A Cultural Review: A Good and Exceptional Filipino Cultural Night

By Arturo P. Garcia

People’s CORE Community Organizer

Los Angeles -- If “ the Samahang Pilipino Cultural Night is the culmination of a yearlong journey of education and preparation undertaken by the Samahang Pilipino cast and the by-product serves as an important avenue to share and explore Pilipino culture,” then the last presentation “BALIKBAYAN: The Journey Home “ on May 19 was a success.

Going further, it served its purpose to “address issues relevant to the Pilipino and the Pilipino-American community.

We in the Filipino community, further salute the Samahang Pilipino especially the script development group that was able to integrate the issues like immigration, immigrant rights, Pilipino Diaspora, identity issues among Pilipinos and Filipino American youths, the yearning to go back to the homeland, the issue of political killings, systemic change and nationalism as well as integration to the mainstream- the real community empowerment in the American society into the cultural event.

We have been to two or three SPCN’s but this year’s production is really different in content, very light and enjoyable for a four hours production.

We further commend the orchestra and the Tinig Choral for the music ensemble that did really complements the script and the dance component. They did not only continue the tradition but effectively blended the Filipino music and the spirit of the nation into soul-searching songs and music that brings out the Filipino identity in the audience.

The overture written by Joseph Felix and the different songs, like: “Coming Home”, “ Bryan and Cassie “, Finding Home Reprise and the Cast Song “Balikbayan stands out and can be future songs for any production that will feature the Filipino immigrant rights struggle in the United States.

We personally saw some old people with tears in their eyes with the overture and the songs featuring the work of Filipino composer “Ugoy ng Duyan” played with the flute. The songs, even it was written in English evokes the Filipino spirit.

Room For Improvement

We can also forgive the actors glitches and some singers out of key rendition because it can always be improved and we watched the first show in the afternoon.

Although some of the dances were modernized to bring out the tempo of the American style of the traditional Bayanihan Dance Troupe that does not really represent the indigenous culture especially our national minority, we can forgive the dances and hope in the future, they study more the essence of the dances and maintain the integrity of the dances as they are “folk dances” and not modern dances in the fast and driven pace.

We point out the Kali as not well practiced and not so synchronized. Filipino martial arts as a discipline should be well rehearsed and are crisp in execution. But is fine as a representation of armed struggle in the story /script regarding the background of political killings in the Philippines.

Culture and Politics- Unity of Form and Essence

Culture, as a superstructure, is always a representation of the society (the infrastructure) that we lived in. Other people might grumble again and say- “Samahang Pilipino is becoming political” as they always do. But let us set the facts straight: the same statement is already political because they never want Samahang to be political.

As the Samahan President pointed out: “ advocacy work is not the only avenue which Samahan seeks to empower its membership and the community at large.”

As the Samahan celebrates its 35th year, they used the SPCN as “an event to historically allowed general members to explore Pilipino/Pilipina American culture and identity.” We congratulate Samahan for their 35h year and 30th SPCN Night!

To dance, to sing, and to participate in this community endeavor in any way is not just a small thing. It might be trivial to the some who considered themselves “political or theoretical giants” and scorned the PCN’s but it is a small step towards a giant endeavor of uniting and building our community.

As a real political giant said “ a people without a culture is a dull witted army, and it will never win victory!”

**********