PEN AND INK: THE LYRICISM AND MAGNETISM OF FRANCIS M

Press Release for PETA Theatre's rap musical '3 Stars and a Sun', featuring the music of Francis Magalona

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It's no secret. We reside in a country where corruption overpowers honesty, and possessing a good heart is no longer considered an asset. Any attempt to change the way the rules work won’t even cause so much as a mother’s disapproving head shake. As soon as we feel the political disease creeping in, we’re compelled to divide ourselves into different color sectors that correspond to a certain belief. Red, yellow, blue, orange, white; we are urged to pick a side that we think has the stronger influence to control the havoc. As a 'democratic' country, we have been encouraged to be vigilant about our rights, but an all-too honest opinion is highly discouraged if we want to keep our tongue. In a vile society such as this, is ‘democracy’ really the best form of government? Is the political practice worth the gun to your head?  To uphold the truth and principles of freedom, one must be brave enough to talk about it. The bold ones cling to creative ways to disseminate what needs to be known, but instead of their songs, movies, and stage plays serving their intended purpose, they are primarily seen as just another form of entertainment and are shut down immediately. Though not confined to a certain genre, music has always been an effective form of protest, if it had the chance to be heard at all.

Rap music has been surrounded by controversy since its emergence. In the previous years, this genre has consistently gone under fire for the banality that rappers use/abuse the art form with their excessive use of profanities, focus on violence, and demoralization of women. While it’s still perpetuated by some, if not for the sake of gaining popularity and earning a couple more grand than their competition, it’s just a minor detail in a larger picture. These so-called critics clearly haven’t heard everything. Rap has the potential to discuss social issues and operate as a unifier and powerful instigator to its listeners. What one man found to be an effective medium proved to become so much more to the common Filipino. Enter The Man from Manila.

YO!

Born in Mandaluyong City to a prestigious family, Francis Michael Durango Magalona is rightfully credited for influencing a whole crop of artists with his music. As the eighth son of movie stars Pancho Magalona and Tita Duran, Francis M has been exposed to entertainment at an early age. Starting off as a breakdancer, he then rose to popularity as an actor and DJ in a variety show. His residency in IBC-13’s Loveli’Ness eventually became a stepping stone to a bigger career. Many rappers write about girls, money, fame, and mainly just about themselves, really. They stroke their egos and have others stroke it, too by mind-controlling them to buy their records. It can be a significant factor to becoming famous, but Francis M used a slightly different method. In the high time of Filipino hip hop, Francis M easily found his way into Filipinos’ picky ears; not even those that dislike hip hop stopped him from garnering that bunch’s attention.  The release of his debut album ‘Yo!’ in 1990 signified the birth of “makabayang rap”. The popular album contained tracks with politically sensitive lyrics that helped ‘Yo!’s status penetrate the mainstream and define the ‘90s Pinoy rap landscape. One of the rapper’s most acclaimed songs is from this record. ‘Mga Kababayan’ invoked intellectual commentary and became an anthem for professing how much a person can be proud of his nationality. Manipulating words and shaping them into a hit, Francis M. created a track that made him stand apart. He may not be the greatest but part of the reason why he remains to be influential is because he was not concerned with the criticism that he might harbor. His lyricism then took a much more cerebral approach on his succeeding albums.

Two years after ‘Yo!’, Magalona released his confidently titled second album ‘Rap is FrancisM’ that featured more thought-provoking songs that he has become famous for. By the time it dropped, the buzz surrounding the artist was louder than a bomb. His writing got even more raves when his singles ‘Mga Praning’, ‘Tayo’y Mga Pinoy’ (a remake of Heber Bartolome’s 1978 hit), ‘Halalan’, and ‘The Man from Manila’ came out. ‘Mga Praning’, ‘Tayo’s Mga Pinoy,’ and ‘Halalan’ blasted the country’s bouts with drug addiction, problematic national elections, and colonial mentality – issues that are still topics of debate until today. These socially relevant but not too politically aggressive songs, together with the album’s other carefully written tracks, regarded Magalona as an important voice of his generation, encouraging even the older generations to be better examples for the youth.

Come Francis M’s third album ‘Meron Akong Ano!’, the rapper took a multi-genre approach. He added more firepower to his documentary realism by fusing it with rock music in the form of Hardware Syndrome. ‘Meron Akong Ano’ was a solid exposition of the rapper’s creativity and technique that warned other artists of what Francis M. was capable of. The merging of rock and rap worked to his advantage. He was recognized in both genres, and was able to collaborate with famous musicians from different genres – a feat that not everybody is talented enough to accomplish.

