“March of the Downtrodden” by Ooberfuse

Exposure to Contemporary Catholic music

Way back in 2010, the British electro-pop music group Ooberfuse released “Heart’s Cry”, the anthem to former Pope Benedict XVI’s papal visit to the United Kingdom. Though I forgot how or where I found this song, it is one of my most favorite songs ever, religious and overall.

Ooberfuse’s “Heart’s Cry” made me realize Catholic contemporary music can be cool and fun after all, just like the music of Don Moen, Hillsong, Plus One, Reliant K, and many other Christian artists that dominate (the predominantly Evangelical Protestant) Contemporary Christian music (CCM) genre.

It is not my first exposure to Contemporary Catholic music. Way back in 1999, 2001, and 2003, I listened to Filipino (and Catholic) artist Jamie Rivera’s “Jubilee Song”, “Lord, Heal Our Land”, and “Only Selfless Love”, the anthem to the Fourth World Meeting of the Families in Manila in 2003.

In 2001 or 2002, I read an article in a Catholic magazine that NSYNC and Britney Spears were among the performers for an album dedicated to John Paul II, who still lived that time.

Ooberfuse

In 2003, my mother bought my sister a religious music album. Although the album is a Catholic effort, the album is ecumenical, containing a Buddhist chant and a Muslim prayer for peace, among others.

Also in 2003, during the Holy Week, I saw a Catholic high school band performing on TV. I forget the name of the band and the TV special.

If I am not wrong, the Catholic Church happen to sing songs by Evangelical Protestants, including “Amazing Grace” composed by an anti-Catholic English minister. Non-Catholics like the Australian Guy Sebastian and the first American Idol Kelly Clarkson even performed for Benedict at his papal visits to Australia and America, respectively. In an article I read years ago, it is said that Hillsong received significant royalties from the Catholic Church.

A reminder of the frailties of Catholic clergymen

Ooberfuse released “March of the Downtrodden” in 2014. The song deals with Catholic clergy abuse and its accompanying music video features the stories of the plight of victims of clerical abuse.

I had listened to 11 songs by Ooberfuse prior to their “March of the Downtrodden” and it was only last year that I learned about this controversial song. I admit I was shocked that they, a Catholic band, would release such a song.

Ooberfuse have released singles to support Catholic vocation and raise awareness about persecution against Christians and the refugee crisis, among others. They also released anthems to the 2013 World Youth Day in Brazil and Pope Francis’ papal visit to the Philippines in 2015. I did not expect them to sing about a controversial subject.

In 2014, “March of the Downtrodden” got Ooberfuse disinvited from playing at the Catholic Underground, London’s biggest youth gathering. According to organizers, the song’s music video, which features quotes from abuse victims’ testimonies alongside images of distressed children, St Peter’s Basilica, and priests, painted a negative image of the Catholic Church’s handling of the clerical sex abuse scandal.

Organizers said that the “negative” stance taken by the “March of the Downtrodden” video would damage Catholic Underground’s “positive” mission. While they said criticism of the Church was essential, they added, “this is not the correct platform and means by which to do it”.

Saddened by the withdrawal of their invitation, Ooberfuse responded in a statement, “Many victims have been forbidden to tell their stories because of legal compromise agreements i.e. other regular channels of communication have been foreclosed. Given the silencing strategies of clergy abusers and their protectors, we are not aware there are many other means by which to address this topic.”

Ooberfuse explained that the point of “March of the Downtrodden” music video was to tell the story of clerical sexual abuse from the point of view of the victims.

I do not know if Ooberfuse is the first Catholic music group to address such a controversial subject. However, they were just one of the three bands I am aware to sing about it. The other two happened to be rock bands: Limp Bizkit and a Brazilian group whose name I forgot.

Not a good time for the Catholic Church

Anyone who has read and understood the Catholic Church’s earthly history will acknowledge the Church as a part human institution run by imperfect and fallible men and women, all of them prone to sin, heresy, and apostasy later at some point in their life and service to God. Therefore, the Church should not be stranger to bad press and bad publicity.

But how the church leaders handle the situation and deal with erring members, particularly sexually degenerate priests, is another matter.

Faithful Catholic Christians have been left reeling by recent events:

• Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of Washington resigns amid sexual abuse allegations
• Pennsylvania report on clerical sex abuse which involves over 300 priests
• Honduras cardinal Óscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga allegedly protecting gay seminarians

Six years ago, I downloaded some e-books that tackle the topic of church sexual abuse, which the Boston Globe brought to national and international attention with its front page report on January 6, 2002. The epicenter of the abuse – and media attention and public condemnation – was the Archdiocese of Boston, formerly headed by Cardinal Bernard Francis Law who resigned on 2002 due to his mishandling of the sex abuse scandal in his archdiocese.

Jason Bach cartoon on Catholic Church sexual abuse

What “interesting” stuff did I learn from reading those e-books on clerical sexual abuse, of which former priests from the Archdiocese such as John Geoghan, Paul Shanley, Robert Meffan, and James D. Foley were the most infamous and notorious of the offenders?

There are many factors that contribute to the child sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Church.

