UP Fair: Awit mo’y Paglaya #LigtasNaBalikEskwela
The night of November 12 was filled with a powerful protest, exciting music, and nostalgic feels as it marked the culmination of this year’s UP Fair with the theme Awit mo’y Paglaya. Forwarding the call for #LigtasNaBalikEswela, a benefit concert was held featuring some of the prominent bands and artists in OPM today which was hosted by Ted Pacis, Reece Mendoza, Yani Mayo, and Lyra Gamban, and was streamed via KTV.ph.
Kickstarting the night’s setlist were performances from BS Mathematics freshie Aldrich Agal and fourth-year student Amiel Sol, the winners of Bida Beat, an online poll organized to determine which student performers would complete the list of performers for the benefit concert. After their respective performances, a mini-interview was conducted in which both expressed how much they missed the live experience of performing and attending on-ground concerts and gigs. Moreover, they have also emphasized the importance of voting wisely in the upcoming elections.
Showcasing their calming yet intricate discography is the vowels they orbit, a female-fronted indie-pop rock band, followed by Gracenote, a four-member electro-pop-rock band, who has blessed our ears with some of their hits. Afterwards, a short interview with Gracenote was conducted, wherein they emphasized how UP Fair holds a significant part in their career. When asked how music can be used as a tool for freedom, the band said that the best tool to forward a message is through music as the listeners become part of what the composer wants to impart.
Next to perform is Moonstar88, a Filipino rock band well-known for their “hugot” songs. As the band is popular for their tracks portraying how love can be tragic at times, they were asked the “hugot” behind their songs, to which their response was that it’s mostly based on their personal experiences and deep connections with their family and fans. The band has also expressed how much they miss the intense crowd during the on-ground UP Fair and has also announced an upcoming album which will be released early next year.
To get to know one of the beneficiaries, a video message by Ate Bebang from the Kariton ng Maralita Network was shown in which she elaborated on the current struggles faced by communities inside UP Diliman such as demolition threats and the loss of livelihood of the jeepney drivers.
Moreover, Ate Bebang has also emphasized how the abrogation of the UP-DND Accord has compromised the safety of the communities due to increased militarization inside the campus. With that, she called for UP students to help amplify the call for the institutionalization of the UP-DND Accord as well as the calls of the different communities inside the campus.
Not long after, performances resumed, featuring the charismatic eight-membered boy group Alamat, who is also known for singing in various Filipino languages, and the independent musician Johnoy Danao, known for his live acoustic performances. Since this is Alamat’s first appearance in UP Fair, the group has expressed that they were feeling proud as they have finally performed in this event. On the other hand, Johnoy Danao’s interview was filled with his experiences back when he was an undergraduate student, mentioning things he missed on campus. When asked for his message to fellow Iskolar ng Bayan, Danao emphasized that UP is not just a school but rather a community and a way of life, and that awareness is a big factor in forming the self, reminding the importance of staying informed and fighting for our advocacies.
The music-filled night continues with a soothing performance from Munimuni, an indie-folk band with songs tackling the realities of life but maintaining hope for the future. Right after, the band was also there for a mini-interview, in which the hosts prompted for a “Fast Talk” segment with the band, with questions such as their favorite food, artist, and what they miss about the on-ground UP Fair. Before the end of the mini-interview, the band also announced their upcoming single which will be released the day after.
A situationer was then provided by Rise for Education — UP Diliman (R4E-UPD), represented by Zoe Nayla Matubis and Ken Palomia. R4E-UPD advocates for a national, scientific, and mass-oriented education for all.
Matubis and Palomia emphasized that as we call for Ligtas na Balik Eswela, we must cooperate and be involved in the process, and that can be done through reallocation of budget in the education sector, as well as ensuring the rights and welfare of the students, teachers, and staff such that they are free from state repression.
A brief yet comprehensive UP Student Situationer was also given in which they discussed the struggles of the students in terms of coping with the remote setup, aggravated by a lack of a genuine academic break. Matubis and Palomia ended the situationer by calling to amplify the calls and campaigns toward #LigtasNaBalikEskwela.
Right after, Banda ni Kleggy delivered a fun and comical performance featuring some of their refreshing tracks.
The Artist of the Day, Beatrice Nicole Icban, a Multimedia Arts student from Far Eastern University (FEU), was also present to share about the #LigtasNaBalikEswela artwork. As a student-leader, Icban shared the struggles of fellow FEU students with the remote setup, which served as the inspiration for the artwork. For Icban, art has a heavy role as it serves as an outlet to express opinions and when asked for a message for fellow artists, Icban said to not let anyone rob them of this opportunity.
Ending the night are performances from some of the respected bands and artists in the Filipino music industry, starting off with the Filipino rock band Imago showcasing some of their hits, followed by Shirehound and Busking, an artist known for his distinct acoustic and folk sound, then an energetic performance from the alternative rock band Sandwich, featuring a couple of their hits, and an exhilarating finale performance from the rock 6Cyclemind who performed some of their hits that defined the “Tunog Kalye” era of Filipino music.
