Wala Akong Pakialam

Are you familiar with the Korean pop group 2NE1? Do you know their song "I Don't Care"? If you know them and that song, are you aware that we have our own Filipino version of the song? Yup, it's yet another "tagalized" song by non-mainstream Pinoy rappers. The Korean and Filipino versions basically say the same thing, but isn't it more interesting to hear how your fellow Pinoys treat the song? 


Curious enough? Then listen to this.

I Don't Care (Tagalog/Filipino Remix)
Rydeen
Beat from: 2NE1

[Chorus]
I don't care eh eh eh eh eh
Iiwanan na kita, wala akong pakeh
I don't care eh eh eh eh eh
Manigas ka dyan, wala akong pakeh
I don't care

[V1]
Di ko makalimutan ang tatak sa t-shirt mo
Bakat ng pulang lipstick at iba ang pabango
Kapag lumalabas, laging off ang telepono
Hindi ako tanga para maniwala pa sayo

Di ako tulad nila, ako'y naiiba
Gawin mo'ng gusto mo, di ka na mahalaga
Pero minahal kita, di mo lang nadama
Di ko na problema kapag mag-isa ka na

Sa ugali mong yan, walang tatagal sayo
Pakinggan mo ako, boy, tandaan mo 'toh

Binigay ko lahat sayo, sinong ginago mo?
Aalis na'ko, di kita kailangan sa buhay ko

[Repeat Chorus x2]

[V2]
Kapag magkasama tayo, sa iba ka nakatingin
Di hawakan aking kamay, ni wala man lang lambing
Sabihin mo sakin kung ano ang gusto mo
You're holdin' on to me, just because sikat ako?

Boy, di mo pa ako kilala ng lubusan
Di ako bulag para magbulagbulagan
At di ako bingi para di ko marinig
Ang usapan nyo ng 'yong kabet sa tabi tabi

Kaya kong maghanap ng iba
May nagkakandarapa sakin
Para ako ay maging sa kanya
Kaya dyan ka na, iiwanan na kita

[Repeat Chorus x2]

[V3]
Wag mo 'kong pigilan
Sa 'king paglisan
'Yoko na sayo,

Ayoko na sayo

Yoko na maging alipin, ma - maging alipin
Sa pagibig mong hindi karapatdapat para sa'kin
kasi, i deserve so much better
and I won't let no playa
Play me for a fool, it aint cool
And di ko na ma-take kaya I've decided
To leave and let you go,
One more thing, eto para sayo, tangina mo

[Repeat Chorus x2]

I'm not a fan of neither 2NE1 nor Rydeen (or rapping as a whole) but the song's not bad, right? It defies a number of things about gender relations. It does not show the martyr woman who's always willing to wait and sacrifice for her lover so they will live happily ever after. It basically says that the girl does not always need a guy to live and go on with life. And in terms of language, it defies the assumption that girls should always be polite and should not use "hardcore" swear words because those are reserved for boys. But tell her to watch her tongue and you'll probably get the finger. 

Stop, Look, and Listen

Rosas ng Digma by Musikang Bayan is a love story set in the midst of a revolution--still following the idea that the way out of the oppressive society is a radical social uprising. The persona here is a man who sings about the woman he loves and her involvement in the revolution. You can listen to the song here and discover why it's in my I-Like playlist.


Rosas ng Digma
Musikang Bayan


Sumibol sa isang panahong marahas
Bawat pagsubok ay iyong hinarap
At hangga't laya'y di pa nakakamtan
Buhay mo'y laging laan

Namumukadkad at puno ng sigla
Tulad mo'y rosas sa hardin ng digma
At di maiwasang sa'yo ay humanga
Ang tulad kong mandirigma

* Ako'y nangangarap na ika'y makasama
Taglay ang pangakong iingatan kita
Ang ganda mong nahubog sa piling ng masa
Hinding-hindi kukupas, di malalanta

Ang kulay mong angkin, sintingkad ng dugo
Nagbibigay buhay sa bawat puso
Tinik mo'y sagisag ng tapang at giting
Sa langara'y kislap ng bituwin

Gaya ng pagibig na alay ko sinta




The man may be the one who exhibits the gaze here, but I do not see the sexual objectification of women and voyeurism  which are usually present in texts under the male gaze. The concept of beauty here is not defined in terms of physical appearance but is instead about the actions done by the woman. She is portrayed to be a strong and resilient character, who manages to stay beautiful (in its own sense) despite the harsh environment she is into.


And for these reasons and more, I love this song. 

Women Singing for Women

Feminism here in the Philippines is closely related not only to the critique of patriarchy, but also of capitalism. To emancipate women is to liberate them from social and economic oppression caused by the hegemonic society. Most of the times, this freedom and change is seen to be achievable only through social revolution--kailangan makialam at makibaka. 


Two key songs of Philippine feminism by Filipino women shown below embody the characteristics mentioned above. Both songs question the assumed passivity and subordination of women and encourages them to awaken and fight for liberation.

The first song is by Susan Fernandez Magno--an alumna of our very own University of the Philippines--and is entitled "Babae Ka". This track's part of her 1990 album Habi at Himig.

The next song is entitled Babae by the female duo Inang Laya, composed of Becky Demetillo Abraham and Karen Constantino David (shown below). Yet again, you may be interested to know that they are also from UP--David is a former professor of UPD, while Abraham is an alumna of the UP Concert Chorus.

Babae
Inang Laya

Kayo ba ang mga Maria Clara, mga Hule at mga Sisa
Na di marunong na lumaban, kaapiha’y bakit iniluluha
Mga babae, kayo ba’y sadyang mahina?

Kayo ba ang mga Cinderella, na ang lalaki ang ang tanging pag-asa
Kayo nga ba ang mga Nena, na hanapbuhay ang pagpuputa
Mga babae, kayo ba’y sadyang pangkama?

Ang ating isip ay buksan at lipuna’y pag-aralan
Pa’no nahubog inyong isipan at tanggaping kayo’y mga libangan
Mga babae, ito nga ba’y kapalaran?

Bakit ba mayroong mga Gabriela, mga Teresa at Tandang Sora
Na di umasa sa luha’t awa, sila’y nagsipaghawak ng sandata
Nakilaban, ang mithiin ay lumaya

Bakit ba mayroong mga Lisa, mga Liliosa at mga Lorena
Na di natakot makibaka, at ngayo’y marami ang kasama
Mga babae, ang mithiin ay lumaya

Ang ating isip ay buksan at lipuna’y pag-aralan
Pa’no nahubog inyong isipan at tanggaping kayo’y mga libangan
Mga babae, ito nga ba’y kapalaran?

Bakit ba mayroong mga Lisa, mga Liliosa at mga Lorena
Na di natakot makibaka, at ngayo’y marami ang kasama
Mga babae, ang mithiin ay lumaya

Mga babae, ang mithiin ay lumaya.

The song presents fictional characters such as Sisa and Maria Clara that are stereotypes of Filipino women and sets them against "real" women like Gabriela, Teresa, Tandang Sora, Lisa, Liliosa, Lorena. These real-life women are the ones who fought and resisted oppression in their own varying ways and means, showing that men are not the only ones who can actively participate in such issues.
A background story on the mentioned characters can be seen in Babae.