Category Archives: Music

Music, Politics

James Taylor’s Got A Friend In Bongbong And Liza Marcos

Leave a comment

After almost 8 years since music legend James Taylor cancelled a scheduled concert in the Philippines, he’s back as a friend to Filipinos and to Bongbong Marcos and First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos.  

The cancelled concert was a political statement about former President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war, specifically over alleged extra-judicial killings.  But “tokhang” is no more and so Taylor treated fans with much nostalgia in a concert in Manila, with no less than the First Couple in attendance.  

They say music and politics don’t mix, but history tells us that music has always played a huge role in protests against terror, injustice and violations of human rights.

It could also constitute an endorsement, subtle or not.

Entertainment, Music

7-Month-Old Baby Idolizes JK!

Leave a comment

In a bizarre twist of infant fandom, a couple proudly proclaims their 7-month-old as a die-hard admirer of a JK, citing a brief encounter during a concert where said pop star briefly held the baby. 

This raises eyebrows faster than a toddler with a marker near freshly painted walls. 

One wonders: has the baby secretly been binge-listening to the artist’s discography during naptime? Or perhaps the parents are projecting their own fandom onto their impressionable offspring? 

It’s hard to imagine a child whose vocabulary likely consists of “goo-goo” and “ga-ga” being an avid follower of any celebrity. But hey, in the era of social media stardom, even diapers have influencers. 

Let’s hope this infant idolization doesn’t lead to diaper changes inspired by autographs or lullabies replaced with pop hits. After all, it’s never too early for parents to distinguish between their own interests and their child’s actual preferences.

Arts, Entertainment, Film and TV, Music

National Artist?

Leave a comment

In a world where national artistic recognition resembles a popularity contest more than a celebration of genuine talent and cultural contribution, the true essence of being a “national artist” seems lost in a cacophony of commercialized jingles and catchy monikers. 

Merely churning out a perennial Christmas earworm (Jose Mari Chan) or boasting concocted titles like “Asia’s Songbird” (Regine Velasquez) or “Star for All Seasons” (Vilma Santos) does not an artistic legacy make.

Yet, amidst the clamor for chart-topping hits and box office or concert successes, the subtlety of true artistic mastery is often drowned out.  It’s like Taylor Swift being awarded a Pulitzer Prize.

Should we then bestow the esteemed title of national artist upon those who merely excel in slapstick films or command large fan bases? By that logic, we might as well nominate Vice Ganda or the comedic trio Tito, Vic, and Joey for this prestigious honor.

In this age of superficial acclaim, let us not confuse fleeting fame with enduring artistic brilliance, lest we risk reducing the title of national artist to nothing more than a hollow accolade.