Magalona reinvented rap like no emcee before or since. In 1995, Francis M’s ‘Freeman’ album secured the rapper’s foothold in the rock scene. His songs ‘Kabataan Para Sa Kinabukasan’, ‘Three Stars and A Sun’, and ‘Kaleidoscope World’ became some of his most celebrated tracks, but what stood out from the album was his advocacy track, ‘Intellectual Property Rights’, wherein he sampled the speech of then-president Fidel V. Ramos. One of the album’s innovative characteristics was its tasteful brand of sentimentality. No topic is too broad or too difficult to explore that it could not be said in a clever fashion. Unflinching and uplifting, ‘Freeman’ was an astonishingly intimate achievement.

Following the impressive reception of ‘Freeman’, the prodigal craftsman released his sixth album ‘Happy Battle’. Known for its limitless musical range, ‘Happy Battle’ went from accessible to challenging and provocative. The album contained collaborations with project band Planet Garapata (Raimund Marasigan, Jeng Tan, and Mark Laccay), Ely Buendia, and one of Pinoy punk’s pioneer bands, Betrayed. Fans of Francis M Hardware Syndrome were treated to a bombardment of sound that included them in the rapper’s venture to new musical heights. ‘Happy Battle’, relentless and audacious as it may sound, was eventually used to call Magalona’s longstanding fight with acute leukemia.

Without disregarding his primary distinction, Magalona maintained his eloquence while bouncing around from genre to genre. A few more albums were launched, and Magalona subsequently put up his own production company (Filipino Pictures, Inc.), record company (Red Egg Records), and clothing line (FrancisM Clothing Co.) He went about as the culmination of the booming rap tradition that he helped cultivate, until his early demise in March 6, 2009.

From the genre’s early moments, a number of rappers here and abroad utilized rap as a way of conveying their societies’ alarming conditions including governmental abuse. These artists’ impact was so massive that it ascended into their respective iconographies. By definition, there could only be one Francis Magalona. He was a cultural foot soldier who was unafraid to charter treacherous tangents and conquer them. Hip hop was his artistic retort to the harsh realities that people of power deliberately ignore. He may have passed on but in death, he and his songs became immortal.

Step inside The Stormdome. (Warning: This is not a tourist destination.)

Francis Magalona is just one of the countless voices that tried to appeal to the people to continue to advocate progressive change. To close its 48th season, the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) immortalizes the hits of the master rapper in original rap musical ‘3 Stars and a Sun’, a social commentary on Philippine politics and culture. Taking place in a post-apocalyptic setting, the musical sheds light on the progress and flaws of the human condition - the ones that manipulate, invade, and destroy. Decades into the future, Filipinos find refuge inside The Stormdome, a fallout shelter built with solar panels, LED lights and millions of hidden cameras that serve as the government’s eyes in its invasive attempt to keep the peace.

Written by Mixcaela Villalon and Rody Vera, the story will revolve mainly around two groups: the gang from the developed city of Lumino led by Chino (Paolo Valenciano / Gio Gahol) versus the kids from the run-down Diliman City headed by Sol (Nicco Manalo / Gold Villar). Aside from their differences, the gangs will ultimately face bigger problems inside The Stormdome. The cast also includes Che Ramos-Cosio and Carla Guevara-Laforteza as Congresswoman Inky, Bodjie Pascua and Raffy Tejada as Mang Okik, Giannina Ocampo and Justine Peña as Dianne, Anna Luna and Jet Barrun as Nazty, John Moran and Nar Cabico as Poy, Lee Villoria and EJ Pepito as Kat, Anj Heruela and Gab Pangilinan as Chelsea, Jef Flores and Norbs Portales as Winston, and ensemble members Jason Barcial, Raflesia Bravo, Yesh Burce, Lance Busa, Roi Calilong, Gimbey dela Cruz, Nica Santiago, and Ian Segarra.

3 Stars and a Sun is directed by Nor Domingo and arranged by musical director Myke Salomon. The musical features production design by Gino Gonzales, lighting design by Shoko Matsumoto and Ian Torqueza, sound design by Teresa Barrozo and choreography by Delphine Buencamino. It aims to challenge its viewers to expand their consciousness and take more active steps, maybe even think of radical ways to make positive change. If this doesn’t open our eyes, the play’s vision would not be far from possible. If you really don’t care for anything other than your iPhone 6 Plus, Instagram likes and online identity, just stay home. We don’t want you to miss a minute off your beloved Internet.

3 Stars and a Sun runs from February 4 to March 6, 2016 from Tuesdays to Sundays (Tue-Fri 8PM, Sat-Sun 3PM and 8PM) at the PETA-PHINMA Theater. PETA is located at No. 5 Eymard Drive, New Manila, Quezon City. Contact (02) 725 6244 for tickets and inquiries, or visit petatheater.com and ticketworld.com.ph.