Ang Basura Sa Isip, Bow!
Ang Basura is a miscellaneous chamber work composed by Lucrecia Kasilag, for voice, guitar, kulintang, and dabakan. This particular piece is a rap, which is different from the classical orchestral music that many of us expect to hear when we think of compositions from Kasilag. This piece is composed of two parts, the first part being Maraming Basura , lyrics written by Roy Alvarez. This was written on October 8, 1998. The second part is Ang Basura, Bow, lyrics written by Odette Alcantara. This was written on October 9, 1998. They were composed for Mother Earth, and premiered at the “Jose Rizal Balikbayan” concert at the Quirino Grandstand on December 30, 2000.
Kasilag, the composer of this piece, was born August 31, 1917 in San Fernando city and lived up until August 16, 2008 in Paco, Manila. She was a Filipino composer and pianist who composed more than 250 works, composing of many genres, some of which include orchestra, operetta, dance, and theatre. She was a nationally acclaimed composer, and was known as “The First Lady of Philippine Music”.
Alvarez was a Filipino actor, director, scriptwriter and environmentalist. He was born on March 23, 1950 in Paglibao, Quezon, and died on February 11, 2014 of cardiac arrest. He was active as president of the Environment Watchdog Eco-Waste Coalition. Alcantara died at the age of 68 on October 22, 2009. She was a civil leader and environmentalist, also known as “Mother Earth”. She was a graduate of the University of the Philippines, Diliman, and is a well-known ecological artist and environmentalist. She was the Philippine coordinator for Earth Day Network, which organizes National Earth Day celebrations each year, the founding member of Zero Kalat Para Sa Kaunlaran Foundation, and convener of Artists for the Environment and Mother Earth Foundation. She, together with MEF, lobbied for the passage of the Clean Air Act, and the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act. She also wrote a column called "Environment & You" for the Journal tabloid, where she expounded on environmental issues in easily understandable terms and examples, and published a book called "Doon Po Sa Amin", which details 100 models for ecological waste management, segregating, composting, and recycling.
When listening to Ang Basura, the two parts go together in one fluid transition. Both pieces, Maraming Basura and Ang Basura, Bow, have the same background music and play without a pause in between as if it was the same song. This shows how the songs aim to share the same message. The musical style, despite being a rap, is distinct to the style of Kasilag. It has a very traditional Filipino sound to it, and unlike most hip-hop genre raps, it is very slow paced so that it is easy to listen to and understand the lyrics. This helps get the message across while being able to maintain an oriental sound to it. In addition, it was Kasilag who originally raps this piece, which she did at the age of 81. Because of this, she was proclaimed “Queen of Rap” in the Gilda Cordero-Fernando production, “Jamming on an Old Saya”. She later on defended her title at the “Jose Rizal Balikbayan” concert and got redubbed as “Basura Queen Emeritus”.
While it is very difficult to find Ang Basura online, it can be found in Muling aawit ang Pasig : a collection of classic & contemporary songs inspired by the River Pasig, a CD that was released in 2002 about songs dedicated to or inspired by the Pasig River. The recording used in the CD was produced by Jesse Lucas, and mixed and mastered by Rick Meneses. Kasilag spent her last years in Paco, Manila, which is south of Pasig River. This shows how the Pasig river is something that Kasilag probably held close to heart, which is what likely inspired her to compose this piece.
"Muling Aawit ang Pasig", the CD release containing Kasilag's "Ang Basura"
Back in the 1990’s, when this song was written, the Pasig River was declared ‘biologically dead’. Looking at the time these songs were written, and the fact that it was part of a collection of songs for the Pasig River, it can be said that one of, or the main purpose of this song being written was to inspire people to work towards saving this river. This movement has been shown to have paid off, as it recently won the 2018 Asia Riverprize. Although this is not the doing of the song in itself, the fact that Kasilag, Alvarez, and Alcantara, very well known individuals in the Philippines, made an effort to write about it, could have had an impact on the decision of the majority to try and save a seemingly unsavable river.
The title Ang Basura, Bow, was a play on words popularized by Aiza Seguerra, a former three-year-old contestant of Eat Bulaga! ’s Little Miss Philippines. She became a part of the show from 1987 to 1997. Aiza was known as the little miss who would end every statement with "Bow!", which she popularized as emphasis of the poems she recited during the Little Miss Philippines semis and finals. As this was used as an emphasis on the poems she recited. Ending the title of the song with “bow” was meant as an emphasis, as a way to show that this particular song, and the meaning behind it should be emphasized.