• There exists a seminary underground in which homosexual promiscuity is rampant.
• There are Catholic priests like the defrocked Shanley who have adopted diabolical practices in their priestly ministry.
• There are priests that openly undermine Church theological and moral teachings.
• These sexually deviant priests become more open and bolder about their heretical beliefs relating to God and sex.
• They abuse their priestly ministry to flaunt their sexual immorality, preach heresy, and promote lifestyles contrary to the Gospel and Church teaching.
• A cabal of satanic, gay, and child-abusing priests is said to secretly operate in the Church and, worse, in the Vatican.
• In short, pedophilia and Satanism is secretly practiced by evil men in the churches and seminaries.
• Church leaders are complicit in the operation of satanic pedophile priests.
• Satanists infiltrate the Church with one goal in mind: world domination.
• Other than a satanic conspiracy in the Catholic Church, there is also a liberal, feminist conspiracy to eradicate the male, celibate priesthood.
• Ideological discrimination exists against orthodox candidates.
• Potential seminarians who are faithful and loyal to the magisterial teaching of the Pope and bishops are being persecuted.
• Vocations directors and leaders of certain religious orders turn away applicants who oppose women priesthood, defend Church’s teachings about homosexuality, artificial birth control, etc., and exhibit a strong piety toward religious devotions, such as the Rosary and Eucharistic Adoration.
• In some seminaries, the vocations directors are liberal nuns.
• Being the vocations directors, the liberal nuns reject candidates who oppose the ordination of women as priests.
• Psychiatrists and psychologists who perform evaluations on candidates or seminarians may not be Catholics or if they are, they have fallen away from Church teaching on sex and morality and embraced heresy.
• These psychiatrists deem orthodox candidates to be “sexually immature” or having an “unhealthy sexuality” or “sexual hang-ups”.
• Heterosexual men who oppose the gay lifestyle, not inclined to homosexuality, denounce masturbation and pornography as grossly immoral, and reject homosexuality in society and workplace are rejected for seminary.

A cartoon on Catholic Church sexual abuse

• Liberalism also helps bring Freemasonry and occultism into the Catholic Church.
• Liberals bring in corruption, immorality, heresy, and, worse, Satanism into the Catholic Church.
• Despite Church teaching against Freemasonry, liberal priests and prelates seek reconciliation with Freemasons.
• Freemasons, like satanic pedophile priests, have occupied high positions of power in the Catholic hierarchy.
• This would not be possible without the patronage of corrupt and liberal priests, many of them closet Freemasons and Satanists; the inaction and incompetence of good yet indecisive and powerless priests; and the ignorance and nonchalance of the Catholic laity.

What do you expect the Catholic Church to be if it lets liberal, sexually deviant, satanic pedophile priests to minister to the most vulnerable? What kind of leadership do you expect from liberal prelates who help introduce Freemasonry and occultism into the confines of a 2000-year-old institution?

The Irish connection

No longer a faithful daughter of the Church, the increasingly liberal Ireland voted to approve same-sex marriage in 2015. At this moment, the Irish government plans to legalize abortion by means of a popular vote.

Does it occur to you that many of the priests who were accused of sexual abuse have Irish-sounding names and/or surnames? That these sexually deviant priests come from Irish or Irish American background?

Does it occur to you that the epicenter of the clerical sex abuse scandal is in the Archdiocese of Boston, a bastion of Irish American Catholics? That the Catholic Church in Ireland has its great share of corruption and immorality committed by both priests and nuns?

Who will save the Catholic Church?

Father Malachi Martin, in an August 1996 banned interview for the American Family Association, reported that reported that 1 to 2% of priests in the Roman Catholic Church are practicing Satanists who are involved with some form of ritualized sexual abuse. He drew this statistic from a 1996 secret church study that he received from a Vatican source.

Let it be known that sexually deviant priests do not constitute the majority of priests and consecrated persons in the Church. They are just a tiny minority but a destructive minority that brings a disastrous impact upon all Catholics.

This evil minority should be dealt with not by words and ideals and not just through prayers and fasting… but with an ax and a gun.

There will always be corrupt priests and nuns and good but incompetent church leaders. There will always be people like Ooberfuse who calls for justice, accountability, and courageous and strong leadership.

Lay Catholics have no need for corrupt and sexually immoral church leaders. They need leaders who can achieve a balance of authority and service and are more assertive on contentious issues.

It is time that Catholics, after reading and reflecting on John 2: 14-22, Titus 1: 7-8, and Ephesians 4: 11-13, take concrete action. It is up to the laity to cleanse the Church and purge satanic pedophile, sexually deviant, and corrupt priests and nuns from the seminaries, convents, and parishes.

Onward to a renewed and holier Church and priesthood!

Image from the Church Militant's "The Vortex"

“This Song Saved My Life” by Simple Plan (2011)

Memories of Simple Plan

The first time I heard Simple Plan was way back in the 1st Q of 2003. Courtesy of my brother who had a diverse taste in music, I was exposed to many subgenres of rock, from pop punk to hard rock, from Audioslave to Marilyn Manson.

Though I had listened to “Addicted” and “Perfect” in 2003 and “Don’t Wanna Think About You” and “Welcome To My Life” in 2004, I only came to appreciate Simple Plan’s musicianship and songwriting prowess when I watched the music videos to “I’m Just A Kid” in January 2005 and “Untitled (How Could This Happen To Me)” in May 2005. If it was not for my classmate in biology who lent me a VCD, I would not have seen “I’m Just A Kid” and if I had not taken a vacation to my country’s capital, I would not have seen “Untitled”.

Get Your Heart On! (Image from de.lamusica.wikia.com)  

A long time would pass before I would love another song from the band. I had listened to “Jet Lag” featuring Natasha Bedingfield in the last quarter of 2013 and “This Song Saved My Life” just this month.

“This Song Saved My Life” is now my most favorite song from the group. A visit to Wikipedia tells me their album Get Your Heart On!, which was released in 2001 and where this song is track #11, tanked commercially, despite good reviews.

It breaks my heart to know that decent music acts such as Simple Plan can no longer sell records, especially in this age of social media. Damn these millennials for their poor taste in music.

Reflections on the music video’s theme

I can somehow connect the lyrics of the song to the storyline and theme of the music video. A lot of things – or memories – flooded into my mind as I watched the video over and over again.

Way back in 2005, I wrote an article on child labor for a media organization who partnered with a children’s rights advocacy group. A year later, I attended a lecture on workplace exploitation given by a worker’s rights activist, who revealed that most abuses against workers took place in the garments and construction sector.

A day in the life of a modern-day slave in a sweatshop

A colleague at work once shared to me that she was almost trafficked as a child. She got lost at a bus station. She happened to meet a stranger who claimed to know her parents. She could have gone with her, if not for a neighbor who spotted them. The stranger fled, leaving the child behind.

