been trying to make a concerted effort to be more appreciative of my filipino heritage by engaging with the culture, learning about the history and... the pop music :') and i discovered boy group ALAMAT who are k-pop-esque but unique in that they put a distinctly filipino spin by highlighting their own diverse ethnic & cultural background by incorporating myths, traditional textiles, art, dance & history in their body of work.
super super recommend checking out their songs & MVs on youtube, if you're filipino or not!
hey to all my fellow filipinos, haters of tyrants, and lovers of revolution: can I convince you to listen to alamat's dagundong (eng translation if you turn on the CC)
“Lately, it seems like Filipinos gravitate towards foreign influences more: our appreciation for our culture has slowly started to fade. So when we heard of the concept of this boy group, we couldn’t help but think it was risky,”
“For Pinoy K-pop fans, they would judge Alamat based on their standards: glossy sets, Korean-style choreography, and even physical appearance like light skin and colored eyes,” Creative Director Jason Paul Laxamana says. “Since Alamat doesn’t follow their formula 100%, many perceive them to be doing it wrong.”
But these risks seem to have paid off, as they’ve built an impressive portfolio of songs that illuminate the Philippines’ illustrious culture.
ALAMAT ONCE AGAIN SAYING "FUCK COLONIZERS"!!!! goosebumps everywhere it's so anthemic and revolutionary and just overall amazing and praiseworthy, this song is bringing their discography to newer heights i'm so glad i could be here for this comeback and new album 😭
Alas of P-Pop boy group of Alamat made a party remix for Dayang! 😭🤩 This isn't one of their official versions for the song like the R&B and Acoustic versions; Alas really just enjoys (re)mixing! In fact, he even did the mix for the Maharani Orchestral opening!
Translations to his tweets:
"Do you want a 'blasting-music-in-the-jeep' version of Dayang?"
After watching the Dagundong MV by Alamat, here are some MV shots with their possible historical references. Feel free to add more!
1. Here we have the inhabitants of the Philippine Islands before the colonizers' arrival.
2. The book with Alamat on the cover. Any Filipino who took Filipino Literature would instinctively know what this references: the novels by Jose Rizal, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.
3. Erasure of indigenous practices and traditions in lieu of Christianity.
4. The lyrics references to the cedula or the taxes Filipinos were made to pay.
5. Spanish colonizers imposed the use of Spanish -based family names through the Catálogo alfabético de apellidos.
7. The Spanish conquistadores under the command of Portuguese Fernando Magellan went on a conquest to find Moluccas or the Spice Islands, in the guise of trade. All the while, they have also been on the ready for conquest.
8. Most indigenous peoples of the Philippines would get the honor of getting tattoos for their courage and bravery in battle. Every tattoo pattern or design would mean a significant symbolism.
9. Tomas in a stylized Katipunero hat
10. RJi and Jao representing the 19th century Filipinos. In this period, the Philippines has become a colony of Spain for 333 years.
They haven't released a BTS or the making of the MV vlog at the moment, but this particular track is on the OST of a movie to be released on December called Penduko. All those mentioned above are from what I've learned from my HS and/or college education. It has been alamat's mission to serve edutainment.
Please reblog and add if I missed some! Thank you so much!
when youre a homebody but heard your idols will be performing on a venue literally a 10-min walk from your house lmaooo
i won a m&g w/ ALAMAT! so i painted a banner, had it signed! it was my 1st time meeting them irl. aaang galing galing nila mag-live, so genuine & appreciative! what a night to remember. thank you so much 6inoos! 🥹🤎