Getting down with relief! Philippine storm survivor support opportunities

Let us continue our prayers and thoughts for our fam in the islands who are impacted by the recent storm and flood in Metro Manila. The homey DJ Marlino at Heavy Rotation is helping raise funds for Philippine storm survivors. Buy this party-hardy mix and all proceeds will go to the Philippine National Red Cross.


Every bit of help counts! I'm sure (I hope) there are many opportunities where you live. Here are a few:

Via SFGate (Thanks Ninoy Brown!):

Bay Area Groups Aide Philippines Flood Victims
(09-29) 21:44 PDT -- Bay Area Filipino organizations coordinating relief efforts in the aftermath of last weekend's typhoon in the Philippines say monetary donations are desperately needed to help flooding victims, followed by medical supplies and food.

The groups have set up drop-off points for donations and set up ways for people to send money to Filipinos suffering after Tropical Storm Ketsana, which hit the northern Philippines on Saturday and caused the country's worst flooding in four decades. CONTINUE READING...

Via BakitWhy.com:

Ondoy Relief Effort: Los Angeles Organizations Will Collect Donations on October 3
"...Alliance for Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines, People's Core, Kabataang maka-Bayan, the ANSWER Coalition alongside many other Pilipino organizations, have teamed up with Search to Involve Pilipino American to collect the much needed material for the relief efforts. The generous people at Team Pacquiao with there efforts titled "Operation Metro Manila" will take a huge role in the organization of the relief efforts. CONTINUE READING...

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Let's not forget about the fam in Samoa, Indonesia, and Vietnam too. It's a tough September/October...

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On growing up Fil Am today: from "fobby" to fly

Yesterday was a good day. After a great line-up of NCAA football games, the night ushered in a new era of boxing with the victory of Manny Pacquiao, and the end of a legendary era with the womping of Oscar De La Hoya.

Sitting there at a homey's pad in Historic Filipino in LA (click here for a glimpse of us celebrating the TKO) with a gang of barking Brown folks, BBQ and boxing, I reflected on how growing up Fil Am today is so different than back in the 90s. Granted that I grew up in the South (in a very red county) and there weren't as many Filipinos as there are in the West Coast, I think in general, young Fil Ams have so much more opportunities to demonstrate their pride. I mean, under one house there was the Pacman (on the TV), Kiwi, Bam, Krish, and a whole host of Fil Am community artists and activists. LA may be an anomaly in comparison to the entirety of the U.S. because of its large and historic Fil Am community, but these folks, especially the artists, have an unprecedented reach to inspire young folks nationally. And with outlets like Heavy Rotation, I suppose a reach to inspire internationally.

Maybe its an internets-age thing. But I just have a sense that if it were even just 6 years ago, young Fil Ams wouldn't so much be rockin the Philippine flag sweaters, Bonifacio T's, and tri-star/sun caps. Nor would they be rappin in Tagalog. It must be noted, the growth in this Pin@y "pride" has to be linked with the explosion of the fashion designers (i.e. Beatrock), which by the way these Filipino-themed T's are not a new thing--think Tsinilas (based in Florida), Tribal Pinoy, or Downright Pinoy.

(Sports + hip hop + fashion + internet = growth in the reach of Pin@y "pride"?)

Maybe I'm wrong, and this is really a West Coast thing that has been happening strong before I moved here. Thoughts?* My point is that it is a special time to be a young Fil Am today (and maybe more specifically Fil Am masculinity). Where as in the 90s, we had a very Afro-centric hip hop, not the "Filipino-conscious" (which is not wholly separate from Afro-centric tradition, just as a note) hip hop --both men and women artists--we enjoy today. We didn't have a Manny Pacquiao. We didn't have a whole army of Pin@ys on reality TV (check out Bam's posting on "Reality and Rice"). And the fashion? Sure, there was the few Filipino t-shirt brands I would rock, but I would get clowned for being "fobby," a denigrating term people used to describe being "too Filipino." Not so much today. Today its a badge of pride and not shame to have Manny emblazoned on your shirt.** How many Pac Man shirts were there at the Bridge's show after the fight? Dang. A sista was even rockin a Philippine flag on her necklace.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe the South is just a different animal. Maybe because the South and the East Coast in total doesn't have a "Pilipino Culture Night" (here and here) tradition. Maybe cuz there's no FPAC or Pistahan there. There are varying opportunities and spaces to learn and express "Filipinoness." Today, it seems like those opportunities and spaces have reached beyond expectation.

I mean, in the Souf, we did have Santo Nino and Gang Starr, but that didn't seem to be enough mayn.




From "fobby" to "fly". I hope it lasts long.

Let me have it...

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*I get a sense that young Pin@ys in the 90s were also more immersed in gang culture. Pride for sure, but qualitatively different, in ways I can't articulate yet.
**I think that the Filipino-themed fashion today is more likely linked to politically-conscious movements, and not only a desire to look cute in a Pin@y tee.

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: "Hear it" from Lauren Santiago

Lauren Santiago is the Pinay you don't want to challenge at karaoke night. I found out about Miss Santiago through DJ Marlino's Heavy Rotation radio show and have been hooked ever since! Lauren gives a soulful quality to her music that many R&B acts today lack. Combined with the fresh tracks by Freddie Joachim and Choice37, her music is appealing to anyone who digs the earthy, gritty, but "lay back" feel of soul music.