Should I also mention that in my country, there is a town that is a famous hub for child pornography? Search Cordova, Cebu, Philippines to know more.

After much reflection, I realized that not only child laborers, oppressed workers and other modern-day slaves are victims but also their employers, the human traffickers, and the modern-day slave traders and slaveholders.

In every political system… in every economic system, as long as greed, hatred and violence reign in the hearts of men, there will always be abuse and exploitation. There will always be victims. There will always be oppressors – they who do not know they are victims themselves too.

A call to action

I call on everyone to stand up against all forms of abuse and exploitation against all peoples.

I exhort everyone to argue within reason and treat people with respect, even if they differ in many ways.

It is time we make pornography, child trafficking and modern-day slavery history.

An undercover agent comes to the rescue. 

“Flying Without Wings” by Westlife and BoA (2002)

A song wasted

It has been more than 15 years since I first heard the duet version of Westlife’s “Flying Without Wings” featuring BoA. My mother bought me a cassette tape of the Irish pop vocal group’s 4th album (and 1st greatest hits compilation) titled Unbreakable: The Greatest Hits Volume 1, which was released in 2002.

Westlife feat. Boa, "Flying Without Wings" (Image from https://991.com)

“Flying Without Wings” duet version did not get airplays from radio stations I used to listen to. The album’s carrier single “Unbreakable” even received moderate airplays, though it managed to land #1 at a local radio station’s weekly countdown, staying for a week. It hurts to admit it but "Unbreakable" was forgettable.

In comparison, Westlife’s duet with Mariah Carey titled “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)” was more popular than any track off Unbreakable. British vocal group Blue’s “Best in Me” and “One Love” and A1’s “One Last Song” and “Learn to Fly” were more successful in terms of airplays.

Knowing BoA… and Kpop

I had no idea who this BoA person was until six years later when I chanced upon BoA’s music videos on Channel V. A quick visit to Wikipedia told me she is a Korean singer who enjoyed commercial and critical success in both Korea and Japan, which in my knowledge is the world’s 2nd largest music market. I was impressed that she released Japanese singles and albums.

BoA, Listen To My Heart (Image from http://www.jpophelp.com)

During that time, Kpop was getting popular and receiving more airplays. However, in my observation, BoA was nowhere to be mentioned or sung by teenagers who were becoming Kpop fanatics. Her songs were nowhere to be played by radio stations and by Myx and MTV.
It seemed that new Kpop fans were not interested in knowing BoA.

One proof is a young workmate who is into Kpop and Korean drama. She knows Westlife – of course, almost everyone knows Westlife even if they are not a listener – but nothing about BoA. It was until I told her about Westlife’s duet with BoA that she learned about her.

It is a shame for Kpop fans to not know BoA, the Korean singer with the most successful crossover into Japan. Some of the new Kpop fans even had the gall to call her obsolete. Little or never do they know that she opened the door for other Korean artists in Japan.

Even before the rise of modern Kpop artists, BoA was already popular in Japan. That was even before social media likes, shares, and views became the metrics for success in the music industry.

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“Hero” by Skillet (2009)

Independence Day in the time of Duterte

As of this writing, my country is celebrating its 120th Independence Day. The people who would take the time to celebrate are the president, his officials, and his band of supporters, commonly called dutertetards.

Dutertetards are the kind of people who would follow the president rather than God, their conscience, and their guardian angels. They will forgo their dignity, humanity, spirituality, and patriotism to emulate his attitude and way of thinking.

Dutertetards will follow the president blindly. They will be glad to do his bidding without doubt and without question. They will do everything to please their master.

Dutertetards call for Vice President Leni Robredo's resignation at a rally in Luneta Park in 2017. (Image from http://news.abs-cbn.com)

Like for example, if the president kisses the ass of the Chinese government, the dutertetards – each and every one of them, male and female, young and old – will do the same. They would even do it more enthusiastically than the president does.

Devoid of objectivity and lacking a sense of history and critical thinking, the dutertetards make my country look like a province or colony of China. They make light of the (gravely serious) matter of the Chinese government violating my country’s territory and stealing its natural resources.

The dutertetards are like the Germans who welcomed the rise of Nazism and the fundamentalists who supported the Islamic State (ISIS). There is no “hero” among them.

“Hero” and the events in June

"Hero" by Skillet (Image from https://genius.com)

“Hero” by the Christian rock band Skillet (first single from their 2009 album Awake) reminds me of or makes me reflect on many things, not just the lack of patriotism and objectivity among dutertetards. As I listen to this religious rock track, I realize I can connect the (message and theme of the) song to certain events in the month of June, first of which is the Independence Day of my country.

It is during Independence Day that I recall the heroic deeds (and some petty misdeeds) of the heroes or historical figures, such as Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Diego and Gabriela Silang, Juan Luna, Marcelo H. Del Pilar, Antonio Luna, Gregorio Del Pilar, Emilio Aguinaldo, Apolinario Mabini, Melchora Aquino, the Gomburza priests, Miguel Malvar, Macario Sakay, Lapu-Lapu, the residents of Balangiga, Jose Abad Santos, Josefa Llanes Escoda, the Moros of Mindanao and Sulu… the list goes on.

Philippine national heroes (Image from https://themindofthegarrett.wordpress.com/)

Despite their misdeeds and weaknesses, they loved their country and their people. Their love is far different from the love that the president and the dutertetards have.

The heroes and historical figures had genuine love for the country. The president and the dutertetards, on the other hand, act not out of love for the country but out of practicality and necessity.

The heroes and historical figures were not afraid to give up their life. They are not afraid to kill and be killed. The president and the dutertetards, on the other hand, are not ready to die but willing to change their beliefs and statements to suit their convenience.

The other “fathers”

Every 3rd Sunday of June is Fathers’ Day. “Hero” reminds me of the other “fathers” in our community: the priests, the ministers, the pastors… the men who committed themselves to the spreading of the Gospel.

