If you’re an activist, you might have already heard of the album Rosas ng Digma (loose translation: “Rose of War”) by Musikang Bayan which was launched in 2001. I also can’t blame you if the songs in the album are among your favorites. The songs have, after all, a progressive take on love and relationship.
Even if I think I don’t deserve to be called an activist, I am somewhat hooked on listening to these songs every now and then. Suffice it to say that the entire album is in my MP4 player. My personal favorites are I Could Have Said, Sa Duyan ng Digma, Kahit Kailan, Rosas ng Digma and Ang Tugon (in that particular order).
But just how progressive is it? I discussed in one of my classes that the songs are good, but not good enough to pass the highest standards of ideological, political and organizational correctness.
Upon visiting the Philippine Revolution Web Central (PRWC), a website maintained by the information bureau of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), you may notice that Rosas ng Digma is not included in the section “Mga Rebolusyonaryong Awit” (Revolutionary Songs).
Don’t get me wrong. The songs in Rosas ng Digma talk about love at a time of chronic crisis and use the revolutionary movement as a backdrop in creatively illustrating the joys and hardships that those in love go through. However, the discourse on love has, from time to time, delved more on the personal rather than political. There are also lines in the song that border on sexism.
Please read carefully the lyrics of the title cut Rosas ng Digma:
Sumibol sa isang panahong marahas
Bawat pagsubok ay iyong hinarap
At hangga’t laya’y di pa nakakamtan
Buhay mo’y laging laanNamumukadkad at puno ng sigla
Tulad mo’y rosas sa hardin ng digma
At di maiwasang sa’yo ay humanga
Ang tulad kong mandirigma(Refrain) Ako’y nangangarap na ika’y makasama
Taglay ang pangakong iingatan kita
Ang ganda mong nahubog sa piling ng masa
Hinding hindi kukupas, di malalantaAng kulay mong angkin, sintingkad ng dugo
Nagbibigay-buhay sa bawat puso
Tinik mo’y sagisag ng tapang at giting
Sa langara’y kislap ng bituin(Repeat refrain twice)
Gaya ng pag-ibig na alay ko sinta
While the revolutionary backdrop is clear, it’s unfortunate that the male singer likens his loved one to a rose that should be taken care of. The subtext is that women are inherently weak and, like roses and other plants, cannot survive without kindness of those who care. Perhaps those involved in the armed struggle frown upon the use of the phrase “hardin ng digma” (garden of war) because there is nothing green or beautiful about the ongoing war. To be blunt about it, the people’s war may be just, but it is inherently ugly, very much unlike a garden with its pristine greenery.
The answer to this song, aptly titled Ang Tugon and sung by a female, proves to be much worse:
Ika’y paru-parong nangahas lumipad
Sa dilim ng gabi pilit na umalpas
Pagkat hanap mo’y ningning at laya ng bukas
Sa aking mundo’y napadpadKatulad ng iba ay nagmamahal din
Kahit malayo ay liliparin
Upang pag-ibig mo’y iparating
Sa rosas ng iyong paningin(Refrain) Ako’y nangangarap na ika’y makasama
Taglay ang pangakong iingatan kita
Ang ganda mong nahubog sa piling ng masa
Hinding hindi kukupas, di malalanta(Repeat refrain)
Gaya ng pag-ibig na alay ko sinta
My tip to those who are planning to profess their love: Please do not say that your loved one is like a butterfly. The latter’s life span is only up to two weeks, and studies show that “the male tends to live a few days than the female.” I remember a moderate student political party at UP Diliman was criticized a few years ago for using the butterfly as its symbol of change. So why is it now used as a symbol of militancy?
That both the male and female singers of Rosas ng Digma and Ang Tugon are yearning to be together may sound harmless; but in the context of revolutionary struggle, isn’t it logical for both of them to be part of it? In other words, both the man and the woman should be mga pulang mandirigma (red warriors). It may not be the intention of the singers and composers, but those who have listened to this song could have the impression that the revolution gets in the way of unrequited love between two people.
The weaknesses of the two songs partly explain why I like the other songs in the album more, even if they also have their own share of weaknesses, the details of which could be the subject of another post.
Then again, I am very happy to note that there are efforts by Musikang Bayan to sort of rectify the weaknesses of the song Ang Tugon. Below is a video from YouTube (uploaded on August 3, 2007) which shows a live performance of Musikang Bayan in Cebu City. Please pay close attention to the revised lyrics of the second song, widely applauded by the audience. (Technical note: If you’re using Dilnet, chances are you won’t be able to view the video as the UP Computer Center blocks YouTube.)
Now, isn’t that much better, even if the allusion to the man as the butterfly is still there? And isn’t it a coincidence that the female singer is a former student of mine?By the way, I am constrained to make this post as a rejoinder to a discussion I had in my J 122 (Publication Design and Layout) class.
Yes, design and layout have nothing to do with music, but both of them need to adjust to a target audience which was the subject of my discussion. Thank you for reading.