Junior Kilat - Enrique de Malacca
Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008
Another sound expedition begins as Budoy and his brave mates cast their sails to explore distant shores of music Mecca. Junior Kilat has just releasedtheir newest album,?Enrique De Malacca?, under Galaxy Records. It is packed with 10songs and 1 bonus track. Get ready for a vivid and exciting travel memoir!
Planning the passage was quite a long one as the band headed for uncharted waters.Budoy, the brave captain placed his full trust that the forces of nature will steerthem on their proper course. The collaboration of each member soon fell into place,meshing into the sound that you hear now. Each one contributed a dose of theirindividual style and influences to concoct Junior Kilat?s distinct reggae rhythm,free-roaming dub, dancehall and a little bit of folk tunes.
All songs were written and sang by Errol ?Budoy? Marabiles; arranged and performedby Junior Kilat. Diana Freese? pounding drum beats and Tiano Evangelista?s bassgrooves set the groundwork for these songs. Bangin Atienza on the turntables,incorporated his vinyl samples and a slight twist of electronica. Arcie Yba?ez?sweet guitar effects added tinge of texture while the undertones of Keyboardist GinaPesta?o-Castro harmonized the songs into one. Junior Kilat?s free flow energy slowlysmelted these tunes into an almost atmospheric collage of beats and grooves.
Upon listening to the album, the band wishes to take you along on their journey.Budoy being the lyricist and a great storyteller, gives you a vivid account of histhoughts and experiences. Daubs of Filipino culture, heritage and socio-politicalelements are found in the songs. If you listen closely to Budoy?s underlying humor;witty and often satirical lyrics, you may get the message. Junior Kilat hopes toinstill among Filipinos not only awareness but a deep understanding and pride in ourown multifaceted culture.The album was entitled ?Enrique de Malacca?, based on the Malay who was captured byFerdinand Magellan to become his personal servant and interpreter. There are varioustheories that Enrique was the first person to truly circumnavigate the world inknown history and that he was a Filipino native who was captured by Muslim raidersand sold in a slave mart. Whichever theory one chooses to believe or oppose, Budoywants to lure curiosity among his listeners, hoping that people will research aboutEnrique on their own.
Budoy sees Enrique de Malacca, as another unsung hero just like Cebu?s revolutionarysoldier, Leon Kilat to which the band was named after. The Italian and Yalemanuscripts of Pigafetta's journal during Magellan's voyage, gave lists of not onlyMalay but also Visayan words. These lists are attributed to Enrique, who alsodisplayed in-depth knowledge of local customs and traditions upon landing in theVisayan islands. The question is, did Enrique know the language of the Cebuanos, orwere they just speaking Malay, the popular trade language? That is where Budoy?sfascination on this common slave started. Whether or not Enrique was originally fromhere or from another country, he may still hold the distinction of being the firstcircumnavigator of the globe.
Junior Kilat pays tribute to the legendary Yoyoy Villame with their songs Enrique deMalacca and Granada. The band gives him credit that they have been influenced byYoyoy?s musical style and ingenuity. As Budoy placed it, he is his hero musicallybecause of his ?pabalising? style or satirical commentaries. The metaphors are thereand the listeners are left to freely interpret them on their own.
The song BAKUNAWA is about a mythical creature that swallowed the moon thus causingan eclipse. People back on earth had to make noises to frighten it away, thusspitting out the moon. Just like the Sigbin, there are many theories as to what thiscreature may look like. Versions of this myth are influenced by our ancestors thatpass down their own stories generation after generation. This is one of the dubtracks in the album that will make you drift away.
LUMAYis a narrative on the long process of making ?love potions? based on Budoy?svarious trips to Siquijor. This song is a musical documentary of our Filipinoculture and on the intricacy in following rituals. The fact remains that Filipinosare instilled with both pagan and Catholic roots and beliefs co-existing at the sametime.
EDRO is an upbeat song which is a humorous true story account of the band?sexperience of being left behind by the only flight that would take them to Mindanao.Why Edro? Budoy was intrigued by the etymology of the word Edro, which is a uniquewaray word that means airplane. During World War II, there were no airports inLeyte; thus Hydroplanes were being used as it could easily glide and land on water.Those Hydroplanes were called Hydro for short, which eventually evolved into beingcalled Edro.
1-2-3 is a lighthearted song on the pastime of the young and old alike, spiderfighting. Again it is another allusion of social culture. Playing with spiders iscertainly not illegal, but when taken much too seriously, it can do much damage. Aswith the music video of Junior Kilat, one?s wholesome pastime can elevate badly intoan obsession that can get out of control. ?Moderation is always the key? as thesaying goes.
With this album, Junior Kilat ventured out upon the great unknown sea, with glimpsesof history: Spanish colonization, pagan and Catholic beliefs, indigenous rituals andthe Filipino?s socio-cultural way of life that is carried up to the presentgeneration. They left their common shores undaunted and were magically blown in thatdirection.
"Enrique de Malacca", Junior Kilat's album for 2008, is all about reggae, dub anddancehall with a touch of Filipino culture.
