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In response to my friend Michele’s blog post, “On Hunger, Some Thoughts On The Role of Fil-Ams in the Philippine ND Movement”
Hi Michele, I don’t think you should take it personal. It’s a people’s movement, so it has all kinds of people. You know how everybody has different…
Community and labor coming together to demand an investigation to allegation of discriminatory hiring practices by Sutter Health and CPMC.
http://www.balitangamerica.tv/protesters-confront-hospital-on-discriminating-against-filipino-nurses/
Initially banned by the Philippine government in 2009, DUKOT is the story of a young activist couple (played by Philippine stars Iza Calzado and Allen Dizon) abducted and tortured in the Philippines by state security forces. Veteran film and television actress, Gina Alajar, plays an apolitical mother who slowly awakens to the reality of human rights violations after her daughter is kidnapped.
Dear Friends,
Its been a little over three months since the released of our 3rd full length LP “Remittances” (Beatrock Music 2010). There has been a great show of support from friends, fans and the community. The album received positive reviews from bloggers and music critics, and has also been used as a cultural organizing tool for discussing social and political issues that effect working-class immigrant communities.
We’re finally about to release a series of videos that will be available online. We had the great privilege of working with some very talented filmmakers like Jerome Palencia, Eric Tandoc and Tad Nakamura. Jerome shot the first music video for the single “ArtOfficialFreedom”. It took us a few months to finish, so you can peep all my different hairstyles. ET and Tad created a short documentary that discusses the conceptual process that went into making this record, as well as asking me some personal stuff… juicy.
Because of our limited capacity to do national tours, our outreach to listeners is done primarily through the Internet, word-of-mouth, or rocking regional shows. In the next few weeks we’ll be doing a series of performances in the Bay Area and Los Angeles. All of these shows are being organized by progressive organizations that are doing solid work around social justice issues.
I hope you come out and dance with us, sing with us, or simply shake off your stress… Lets reclaim hip-hop culture for the people, and not the materialist media machines! Lets aim to build unity and solidarity between marginalized communities!
Peace,
Nomi
Power Struggle Music:
Dj Fonz
Nomi
Fatgums
Mr. REY
Sounds of the New Hope/ Live Remix
August 27, 2010
Japanese American Cultural & Community Center (Plaza)
224 S. San Pedro Street. Los Angeles, CA
7pm
Free
BSB/ League of Filipino Student SF State
September 9, 2010
Minx Lounge
1692 Mission Street. Daly City, CA
9pm
$8-$10
Ramba Sin Fronteras/ Benefit for P.O.D.E.R. (People Organizing to Demand Environmental and Economic Rights)
September 10, 2010
SubMission Gallery
2183 Mission St. San Francisco, CA
$7-$20
8pm
Brwn Bflo presents: Hij@s de Resistencia/ SOMOS ONE’s Mixtape Release
September 11, 2010
La Pena
3105 Shattuck Ave. Berkeley, CA
$7-$10
9pm
“I pen stories like a script writer / open bottles with a Bic lighter
til it’s hollow and I’m sick and tired…”
Honesty in artistry is hard to come by nowadays, especially in rap music. A scene once admired for its fearlessness and originality has essentially been boxed in by the very beast it fought so hard to go against: the mainstream. What was once considered “underground” is now on display in boutique windows; what bougie-ass folks used to fear and misunderstand has become safe for consumption. Rarely does someone come around who throws all of these norms out the window, and challenges the status quo with their own voice, vision, and story.
Enter Nomi from Power Struggle. Now, sometimes I can’t tell whether Power Struggle is a group or a person, but that’s beyond the point. Maybe it’s simply what the name implies: a fight to gain power. Or in the case of poor and working class people, the battle for equality and dignity. And with Power Struggle’s music, beneath all the hard beats and vocal stylings are words and experiences that clearly reflect that.
Having paid dues onstage and in the studio (as a solo artist and with groups like Oddjobs and Kill the Vultures), Mario “Nomi” Demira has also earned his respective block stripes as a community organizer at the Filipino Community Center (FCC) in San Francisco’s Excelsior District. Terry Valen, the Center’s director, elaborates: “We have witnessed Nomi add an entirely new dimension to the nonprofit work of the FCC, focused on supporting working class Filipinos and their families.”
Now, one doesn’t have to listen too hard to see the influence that this work has had on his music. However, don’t write off the brother as some self-righteous, preachy soapbox emcee. On the contrary, Nomi brings his own contradictions to the forefront, balancing this reality with the politics, and weaving it all together with his distinctive Midwest baritone and working-class swag. Throw in some Mr. Rey (Denizen Kane) and Fatgums (Counterparts) beats, and you have the makings of something special. Introducing Power Struggle’s latest album, “Remittances.”