On one Fathers’ Day a few years ago, a kiddie gag/comedy show on a local channel dedicated an episode to the priests, whom they called the other “fathers” not honored on Fathers’ Day.
Just recently, a priest was gunned down in a chapel while preparing to conduct a religious service. If I have counted right, he is the 2nd priest murdered in the country’s biggest island.

Christian clergymen in Morocco (Image from http://eurobishop.blogspot.com)

I also remember the ministers and pastors who endured political and social repression in many countries around the world. Some of them were imprisoned and their wives and families were forced to relocate abroad for safety.

Of course, the priests, ministers and pastors are no supermen too. Like the heroes and historical figures, they have their own weaknesses.

There are priests who abused minors or kept secret wives or bore children out of wedlock. There are ministers and pastors who embezzled church funds to support their opulent lifestyles. Weak men they are, they need a “hero”… the only One who can save them.

Solemnities of Biblical figures

Biblical figures of the New Testament are the other “fathers” too. They are heroes of faith. There are events dedicated to them in the month of June.

Every June 24 is the Nativity of John the Baptizer and every June 29 is the solemnity of the Apostles Peter and Paul. Read the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles and you will know that they are heroes who were not afraid to speak their mind… and were also ready to die.

By the way, in one June 29 a few years ago, a classmate went to my place to invite me to his family’s beach picnic. The last time I had of him, he was studying to become a pastor. I had no news about his personal life but I was told that he is estranged from his wife.

Call to action

Include “Hero” by Skillet in your playlist.

Don’t follow the examples of the dutertetards. Swim against the tide. Learn how to think critically and think for yourself.

Include the priests, ministers or pastors in your prayers… if you pray.

“Arigatou” by Funky Monkey Babys (2013)

Another song, another moment for nostalgia

It has been five years since I first heard “Arigatou” by the hip hop group Funky Monkey Babys. It was one of the first Japanese hip hop songs I had listened to. It was also one of the best songs I listened to in 2013.

2013 was one of the most trying years in my life and one of the best too, in terms of music and experiences. There are negative experiences, of course. They could have sidetracked me but I realized I could not control those circumstances. I moved forward with some sort of strength and happiness, which I always have.

I lost people and money that year. I never lose the songs, though. They are always fresh and alive in my memory.

I also do not lose my sense of gratitude and my spirit of thanksgiving.

Funky Monkey Babys gearing up for "Arigatou", their last single. Image from https://mghorn.com

I would not have survived 2013 without the help of a very few people who provided me the tools and leads to move forward after the loss of a job I held for almost five years. They helped me look at the bright side behind the negative events I went through and bolstered my character of strength and happiness. They are the people I keep in my heart up to now.

I feel sad that I was not able to sustain or make better the many relationships I made years before I was forced to resign from work in 2013. The people I met too that year… well, they were just extras in my cinema of life.

I wonder where I did go wrong in my relationships with people. But I believe I am good with the ones I could keep. I pray for all of them, though. I hope they do not have a bad memory of me. In some ways, they helped me make sense of 2013 and make me the person I am now.

Because of them, I strive to find joy in the little things and to live each day as if it is Thanksgiving Day. Forever grateful I will be.

“U R not alone” by GReeeeN (2018)

A visit to YouTube to check out Nogizaka46’s single “Synchronicity” and the single album’s coupling songs led me to GReeeeN’s “U R not alone”. Call it good timing.

By the way, “Synchronicity” could be the best post-Nanami Hashimoto single to date. I have yet to confirm if this is Ikoma Rina’s last single with the group.

I have been an avid listener of Jpop songs for years now, yet I have not taken any serious attempt to study the language. My bad! But my ears… or rather, my mind and heart know no language but sounds – beautiful sounds, beautiful harmonies and melodies.

I know, for sure, that “U R not alone” is beautiful but it’s not only beautiful but also inspiring and empowering. The title of the song alone speaks volumes.

What memories does “U R not alone” bring? What it made me recall in life? Lots!

Events 10 years ago

My college graduation

I graduated from college 10 years ago. I graduated without a clear plan or purpose in life. I was unsure what to do, where to go, how to move forward and enjoy life after college.

My college friends went to places and got jobs due to connections or sheer luck. Then I lost contact with them. I felt alone and, in some ways, abandoned.

I was stuck in my hometown for months, wondering what to do and who to approach for help. But I did not spend every day wondering. I did not choose indolence. There were house chores and gardening works to do.

College mates approached me for help

Four months after my graduation, a few schoolmates visited me. They asked if I could help them with some educational activities they were planning to do before they would apply for internship. I did not refuse them my assistance.

If it was not for them, I would end up without income in the second half of 2008, the year of recession. I was fortunate enough to land some short-term jobs.

High School Musical

2008 was also the year I watched the Disney movie High School Musical. Already out of college then, I was without Internet access, newspapers and literary magazines (I read Liwayway and Bisaya), and cable TV (at times, I watched MTV at the homes of rich classmates).

One day, I managed to borrow a few VCDs from neighbors. One of the VCDs was High School Musical. The movie was good to watch but the plot and the themes somewhat turned me off. I liked the songs, though. I have them on my Spotify.

Failed attempt at romance

I graduated from college without a girlfriend or a “conquest”, if you know what I mean. Think my college years were somewhat lame? Say what you want to say. I won’t be offended.

Weeks before my graduation, I met a girl from another school. To make a long story short, I attempted to win her affection. We did hang out together. We even went to places. No conquests, though.

After then, we lost contact in August. Weeks later, we met again in another town. There was an inter-school event taking place and I happened to be in the vicinity to visit a computer rental shop. I saw her – and she was with a man.

I immediately went out of the computer rental shop and ran to her. We exchanged pleasantries. She happened to be on her way to the home of a common friend (more about the common friend later). I went with her and the man she was with. At the home of our common friend, we made arrangements to meet at night after dinner.

When I returned to the place, I was told she left for home. I then learned that the man she was with was her boyfriend whom she reconciled with some time ago. I spent a few minutes at the common friend’s place to process my thoughts before leaving.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Two months after my college graduation and just weeks after hanging out with that girl from another school, I visited the common friend to bring her some roses. She wanted to plant roses in her backyard garden. Sunny afternoon it was then.