Both parts of Ang Basura, Maraming Basura and Ang Basura, Bow, have a similar meaning to it, in that the root of the problem is not the garbage itself, the root of the problem is the way people think and behave. In Maraming Basura, it states “Ang pinaka grabeng basura, ay basura sa isip,”, which translates to “And the most pernicious, is the garbage in the mind.” This shows that the root of the problem of garbage that is present in the Philippines is not the garbage in itself, but in the way people think. This is emphasised in Ang Basura, Bow, where it states “Hindi problema ang basura, ang problema ay ang tao na lu mi likha nito,” which translates to “Garbage is not a problem, the problem is people who create it.” This again states the root of the problem being the people, and not the garbage in itself. This piece emphasizes, with a “Bow!”, that the problem we must solve is not the problem of garbage, but of the mindset of the people. We can keep cleaning up the garbage, but if people do not change, they will continue to create more garbage than can be cleaned. This is what the main point the rap tries to make, and this can be applied not only to the situation of Pasig River, but also to the rest of the Philippines.
Ang Basura is a very daring piece done by Kasilag, in order to send a message, that the main problem is not the garbage on the street or in the river, but the the garbage in our thoughts, or “ang basura sa isip”. The problem is not the litter around us, but the people that cause the litter. That is what this song tries to get across, and that is what it does through an interesting and catchy rhythm. While this song is not the most popular of Kasilag’s pieces, it should not be set aside either, as this is one that holds a very important meaning.
Bow!
Maraming Basura
Maraming basura nagkalat sa mundo.
May basura sa bahay, sa kotse at sa kalye.
May basura sa ilog, sa dagat at tubig..
Pero ang matinding basura,
Ang pinakagrabeng basura,
Ay basura sa isip, sa isip ng tao.
Linisin mong basura sa isip mo,
Linisin ang basura sa paligid mo!
Lots of Garbage
There’s a lot of garbage strewn about,
Garbage at home, in cars and streets.
Garbage in rivers, seas and waters.
But the worst garbage of all,
And the most pernicious,
Is the garbage in the mind.
So clean that garbage in your mind,
Clean your garbage!
Works Referenced
Felongco, G. P. (2018, November 07). Manila's Pasig River wins International River Prize. Retrieved December 4, 2018, from https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/philippines/manilas-pasig-river-wins-internati onal-river-prize-1.2292033
Jesus, T. V. (2014, February 12). Actor-environmentalist Roy Alvarez, 63. Retrieved December 4, 2018, from https://entertainment.inquirer.net/134738/actor-environmentalist-roy-alvarez-63
Laguyo, D. (2009, October 23). In Memorian: Ms. Odette Alcantara, Eco-crusader. Retrieved December 4, 2018, from https://www.upm.edu.ph/node/708
Nieva, V. (2018, May 13). Lucrecia Kasilag: Contributions to the Legacy of a Freedom Fighter. Retrieved from
http://ateneobluesound.wixsite.com/blue-sound/single-post/2018/05/12/Contri butions-to-the-Legacy-of-a-Freedom-Fighter-Lucrecia-Kasilag’s-“Macario-Sa kay”-Composition
Lo, R. (2001, December 2). Aiza Seguerra... Bow! Retrieved December 4, 2018, from https://www.philstar.com/entertainment/2001/12/02/142092/aiza-seguerra-bow
Muling aawit ang Pasig : A collection of classic & contemporary songs inspired by the River
Pasig. (2002). Clean & Green Foundation.
Roy Alvarez. (n.d.). Retrieved December 4, 2018, from https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0023324/bio
Salido, C. B. (2002). THE PIANO COMPOSITIONAL STYLE OF LUCRECIA ROCES KASILAG. The Ohio State University.
Images:
Image of Roy Alvarez retrieved from http://ecowastecoalition.blogspot.com/2014/02/
Image of Odette Alcantara retrieved from: https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/172934/environmentalist-odette-alcantara-passes-away/story/
Image of Pasig River retrieved from: https://businessmirror.com.ph/pasig-river-8th-in-top-20-polluting-rivers/