Flashback (Article from Mindaview)

Flashback

            They are rag tag musicians - old, rugged- carrying their most prized possession    musical instruments on their shoulders – guitars, banjo, banduria, bajo de arko, tenor and all that – ready to use on cue from their leader as they approached and entertain  visitors in makeshift shanties along the beach in Opol for a fee.  Their counterpart lady companions are playing with them using percussions. Mostly of the males  are wearing military Chalico and smiling  their day full entertaining visitors. Their  repertoire included folk to standard, pop to harana pieces and yes religious to classical.

They called themselves Flashback  And why flashback, I asked them.  The leader of the group readily pulled out a picture in his wallet showing beautiful picture with them grinning in their blue and white uniform apparently of the olden days when they have the support from patrons and benefits  playing together. What a reversal of fate and fortune as I  glanced back to them seeing  rough scuff toughies before me their appearance belied the comfort of yesteryears. One consolation though as it strikes familiar chord in my heart as musician is the enjoyment that kept them  cohesive together and  vibrant all through those decades. Not surprising getting remarkable lifespan corresponding to the highest  86 years old  average enjoyed by Japanese women. And as if validating such obvious long lifespan is their readiness of extending numbers when requested to add more numbers on their repertoire

 It’s such a great sacrifice as their creativity is no mean feat born out of their desire to entertain.  I’m not sure if they are also moonlighting playing other events. I do know as some are busking in the City  as shown  in one daily. It’just unfortunate their efforts are not compensated well  as they merely get few pesos at the end of the day.  Gone are the days when they played in Radio Bombo when they were treated to smorgasbord pancit dishes back then at old Bagong Lipunan at Velez St. Today, save for the generosity given by their audience rarely they get decent meal.

But the good thing about the group as enunciated by their  leader is the willingness to pursue all the way their crusade of playing together for sheer enjoyment regardless of  the meager income they got. That gung-ho musical character simply separates them from other group.  Most likely they too would have  disintegrated   had they not  collectively embrace holding on together their  music that bind them  over many decades.  Regrettably, they wailed how  LGU left them in the cold as seen through the worn out instruments they used. I hope Mayor Dixon Yasay would come to their rescue after all mostly of the members of the flashback are his constituents.  Besides, there’s fund reserve or allotted for cultural activities other than sports.

The leader even confided that he’s is willing to share his owned property along the beach just to secure the perpetuity of his group. What a zeal, commitment and heart of a  romaticist..

            There are fourteen such group according to the one who visited me  lately in my residence  in Terryhills entertaining me with their  beautiful  music. Knowing that I once hold a harana program with Martin Bayog, Mar Santander in DXKO Gusa,  they treated me with one Visayan song to my delight  I’m almost emboldened of extending my help making  CD using digital technology that is the fad of the time of their own they themselves  would be tapped singing their own songs but dampened by the complications from the stark reality as shown by the Flashback left in the dark hardly surviving.

            Karla David lately featured talented professional Filipinos shifting their trade as entertainers Disneyland in Hongkong in her Overseas Diary in GMA-12. Seen through their faces are the happiness derived from their work and most likely the handsome dividend they got from the management .

It’s sad reality indeed that Filipinos have to venture entertaining overseas when they could do it here in their own country. But who cares? Flashback’s experience is there staring at us showing stark reality of the entertainment world in this country, ironically not entertaining at all..

But I just hope the government through LGU would come to their rescue if only to restore the glory that happened to the likes of Flashback.