I went with her and her family to a nearby elementary school’s ground where a firesoft competition was taking place that time.

Before I left, I borrowed her Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, British edition. Back home, my family was excited to read it.

Helpful advice from a would-be pastor

I and an old classmate met again for the first time since our high school graduation in 2004. He sympathized with me being unemployed and lacking the connection and resources necessary to land meaningful jobs but he raised my spirits. He advised me to be patient. The right job for me will come at the right time, he told me.

Christmas dawn services

2008 was the year I completed the Christmas dawn Masses for the first time. I had the urge to attend all nine mornings of the Misa de Gallo since knowing in 2007 that completing them would make one’s wishes come true.

I admitted I attended the Misa de Gallo out of need but since I was unemployed (or underemployed) that time, why not something different? I had the time… all the time and the energy, so to attend I did. I completed all nine services and made a wish.

Events 5 years ago

GReeeeN, PASSPO, and Morning Musume

2013 was the year I was first exposed to the music of GReeeeN and Morning Musume.

From GReeeeN’s MV for “Sakura Color”, I learned that cherry blossoms are an important part of Japanese culture. By listening to PASSPO’s “Next Flight” and Morning Musume’s “Ren’ai Hunter”, I reaffirmed my taste for dance pop songs.

Of course, GReeeeN, PASSPO, and Morning Musume were not the only Jpop acts I listened to for the first time that year.

Days before leaving the company I worked for that time (more on that), I listened to Tomomi Itano’s “10nen go no Kime e”.

Employment

I left my first company, my employer of four years. I could have remained until Christmas but I was “forced” to leave by one of the managers, an illegal alien who talked too much but did nothing to help me and my workmates.

Days before my last day, I applied at what would be my best employer to date. I was hired the next day after my preliminary interview and application exam. Two days after my last day with my first company, I started at the new one.

Typhoon Haiyan or Yolanda

2013 was the year super typhoon Yolanda devastated the eastern part of the Philippines, leaving thousands dead and millions worth of property and livelihood damages.

For many Filipinos, it was a difficult time to rebuild, much less move on as the people were financially broken and morally and emotionally affected. Many villages experienced blackouts and lack of food, water, fuel, and electricity. In some towns, looting and criminality were isolated incidents, which drove the local officials to implement curfew.

Thanks God, help from abroad poured in.

Reflection

Good songs such as “U R not alone” can help evoke memories, both worth remembering and worth forgetting… lots of them. One memory leads to another.

I may not understand Japanese. I cannot speak the language as of now, but I can feel the lyrics of “U R not alone”, its power and its intent. The lyrics are encouraging, the tune is empowering, and the storyline of the video is inspiring.

I can feel that GReeeeN is speaking to me, reminding me that I am not alone in life.

I may not expect my friends to help me and to be there for me and with me at all times, especially when I need them… when I am at my worst. But God will always send a few people and opportunities to help me live and enjoy life.

I may not be alone after all.

Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle) by Limp Bizkit (2000)

Song evokes memories and images of 9/11

I cannot remember if this song was one of the nu metal tunes recorded by my classmate in the December of 2002. I cannot also recall the date or day when I first heard this song. All I know is that it was almost six years after this song was first released that I would get to watch the music video in one of my most memorable summers ever.

Why “Rollin’ (Air Raid Vehicle)” by Limp Bizkit? Right now, it is the morning of September 11. This song comes into mind.

Front man Fred Durst gyrating with a group of dancers. Image from zh.fanpop.com   

The date evokes memories of the 9/11 attacks in New York. Though the US-led coalition had successfully toppled down the terrorist regime in Afghanistan responsible for the tragedy, terrorism persists.

Look at the Islamic State (ISIS), Hamas, and Hezbollah in the Middle East, the Boko Haram in Nigeria, the ISIS-inspired Maute group in southern Philippines, and the lone wolves in America and Europe.

Even with the death of terrorists, the ideology lives. Osama Bin Laden is long dead (and could be enjoying his 72 virgins in paradise now) but the spirit of terrorism and the ideology/theology that inspires it live on in his supporters, from the remaining Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants in Afghanistan to radicals in America and Europe.

The world has yet to tally win the global war on terror.

The former Twin Towers at night

Watch the music video and you will see the Twin Towers in the background. Most people know what happened to New York’s former iconic buildings – they now serve as a memory of the tragic event that brought the world to its knees.

The Twin Towers are also a symbol of uprising against terrorism, against the cowards that espouse it. In no time, the terrorist regime in Afghanistan went down, flatter than the two buildings.

Limp Bizkit fooling around New York in a Bently Azure

Songs like that of Limp Bizkit will usher in our minds memories and images of the past, of historical events we can never forget, the lives lost that we mourn for, and the heroism of the people we will immortalize.

The world will never bow down to terrorists, whether jihadists, Christian fundamentalists, alt-right, leftists, whatever their political and/or religious persuasion.

Of course, music fans will never forget this song.

Our prayers go to the victims of terrorism and to those who put their lives on the line to serve and protect society against all forms of terrorism.

Image from https://susanfreeman.net 

#NeverForget
#September11
#NYC
#911remembrance

“Somewhere I Belong” by Linkin Park (2003)

My Definitive Song of the Summer of 2003

It was weeks or days to go before summer vacation. People wondered what to do or where to go after the school year ends. (I later learned that the classmate who introduced me to Linkin Park took a summer job, a former crush got pregnant out of wedlock, and another crush had a crush on a guy in another town.) Me? I was stuck in my village because I had no options. I just stayed at home and waited for a new song to come out.

I thought the last days of my junior year at secondary school would be boring. I was wrong. Thanks to Linkin Park.

Returning home after a heartbreaking day at school, the scene of my brother placing his ear near the radio greeted me. What caught his attention, I asked myself mentally. He told me Linkin Park just released a new song. I arrived home late that time, so I was only able to listen to the last lines, but man, it sounded great to me, especially the rapping parts.

