Bisdak Bands in 2009

The Year of the Ox will usher in with a yoke on Bisdak bands to improve their craft and be of significance.

Saving Kamagong, for example, vows to be more responsible by “revising” some parts of the arrangements for Congressman’s Alphabet and the environmental song “Pagtul-id sa Bangaw,” which I wrote for them. Catch airplay over at 93.1 SMASH FM on the second week of this month.

Saving Kamagong, few of Bisdak bands who make it a point to not only blah but also tackle significant societal issues, will be launching this January their “Bisrock Chacha” album with 12 songs – the “rehashed” Panahon sa Pasko and the “reinvented” Pagtul-id…which also had its moment of experimentation from reggae to jazz to bossa nova till the group decided that pop rock fits best to the call for zero waste.

Also, 2009 would be exciting to more Bisdak bands supporting church-based programs. Bands that collaborated with the production of the “Nasud Ko” album, for example, are enjoying ample share of hits now over at the YouTube. Key in “Pwede Pala, Pinoy!” to view the said music video. DJ Ram Dizon of 93.1 Smash FM said that this is the biggest achievement insofar as supporting the advocacy of Alex Lacson and the Dilaab Movement – 12 Little Things a Filipino can do to contribute to nation-building. “To be heard and seen on a global scale,” says Ram.

It is seen that more contemporary Gospel bands will shine this year with the great need of the public to touch base with their spirituality. The economic crunch is seen to affect more industries – music not exempted – most especially in the middle of 2009, so that listeners have to be guided all the more to keep in touch with their faith as in the end, faith is the only thing that matters.

Competition and commercialism will continue to fuel division among most Bisdak bands and performers. The earlier direction, supposedly leading to unification with the “pride in mother tongue, proud sound of the great south mantra”, will ramify into smaller roads that will make a number of musicians confused and disorientated with their own stuff. But as we all have our moments of awakening after allowing ourselves to wallow in our pride and prejudices, there will always be points of transitions where musicians could take up again his/her music sheet, guitar, and harmonica; walk the journey and arrive somewhere.