Culture
Giving the Working Class Struggle a Better Tune
You may not see or hear this group croon tophit songs – ever. But this
group bears plenty of guts and muscles in pursuit of their lofty goals.
by Dennis Espada
Bulatlat
The Kulturang Ugnayan
ng Makabayang Sining Anakpawis (Kumasa or Cultural Link of Patriotic and
Working Class Art) is set to release soon their first album entitled "Kamtin
Ang Tagumpay" (Seize Victory) in celebration of the militant labor
center Kilusang Mayo Uno's (May 1st Movement) milestone 25th
anniversary.
"Kamtin ang Tagumpay" is a combination of old and new renditions
that are acoustic-based with a generally folksy sound.
The problem of joblessness and contractualization was utterly delineated
in the blues rendition "Wala" (Nothing) while "One-Two-Five"
reverberates with the current demand of workers for a P125
across-the-board daily wage increase.
Significantly, "Kahilingan" (demand), "Daluyong" (tidal
wave), and the opener "Kamtin ang Tagumpay" (seize victory) have
garnered top prizes at the Gawad Amado V. Hernandez poetry contest in
recent years.
Meanwhile, composed by First Quarter Storm (FQS) activist Rafael Baylosis
while in detention in April 1976, "Parangal sa mga Rebolusyonaryong
Martir" (tribute to revolutionary martyrs) pays homage to martyred
comrades Lorena Barros, Lorenzo Lansang and Eugene Grey who were slain by
the military in Quezon province. A movie adaptation of Lualhati Bautista's
novel Dekada '70 produced in 2002 used some of the lines in this stirring
ballad but was sadly played out of tune.
Marching songs like "Bigwas ng Tagumpay" (blow of victory), "Sumulong"
(onward) and "Lansagin" (dismantle) evoke the ideological
attributes of the working class, highlighting its vanguard role in
bringing about revolutionary change in an oppressive and unjust social
system.
Using an African dyenbe and a
five-layered string harmony made the agitating song "Makibaka, Huwag
Matakot!" (struggle, have no fear!) a strong attraction as well, with
live audio recordings captured from the recent violent dispersals of the
Nestle workers’ picketline.
Kumasa's choral rendition of "The Internationale" bears lyrics that are
nearest to the original written by French composers Eugene Pottier and
Pierre Degeyter.
"Eskirol" (scab) on the other hand, with its lines “At kami
nga'y naririto ngayon sa labas ng pabrika/Nakikibaka, tuloy ang welga/Arawi't
bagyuhin 'di bibitaw sa simulain/'Di tulad mong sa unyon ay nagtaksil,"
there is bitterness in how a fellow worker treacherously capitulated to
their class enemy, the capitalists.
Over-all, this 12-track album gives a big sting against those who work to
perpetuate the exploitation of workers.
Discipline
Formed three years ago, Kumasa is a regional alliance of cultural groups
from various local trade unions and initiated by the Pagkakaisa ng
Manggagawa sa Timog Katagalugan (Pamantik or Unity of Workers in Southern
Tagalog).
It is composed of alternative cultural groups like Alab (Flame), Kalipunan
ng mga Progresibong Artista sa Nestlé (Kampana or Association of
Progressive Artists in Nestle), Kulturang Minana sa Sining Anakpawis (Kumisap
II or Cultural Legacy from the Working Class), Maso (Mallet), Sining at
Kultura ng mga Anak ng Bayan (Siklab or Art and Culture of the Children of
the People), Sining-Laya (Art-Freedom), and Sining Umusbong sa Bagong
Obrerong Kultura (Subok or Art Sprouted from the New Workers' Culture),
among others.
"At first, our purpose was to raise moral and financial support for our
strike," Kumasa's secretary-general Edmund Corteza told Bulatlat in
an interview.
Undiscovered artistic potentials would however later unfold before their
own eyes.
Members simply joined the singing without needing to pass an audition.
"They just volunteered to help," said activist-musician Marlon Angelo
Torres, who is also the group's coordinator.
Kumasa has performed in various occasions: from picketlines to street
demonstrations to theaters.
Torres always told the group that they didn’t need huge talent.
“What we need is 90 percent discipline and 10 percent talent,” he said. He
also said that they can improve their talents through time, inch by inch.
But right now, he
said, team work, commitment and discipline are the most important
requirements. Bulatlat
BACK TO
TOP ■
PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION ■
COMMENT
© 2004 Bulatlat
■
Alipato Publications
Permission is granted to reprint or redistribute this article, provided
its author/s and Bulatlat are properly credited and notified.
