Songs for Filipino youth

It’s hard to believe how happy and driven Young JV is nowadays if one knew about his past.

The youngest son of retired PAF Col. Eduardo “Red” Kapunan (an EDSA I People Power Revolution hero), the R&B and hip-hop kid disliked what he thought was a “stifling” environment at home.

“My father was very, very strict,” he said. “Living with him was like living in a boot camp, in PMA (Philippine Military Academy). Pakiramdam ko noon, lahat ng kilos ko, bilang. I was unhappy. Naaasar ako sa Dad ko noon for his strict upbringing style.”

Adding insult to injury were people’s expectations that he should follow in the footsteps of his old man. “Few people asked what I wanted to do in life. When people hear that my father is a soldier, they instantly assume I would want to become like him.”

But Young JV had other plans; one quite far from the military. Young JV wanted to become a musician. “In my heart I knew that I could make a difference in other people’s lives through songs. Yes, a soldier is one of the noblest jobs there is. But fighting for your country isn’t the only way to win battles.”

Ironically, Young JV got the idea from the very person he had wanted to run away from. The rapper said that hearing about his father’s war stories planted a seed that slowly but surely took root, stirring something inside his boy.

“As a combat pilot in Mindanao, my Dad told me stories about the sad plight of our Muslim brothers in Mindanao and countless women and children war victims,” he said. “When I began writing songs, those stories haunted me.”

The result can be heard in Ready or Not, Young JV’s debut album. Produced independently under new label Doin It Big Production, the 15-track collection contains songs with positive messages to encourage the youth to do good not only in their lives, but for the country.

Two of the most notable tracks in Ready or Not are Kapayapaan and Lipad Noypi. The first is about giving peace a chance while the other is a salute to the Filipino who can and who will (achieve).

Even when not being downright nationalistic, Young JV wrote songs that promote the life of a responsible teenager. Some of these are The Way I Feel, Doin It Big and the promotional single, That Girl, which is currently getting favorable feedback in Manila, Davao and Iloilo.

And although Young JV will be donating proceeds from album sales to orphans of soldiers who had died in action, the 19-year-old musician went on to do more by establishing the Lahing Bayani Foundation that would send its beneficiaries (15 scholars so far) to school. This endeavor becomes even more impressive when one realizes that Young JV and his family dipped into their own pockets to jumpstart the project.

“I can relate to these kids because I myself am a soldier’s son,” he explained simply during the launch of Lahing Bayani Foundation at the AFP Educational Benefit System Office inside Camp Emilio Aguinaldo. “I will strive to be a kuya to all of them.”

Although to many, the project may seem more significant and far reaching than anything music can achieve, Young JV points out that it is merely a social expression of his craft. “It’s not enough to just help people financially,” he said. “Uplifting morale is as important and sometimes, even more powerful than anything money can do. The right songs can do that.”

The Lahing Bayani Foundation is currently seeking sponsorships for a charity fundraiser that will not only help in supporting its 15 scholars, but financing the renovation of the Catholic chapel in Baranggay Dayhagan, Carles, Iloilo.

Young JV performed his song Kapayapaan at the launch. The scholars in attendance listened attentively but couldn’t quite follow the lyrics of the songs. Still, the rapper believes that in time — just like his Dad’s war stories — his messages of love and peace will reach and live in the hearts of those who hear it.

“I wouldn’t have been able to write such songs if not for people like them (the orphans). They are my inspiration.”

Is his Dad proud of the path he had taken? Young JV admitted that he has not brought up the subject with him although he had given him a copy of the album. “I don’t think he understands many of the rap parts but I have seen him moving to the music, almost as if he’s dancing.”

Yes, Young JV, your father is proud of you. He must be.