A few days later, I got the chance to listen to “Somewhere I Belong” in full. My assessment was right: it was a great song. It helped me get through the gloomy summer of 2003. I got no places to go and no friends to hang out with (because they went places). I stayed in good mental health, thanks to this song, plus hits from Evanescence and .t.A.T.u.

Making (Failed) Plans for the Future

Linkin Park’s “Somewhere I Belong” inspired me to consider a music or performing arts course in college, a dream that was never materialized. Back then, I had in mind to pursue computer or teaching, but when the song came out, BOOM! I immediately changed my college plans. I wanted to be like Mike Shinoda. I want to be like Chester Bennington. I wanted to play turntables.

In other words, I wanted to become famous and tour the whole world. However, things did not turn out well for me.

It took years for me to realize I was never cut out for music and performing arts. I had to admit I can’t sing, I can’t rap, and I can’t play instruments no matter how hard I tried. I took guitar lessons and music classes and even tried to learn the keyboards and bass guitar, but I never got anywhere, despite help from a few friends.

I auditioned for school plays in order to boost my confidence before the crowds but I was never chosen for parts (I was only ordered to make accessories for the plays, which I did begrudgingly). I felt hurt and envious at the attention, praise, and rewards the lucky ones received.

Because I found no luck in performing arts, I tried sports but I was not lucky too.

Where do I belong anyway?

Moving Forward as a Linkin Park Street Soldier

I can’t sulk throughout my school years. I had to move on and adjust my life’s plans. I believe I could do my part for music listeners in some ways so that my love for music would not become insignificant in my growth as a person.

By listening to Linkin Park, I was able to release my fury and frustrations in life. I found strength in their lyrics, in their melodies, and in their performances. I realized I could contribute to music even without performing it.

I need to stay alive not just to preserve the memories of music but also to live to the music.
May the late Chester Bennington consider my contribution and my sacrifice pleasing to his ears. Thank you very much for keeping hope alive in my life. One day I will go to “Somewhere I Belong”.

Viva Chester Bennington!

Long live Linkin Park!

#RIPChesterBennington

"Faint" by Linkin Park (2003)

Memories of Chester Bennington (1976-2017)

Even after two days, the death (possible suicide) of Chester Bennington still shocked me. I feel #Numb up to this day. Of all the people to die that day, why him? Why not the terrorists, pedophile clergymen, corrupt politicians, slave traders, cheating merchants? Why him, of all people?

Chester Bennington came into my life 15 years ago, when I played "Papercut" and "In The End" on the player. Two years later, he cemented into my life at the release of Linkin Park's second album Meteora. (Bennington, if what I read is right, is an Orthodox Christian and the album title happens to be the name of a monastery somewhere in Greece. Fellow Orthodox Chris Cornell of Soundgarden and Audioslave, is a close friend of his and a godfather to Bennington's daughter. Cornell also committed suicide earlier this year.)

Image from Wikipedia

Being a newbie to the nu metal sound, I was blasted right away by Bennington's vocals in "Somewhere I Belong", "From The Inside", and "Faint", which for me is the best and the most powerful song on the record - and also the most aggressive of all Linkin Park and all nu metal songs. This is a nu metal anthem in the year 2003, the peak year of the genre. "Faint" is one of the best and most memorable songs of 2003. Linkin Park helped defined the 2000s. This song help define nu metal.

Bennington was a dreamer before he was a nu metal icon. He would visualized himself as one of the members of the English electronic band Depeche Mode. The dreamer would later send his demo to what would become the biggest nu metal acts of all times and demo-ed over the phone. Iconic, that's what I call it.

The dreamer would later become a music icon who would define the sound of my generation. Meteora defined my existence in 2003. “Faint” defined the person I was 14 years ago. I wanted to be like him. I wanted to get into music, but the heavens got other plans for me: rather than perform music, I preserve the memory of music (good music, I mean).

“Faint” helped me get through the rough year 2003 was. Onwards, it made me recall a dream I used to dream, an aspiration I held onto until college graduation. I wanted to be like Chester Bennington. Now I want to preserve his memory.

Thank you very much, Chester Bennington! You will live forever in my life. Consider me worthy in the task to preserve your memory.

Image from Alchetron

Viva Chester Bennington!

#RIPChesterBennington

"This I Promise You" by Shane Filan (2017)

Double memories: Westlife lead singer belts out NSYNC hit

I stumbled upon this track hours ago. I forgot how, but I think I didn't forget the feeling I experienced: I was immediately blown away. This is an LSS hit, I mentally told myself as I kept hitting the replay button multiple times.

World record-breaking pop vocal group Westlife and its singers were out of my radar for the longest time now. I was surprised to know Shane Filan keeps himself active in the music scene. I believe he has released a number of materials over the year, but fame has already eluded him. Nevertheless, I was just happy there's someone from my glorious generation to keep the flame burning... with an oldie that has not been played by FM stations in the Philippines for the very long time.

Shane Filan (Image from https://www.hotpress.com)

If memory serves me right, Westlife once covered a song from O-Town, who shared the same creator with the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC. With Shane Filan covering NSYNC's #1 Billboard Adult Contemporary Hit of 2000, everything's coming back into my mind: the first time I saw the song's video by the original artist, a Westlife VCD given to me by a classmate, O-Town's lack of radio airplay for their second album... and how great the oldies are.

I'm listening to this song as I write this post. I really can't say much. Just listen to this song. This version is more soulful, more touching, and more of a love song than the original version. Don't you agree?

Westlife during the good old days (Image from http://www.independent.ie)

Now I wonder, what if the band is back to cover this song? Will it be a better version? But the question is: will Westlife ever reunite? Only time will tell.

"All I Want for Christmas is You" by Mariah Carey (1994)

All I want for Christmas is... more songs like this

It was in the Christmas season of 2002 when I first heard the Christmas songs of NSYNC ("Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays") and of Wham! (a dance remix version of "Last Christmas"). A few years later, Mariah Carey's seasonal song would reach my ears and Philippine TV stations would release their annual Christmas theme songs.

