Pinoy blues jam

No one really knows exactly when blues music came about simply because the genre is an evolution of poetic and narrative repugnance resulting from the enslavement of African Americans up until 1865.

Both a musical form and a musical genre, the blues are deeply rooted in the songs of labor of West African slaves. In the course of their inhumane treatment and endurance-draining drudgery, West African slaves in the American South cultivated a “call-and-response” way of singing to give rhythm to the toil of their bondage. These so-called “field hollers” may have served as the fountain from which all blues music flowed.

Whether the term was derived from the blue indigo used in many West African cultures to dye mourners’ clothes, or from the term “blue devils” which means melancholy and sadness, blues music is here to stay.

Although music historians find it difficult to pin down the first-ever blues music, it was widely believed that one of the first documented and recorded blues songs was W.C. Handy’s Memphis Blues, written in 1909.

Eric Clapton, Alison Joy Williams, Big Bone Daddy, The Blues Brothers, David Maxwell and Otis Spann, Tedeschi Trucks Band, BB King, Tab Benoit — these are some of my favorite blues artists whose albums line my collection rack.

What about Filipino blues bands?

Gerry Diwa, a friend in audio and the man behind Soundweavers Studio, invited me last December to grace the launching of Roadhouse Rekords at Roadhouse Manila Bay, the watering hole of Manila’s hardcore blues fans. A previous engagement prevented me from attending the affair, but Gerry sent me the very first CD that Roadhouse Rekords issued. The local recording company says Gerry is “perhaps the first Asia-based, blues-oriented label ever with regional ambitions.”

The CD is “Pinoy Blues Jam,” neatly and handsomely packaged in deep yellow. It is a collection of 18 tracks, 14 of them originals, from seven of the bands which are featured regularly at Roadhouse:  Dr. Crowley, Bleu Rascals, 69 Proof, Ian Lofamia Blues Band, Sangre Blues Revival, Tarantulas and Plug.  The CD is now available from iTunes.

I must admit that it was my first time to hear Filipino bands dishing out blues music, but I have no doubt that the tracks on the album will definitely find a place on your favorite playlists. 

The tunes are playful and upbeat. The album concept is well thought-out, and there is not a single track you would want to miss.

Some people say that “the blues is everywhere in the Philippines, but you just can’t see it.” Some theorized that, although several Filipino musicians are well-versed in playing the genre, they never had the courage to flaunt it, fearing that there are not enough followers who would foot the bill. Roadhouse Manila Bay took up the gauntlet, and opened its doors to Pinoy blues fans in December 2011.

Playing live blues music seven nights a week, Roadhouse trail-blazed the blues into the local scene and has never looked back. It encouraged old blues-oriented bands to regroup, and new bands to come together.

It sponsored the First Philippine Blues Competition, organized by the Philippine Blues Society in September 2012, the winner of which represented the country at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee.  

Roadhouse Rekords is another pioneering venture — a part of a determined vision of Roadhouse owner Ciaran Carruthers, an Irishman and long-time resident of Hong Kong, Macau and Manila. Gerry’s Sound Weavers Studio produced the first album.

Ciaran says Gerry’s CD of Dr. Crowley was the inspiration for Roadhouse Rekords: “I was blown away by the quality of the production work on it, and the quality of the packaging itself. From there, the seed was planted. With this kind of quality available here, coupled with the high quality of the bands and musicians in the local blues scene, the time was right for a local, blues-focused, record company to support and develop local talents.”

He sees a bright future for the label both here and abroad.

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For comments or questions, please e-mail me at audioglow@yahoo.com or at vphl@hotmail.com. You can also visit www.wiredstate.com for quick answers to your audio concerns.