Her EP "Sundays" gives you a that feel-good sunny Sunday afternoon vibe- you might cook a breakfast (of eggs and garlic rice?) and clean up your place on a Sunday afternoon with Lauren jammin on your box. Each track is unique- experimental in texture, key, timing, and even pitch.

Sista got pipes. And the fact that she rhymes too? Golden. So don't sleep on her music. Make sure you cop the EP "Sundays" on her myspace or search for her on iTunes. And definitely keep a look out for her album dropping in Spring 2009.

You can peep an interview by Rafu Magazine for more scoop on Lauren. I had the fortune of interviewing her all the way from NYC! Enjoy!

Who is Lauren Santiago?
I'm reppin' So Cal. I'm (like totally) a Valley girl. I never noticed how "Valley" I was until I moved to NY about a year ago. East coasters call me on my lingo all the time, but I love it 'cause it's a nice reminder about where I'm from. I'm living in Bed Stuy (do or die), NY at the moment and am diggin' this Brooklyn energy. I classify my music as Soul, but I'm branching out into variations of the genre. Electro, experimental, hip-hop, but it's Soul at heart.

How did you get involved with music?
I sang in choir in the third grade and people told me I was good, so I kept going. I was actually super into rock back in the day. I'm talking like Guns n Roses and Metalllica. Then I slowly transitioned into R&B and was really into TLC, En Vogue, Xscape (yeah I said it). I would sing their stuff all the time! When I got introduced to Dre and Snoop via my bro, I was in love. Then, lord, Lauryn Hill hit the scene and I REALLY wanted to be her. I wrote rhymes, got pretty good at it and rhymed at parties. It was fun. But I wanted to sing. I revisited singing in college, hooked up with an all-girl a cappella group at USC and from then just kept going.

Who inspires you stylistically?
Right now I'm inspired by Yukimi Nagano, Santogold, Portishead. They are so unique in style and they embody the perfect marriage of vocals/lyrics/track. Sick. Of course, there's Alicia Keys. I love the grittiness in her voice. Leela James is awesome too. That smokey, old soul vibe is fresh. Erykah and her bugged out "I don't give a f*ck" ways. There are so many to name.

What are some of the greatest challenges as you create music?
Finding time to sit down and go at it. I have a day job that is taking over my life. No joke. So what happens is, I go and work a looong ass day, write on the train, come home and work on arrangements and recording. I've been sleeping a lot less lately.

What are some of the greatest rewards?
Some of the greatest rewards are hearing the product and having people say, "Yeah, I'm feelin that. That sh*t is nice." Haha in so many words. Also, when people can relate to the subject. For example, I had a 15 year old kid from Arizona hit me up saying he just broke up with his girl and he posted "It's So Easy" lyrics on his blog cuz he was going through that same situation. That rocks.

One of my favorite songs is "Hear It From You." The song, like many other songs in your EP, have a complex texture, timbre, and unconventional sound timings (like the change of beat and timing in Jacewon's rap "outtro" in the song, or the echoey/haunting yet soulful vocals in "Hope"). Describe the creative process in making "Hear It From You."
That song is produced by Freddie Joachim, and the emcee at the end is Jacewon. Choice37 was the one who offered up his studio to have me lay it down. Freddie hit me up about getting on his album and I was feeling that track, so I laced it. Jacewon was also feeling that track so we collab'd. (Freddie and Choice37 in picture to right)

What inspired the lyrics was at the time I was diggin this cat from NYC while I was still in LA. He had no idea 'cause it was never discussed, and I didn't wanna say anything cuz I assumed it was on that "I'm here, you're there, let's connect when you're in town" type-thing (boo for that. FYI fellas, I can NOT be that casual). So anyway, I was like "Damn! Just tell me you're into me and let's get this poppin' - screw the distance!"

What is your favorite "era" of hip hop?
The 90s! From Dre, Snoop, Quik to Souls of Mischief, Hiero, and Common. I wanted to be like all those guys! Hip hop was real. This crap on the radio nowadays is so beyond me it's like I can't believe the public eats up this crap.

Do you sense a difference in the Filipino American community (hip hop or otherwise) on the West Coast and that on the East Coast?
I don't really see a Fil Am community out here in NYC. Maybe that's the difference! I've been to maybe one party, and it was the same as the West Coast. I actually felt like I was on the West. But, I don't really see a community out here. It could be because I'm outta the loop, who knows. NY is mixed like no other place I've ever been, and the sense of community IN GENERAL is through the roof! I love that. No one judges you. They just let you be who you are, act a fool, dress like a clown, and let you on your merry way. The west coast will ALWAYS be home though.

What should listeners be on the look out for? What new projects are in store?
I'm working on my full-length album. It's taking a while but it's coming! Spring 2009 is the goal. In the meantime I'll be pushing out some free joints, teasers/sampler types mainly for the DJs to throw in the mix. Working on more uptempos too. I love the laid back, relaxing type tracks but I'm trying to break out of that in a major way! Freddie and Choice37 are of course on the bill. I'm throwing in a couple of other producers as well. I'm working with this sick cat from the UK (nex*is) and more TBA...

Is there anything else you would like readers to know before you go?
Yes. I'm on iTunes. Cop that!

Thanks for the interview Lauren Santiago! Stay warm in freezin cold NYC! We're waiting eagerly for that album!