They are all good. They are something I look forward to every holiday season because I want good music to brighten up my mood for the holidays. At least they help me forget all the pain and woes that I suffer throughout the other days of the year. I want to enjoy and rejoice even for just one season.

However, I am not immune from memories of sadness and regrets even in this season of joy. When I listen to this song, a memory crept into my mind.

Christmas wasted on unrequited love

When I was still a college student, I failed in the romance department for three consecutive years. That covered three Christmas season as well. You can say that I was a hopeless romantic in the season of joy. Of course, I get to enjoy the holidays with my family and friends. I received gifts, we had our noche buena, etc. But having a girlfriend that time could be an added bonus for me. Do you get what I am saying?

For three years, I courted this classmate of mine. I cannot recall how I developed feelings for her. We weren't even close. We don't even have the same company of friends aside from our classmates. Our attitudes and powers were different. We loved music and movies, though, but we have different tastes. We did share the same favorite superhero character, though.

It didn't help my case that I was preoccupied with other stuff (like watching YouTube and reading newspapers and Wikipedia entries). Seriously, I was timid. I was even careless or foolish with my romantic advances, which embarrassed her so much in front of classmates and schoolmates. For her, I was a funny case or more of an annoyance. I guess I was immature but persistent. I was in love but I didn't know how to properly deal with a girl.

I did let my intentions and feelings known to her. I text messaged her. I passed her notes. I wrote her letters, even sent her a birthday card. It wasn't enough and it was all in vain.

My pursuit for her love covered three Christmas seasons. It was a fruitless pursuit. All I wanted for Christmas was her and what I got was unrequited love.

It was too bad a beautiful Christmas song especially coming from a diva like Mariah Carey would invoke a sad memory and a regretful past. If only I could turn back time...

"All I Want for Christmas is You" single cover (Image from http://www.ultratop.be/)

What I want now this Christmas

I believe I had handled my romanceless holiday seasons very well because I am still breathing. I wouldn't be writing this post if I had not. I wouldn't have graduated on time if I allowed my sadness to get the better of me.

Though I am happy enough that I had survived college without a girlfriend, I always feel that something is lacking in my teenage years or college life. But I am certain of one fact: I can celebrate Christmas even without a sweetheart.

But to celebrate the holiday season alone? That, my friend, is another story. Would you celebrate Halloween alone?

I now have different "wants" since I gave up pursuing ex-classmate. As not to sourgrape, these are far better things than the one I wanted many years ago:

• Good health (physical and mental)
• Maturity and spiritual growth
• Strong will and determination
• Fortitude and patience
• Career growth
• A wallet and a bank account full of bucks 

This Christmas I want... Mariah Carey (GIF from www.harpersbazaar.com)

Many years ago, I also want Mariah Carey in my life. If it is not too much, I want to go back in time and live in her life.

Anyways, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you in advance!

Backstreet Boys: Larger Than Life

Backstreet Boys in Las Vegas

I did not plan to create this post but due to the Backstreet Boys getting a residency in Las Vegas, I believe I need to create one, something to celebrate their success, to cherish whatever memories I have of the world's best selling boy band, to relieve the greatness of '90s music. The title of the post is so fitting as it is the banner of their residency run at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino which is scheduled to start next year. So if you are planning to visit the world's gambling capital in 2017, make sure you don't miss out their performance.

It all started in 2001

It was in 2001 when I first learned about the Backstreet Boys, when my brother was humming to "Shape of My Heart". I was a new listener to Westlife then and "If I Let You Go" was my first ever LSS. I remember telling him not to sing that song in the house. I did not listen to the boys from Orlando until a few months later.

At my high school's intramurals, the faction I belonged to field in a dance team to compete for the modern dance competition. Their music: "We've Got It Goin' On" by Backstreet Boys. The other two factions dance to A1 songs.

One second-degree relative lend me her Millennium

cassette tape. I was grateful for her for introducing me to many Backstreet Boys songs. Later she would lend A1's The A List album.

Around the Halloween period, I went with my cousin to his place to pay some relatives a visit. There he played Backstreet Boys music in their Sony bookshelf CD player. It was euphoria.

At Christmas, my mother would gift me a cassette tape of the band's compilation album Greatest Hits – Chapter One. My sister received Westlife's World of Our Own.

That time then, my favorite Backstreet songs were "Larger Than Life", "Get Down", and "Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely". I used to dislike their hit "I Want It That Way", which is now one of my four most favorite songs from the group.

Next year (2002), an ex-classmate would give me an old music magazine, which featured an interview of the Backstreet Boys on their then upcoming magnum opus Millennium. And in summer of that year, mother returned home with the year's edition of the Guinness World Records, which included the band as record holder of the best-selling boy band album.

From 2002 to 2004 I heard nothing of them. No new material. Then in the summer of 2005, I was surprised to hear them with a new song, titled "Incomplete", but was shocked at their musical shift, gravitating to a more pop rock sound. That song was in the VCD given to me by my former college crush who turned down my offer of love. It was the first of two gifts she gave to me.

One morning in 2007, my sister tuned in to an urban station that played "Inconsolable", a song that highlighted the Backstreet Boys' return to pop. They were minus one member.

In 2009, I stumbled on Channel V the music video to "Straight Through My Heart". It was one of the best songs I heard in my first year in the city.

In 2013, just weeks into my new job, the Backstreet Boys returned as a five-piece band with a new single "In a World Like This". The sun dawned on me, telling me music will return to how it was then.

Forward, Backstreet Boys

I am happy to hear about musicians from the glorious past still playing music to fans who will never forget them. Some bands and soloists have called it quits, but the Backstreet Boys is just one of those who decide to keep playing and defer disbandment or retirement to a far later time. God knows what happen when they disband.

Whatever, my memory of the Backstreet Boys will live on.