In the Filipino community, the term “Remittances” refers to the money that we send to support our families back home. This is a regular part of our culture, regardless whether we are well-off or not. These “gifts” not only serve to help our families, but they also help sustain the economy and infrastructure of the entire Philippine nation. Perhaps an appropriate metaphor for this project; one man’s contribution to help sustain our people all over the world, to keep us connected to one another’s struggles.
“Blood of my Heart” (the first song leaked from the album) is a sonic gem that transcends the typical love song and outlines the challenges and complexities of building a relationship amidst all the struggles of the day-to-day: “It’s all work with no time for romance / No time to go dance / Hold hands / with no plans / She’s got a rally, he’s steady buildin / they got no money, keep putting off children…” Somehow captured in all of this is the beauty of the grind, the small victories that arise during times of uncertainty. There are no flowers or bubbles here, no false romanticism or lofty pedestals. Just the hustle that it takes to love.
However, the track that got me right away had to be “Artofficialfreedom.” The ascending organ chords and booming drums usher in the listener to church, setting it all up for the heat to come in: “My big homie told me, I need to slow down / I need to wake up, I need to look around… “ Easing us into the song, Nomi describes the various obstacles he’s faced on the path to enlightenment, and what it has taken to get to the point he’s at now:
“Still believe in god, but god don’t believe in us
Cause we trust the dollar bill more than the will to love
Write my will in blood, and I’ll leave what I got
A couple silver bullets that never got shot
Call me superstitious, I’m a ship without a dock
A soul without a body, wandering the block…”
Rounding the album out, joints such as “Traveling Man” (a semi-autobiographical portrait of Nomi’s nomadic journeys) and “Inspired by Dream” (an dedication to the late great Bay Area Pinoy graf writer) have particularly grown on me. And it’s hard not to want to bust out into a two-step to the groovy “United in Struggle.” All in all, every song is meticulously put together, yet still maintains that intangible essence of soul and feeling. And for the icing on the cake, the album features some well-picked cameos by folks such as Bambu, Bwan, and Pele. The common thread with all the songs is that, although there is nothing formulaic about any of them, that good ol’ hip hop feeling of something fresh and raw is still induced with each listen.
Nomi is obviously loved for more than just his music, but now is his time to shine as an artist. “Remittances” is sure to be bumped continuously by folks from our generation and beyond. Poet Bao Phi (who remembers Nomi when he was first coming up in Minnesota) sums it up best: “As an artist, he’s really grown into his own voice – I can’t think of many artists of any genre who can so skillfully combine their talent with social-political commentary. His music is rare, in that it rocks the body, and at the same time it’s something I’d want my baby daughter to listen to when she grows up.”
In a few days, my group, Power Struggle, will be hosting a release party in celebration of our new album, “Remittances.” Mr. REY, Fatgums, and I started working on this record in 2008, and even I can’t believe it took us nearly two years to finish. “Remittances” was released on May 18, 2010 and the support from listeners, bloggers, reviewers, and friends has been wonderful.
When I started writing this record, I made a conscious decision to not rush through it. I wanted to take my time to let the artistic process serve as a therapeutic outlet for my personal issues. But the more I got involved in pro-people work, the more I realized that I was not alone in some of my frustrations as a man of color, an immigrant, and a worker. “Remittances” was not created to further my music career or become some local celebrity. I think I’m more of a hermit than a hand-shaker. However, with the support and encouragement of my label, Beatrock Music, I decided to give this album the full push that it deserves.
Here is why this show is such a big deal to me…in the 10 years that I have been making music I have never put together a show by myself. I’ve spent months on the road, I’ve played large and small venues, I’ve hit the national and international stage, I’ve done countless benefit and open mic shows, yet I have never promoted a party.
So, I’d like to personally invite you to come out and support us at this event. We have a great lineup with Denizen Kane (Typical Cats), Dirty Boots, Otayo Dubb and the Counterparts, Power Struggle, and Dj Wonway. Doors open at 8:00 p.m. and the first act will start around 9:30 – 10:00 p.m. $10 at the door. 21 and up to enter.
As Filipinos in America, we can’t simply rely on the mainstream media, our education system, or any other institution to accurately depict the beauty and hardship of our existence. We as poets, musicians, and artists must tell our own stories to fuel the fire for the next generation of Power Strugglers.
Peace,
P.S. Check the flyer for details about the show.
