends from a previous event as they carried our Giant Condom last December 1 World AIDS Day along Session Road.
Well, that was fun. And of course everything would not be possible without the Philippine NGO Council for Population, Health and Welfare who provided everything except the patatas and for Chi Vallido, Pngoc deputy director who supervised everything except the washing of the patatas. Photo by Richard Balonglong

Standup

Being a "socialized" eventologist who ends up poorer than I started with each new event, another masochistic venture today and tomorrow. The Stand Up Against Poverty event in Baguio. It already started kanina when the Vocas Artists starring Chang Mai-bound Kigao Rosimo, Shunt Verdun, Rene Aquitania and the rest performed their poverty installation at the pavement beside Skyworld. The pedestrian traffic was blocked by this radiating chalk sun while Rene and Alan Manalastas came out with their Taong Grasa performance anew. Of course, the people had no choice but to watch and the City Demolition Team were waiting and waiting and making kalabit to me and EV Espiritu on when do we stop this traffic hazard. Well, EV and Kigao were bent on making the demolition squad fuming so they would demolish the art installation of colorful wire ghosts. I am so nervous because my name was in the permit even as I was still shuttling back and forth City Hall to get that permit. Well, all went well as they say. We dismantled our own thing. The one who was tasked to make people sign the Anti-Poverty said that 2/3 don't want to sign. Hmm. Tomorrow is a more challenging one. A free concert by a country western band right smack at the Hangar Market where the vegetable trucks dump their wares and carrots are being washed on the puddles. This is in conjunction with the comboys (porters) as we set our stage on their karitons. Punks from Malabon would also be having a gig there. Pretty tough ha?