“Welcome to The Black Parade” by My Chemical Romance (2006)

10th anniversary of The Black Parade

By writing this post, I celebrate in advance the 10th anniversary of the release of My Chemical Romance’s third album The Black Parade. The band will be releasing a reissue to mark the occasion. Titled The Black Parade/Living With Ghosts, the compilation album includes 11 demos and live tracks and will hit record stores on September 23, just one month before the 10th year anniversary of the album’s release October 23, 2006).

The Black Parade happens to be the band’s most recognizable record and it was hailed as one of the best albums of 2006 by Rolling Stone, Spin, Wizard, IGN, and Entertainment Weekly. Indeed, it is one of the most important records of 2006 and of the first decade of the 21st century.

It's hard to believe 10 years have passed since the release of My Chemical Romance's The Black Parade. It's hard to believe rock music has become almost non-existent. It's unbelievable that thugs and whores have taken over music.

2006: A most memorable year

The Black Parade is one of the albums that impacted music in 2006, a year that definitely belonged to My Chemical Romance. If memory serves right, it was one of the best years for emo and alternative rock.

I was a college student then when The Black Parade was released. The lead single “Welcome to the Black Parade” was soon played by the urban city station that used to give equal playing time to rock, pop, and hip-hop. In the station’s weekly top 30, the song reached #2. "Welcome to the Black Parade" was my defining track of 2006. Next year, it would be "Famous Last Words", another track off The Black Parade.

2006 was the year when I was overdosed with infatuation. It was a year of unrequited love, a year lost to an obsession. On the domestic side, family and money problems mounted at home and the family almost broke apart. Yes, 2006 was a year of worry and anxiety, a time of pain, a period of depression and devastation.

But it was not a year ‘wasted’. It was a year well spent and well lived in the other departs of my school life, my young adult life.

Memory of a former classmate

Imagine how one song helped me remember two persons from my past: A former object of my infatuation and a former classmate.

While writing this post, I began to remember one classmate, who helped me get through the hard times of the half of 2006. He offered no financial help but companionship, advice, and other forms of non-financial support. He gave me reading materials that only collected dust at his home. He gave me lemonsito (Philippine lime) so I can make juice to cure my coughs. Back then, I was a mobile phone-less lad, so he let me use his without charging me.

Too bad my classmate left before Christmas. He had to return to his girlfriend (his future wife) so he can start building his family with her. One time she sent him a picture of hers, and he showed it to me. She’s a pretty woman of Filipino-Chinese stock. I don’t know why my classmate fell for a woman who’s a bit older than him. But God bless him and his family wherever they are now.

To my classmate, thank you very much!

10 years later

In 2007, Kanye West and 50 Cent competed against each other in the battle of the best-selling hip-hop album. In 2008, the global recession occurred. In 2009, the King of Pop Michael Jackson passed away and Wonder Girls sparked the Korean Wave with their hit “Nobody”. In 2010, Kobe Bryant won his second NBA Championship without former teammate Shaquille O’Neal.

In 2011, Lady Gaga released her controversial single “Judas”. In 2012, the London Olympics took place and Barack Obama won a second term as U.S. president. In 2013, the Backstreet Boys returned as a five-piece band and typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) wreaked havoc in the Philippines.



In 2014, Germany won the World Cup, defeating Argentina in the process. In 2015, idol Rena Matsui of SKE48 and Nogizaka46 graduated and AlDub became an Internet sensation and social media darling. In 2016, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie called it quits after 11 years, thus ending ‘Brangelina’.

As of this writing, the video for “Welcome to the Black Parade” on the band’s official YouTube clocked 57,054,244 views after being uploaded in September 28, 2006. In contrast, Kanye West got 59,015,375 views for Bound 2, one of the worst music videos I have ever seen.

"Saturday" by Karen Bordador (2011)

Karen Bordador posing for FHM calendar (image from www.clubsnap.com)

(Note: Too bad Karen Bordador's "Saturday" is nowhere to be found on YouTube, so here's just a sexy picture of her.)

Karen Bordador: The beauty and the memory

I really don't like to pry into other people's private lives. And I assure you that by writing this posting, I am not making bad light out of people who are going through an ordeal. I do not intend to mock them. On the contrary, I feel sorry for them. The subject of this post is a certain celebrity by the name of Karen Bordador, who is a radio DJ and one of the former vixens of a popular condom brand.

Memory is a ghost that returns to remind me about a few things. With Miss Karen, memories from the year Rebecca Black was slaying the Internet with her viral hit “Friday”. Memories come from the year I started exposing myself to Jpop, particularly AKB48 and fripSide. Memories from a battlefield – a culture war, the exact term.

It has yet to establish whether Bordador is into drugs. Hope she was into a different kind of drugs - coffee. (image from www.imgrum.net)

I would also like to admit that because she was an ace of a condom brand, I used to Google her pictures on the Internet. She was bootylicious, that’s all. I don’t know if she is still bootylicious until the time of her arrest. I admit that I looked at her pictures again after I learned of her arrest. I want to know if she has recent pictures of her beauty, but I cannot seem to find any. The only recent picture I can find is her mug shot - and she did not look good in it.

Bordador with her fellow vixens (image from http://intimatemanila.com/)

Miss Karen was one of the original vixens of the condom brand, but she was not the queen. She was slimmer that the queen, but the queen was fairer and more bootylicious. I don’t know what happen to them after their run as condom vixens, but one of them figured in a sex scandal with a basketball executive and in a number of memes that resulted from it.

I think I should start praying for the former condom vixens, Miss Karen included.

What's that song?

I did YouTube her ‘Saturday” song. It was torture. It was one of the worst songs I have ever heard. The accompanying music video was one of the worst too. No point going back over that. It was a lame attempt to ride on with the popularity of the original. Conan O’Brien did better with his “Thursday”.

Should you listen to "Saturday"?

No. Because the song is already non-existent. Believe me, I tried my best to find the music video to the song, but it has already been lost. Don't know if her radio station still keep a audio of the song but it is not worth my time asking them. But if you are curious, let me check.

Right now please pray that you favorite celebrity keeps away from drugs or any other illegal activities.