WHILE fans of FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano know Marc Abaya as bad guy Jacob Serrano, music fans know him as front-runner of acclaimed rock band Kjwan.
As a band, Kjwan transcends music genres. The casual listener may classify them as a rock band but watching them perform live, it would be hard to pigeonhole them in one genre. In their live gigs, they can be wild on one song but then easily segue and showcase their introspective side.
Marc would be like a possessed madman half of the show; then the other half, you see him sing in a calm and thoughtful manner.
Their discography actually reflects their music genre-bending too. You hear how their albums, starting with their self-titled debut released more than a decade ago to their last one titled Kjwan IV Volume One, play on hard mood swings—from bursts of rage to quiet anxiety. Various musical genres and influences are evidenced in one album, and the way they blend them all in a delectable package has made me declare Kjwan as one of the most exciting bands we have. I always am the look out for whatever Marc and the rest of the Kjwan boys have to offer.
So when Marc started to tease on his social-media accounts a new song, I waited in excitement for the release. And, boy, does it live up to my expectations.
Titled “Dissent,” the song is a collaboration with
DJ and producer Miaow (Mia Ayesa). This time, we hear Marc diving head-on with industrial rock. The song is loud, edgy and abrasive, a standout among many of the songs released of late which are either formulaic or boring.
“Dissent” gives enough twists and turns in the song to make you fully appreciate its running time
of more than three minutes but if by the first 10 seconds of the song you’re not head-banging along with it, then I suggest you go to the nearest doctor to have your ears checked.
The banging drum beats, the ominous guitars and Marc’s vocals try to one-up one another in an impactful way. The song’s start of a single line
melody expands as more and more layers of guitars and sound effects like a microphone feedback are added, encompassing the song and solidifying its foundation, yet at the same time exploding to a pure aural experience.
To say that the release of “Dissent” is timely would be an understatement. With what is happening in the country and all over the world, when we are bombarded by fake news or sensational tales of abuses of power by persons of authority, or when we are threatened to stay silent, Marc sings: “I choose not to listen, I choose not to believe.”
By my second listening of the song, I was dissenting along with Marc and Mia.
Listen to “Dissent” on Spotify and other digital music platforms.
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A DOCUMENTARY based on the life of Filipino artist Jake Zyrus triumphed in this year’s US International Film and Video Festival.
Titled Jake and Charice, it received the Gold Camera Award for documentary under the social issues category of the global award-giving body.
The documentary takes viewers on the singer’s journey from being known as Charice, the first Asian artist to have a Billboard Top 10 hit, to coming out as a transgender man now known as Jake Zyrus.
It documented his life-changing decision, the challenges he faced, and his courage toward finding his own voice.
The documentary was produced by the Tokyo-based NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corp.) and Documentary Japan in association with NHK Enterprises, and coproduced by ABS-CBN. It premiered in Japan in November 2019.
The US International Film and Video Festival started in 1967, recognizing creative excellence in corporate, education, entertainment, documentary and student productions worldwide.