been trying to make a concerted effort to be more appreciative of my filipino heritage by engaging with the culture, learning about the history and... the pop music :') and i discovered boy group ALAMAT who are k-pop-esque but unique in that they put a distinctly filipino spin by highlighting their own diverse ethnic & cultural background by incorporating myths, traditional textiles, art, dance & history in their body of work.
super super recommend checking out their songs & MVs on youtube, if you're filipino or not!
bc the "pagtatag" trailer and "say u love me" fits were giving! and my random au idea got traction, someone asked for more, and i really wanna write again lmao
After watching the Dagundong MV by Alamat, here are some MV shots with their possible historical references. Feel free to add more!
1. Here we have the inhabitants of the Philippine Islands before the colonizers' arrival.
2. The book with Alamat on the cover. Any Filipino who took Filipino Literature would instinctively know what this references: the novels by Jose Rizal, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.
3. Erasure of indigenous practices and traditions in lieu of Christianity.
4. The lyrics references to the cedula or the taxes Filipinos were made to pay.
5. Spanish colonizers imposed the use of Spanish -based family names through the Catálogo alfabético de apellidos.
7. The Spanish conquistadores under the command of Portuguese Fernando Magellan went on a conquest to find Moluccas or the Spice Islands, in the guise of trade. All the while, they have also been on the ready for conquest.
8. Most indigenous peoples of the Philippines would get the honor of getting tattoos for their courage and bravery in battle. Every tattoo pattern or design would mean a significant symbolism.
9. Tomas in a stylized Katipunero hat
10. RJi and Jao representing the 19th century Filipinos. In this period, the Philippines has become a colony of Spain for 333 years.
They haven't released a BTS or the making of the MV vlog at the moment, but this particular track is on the OST of a movie to be released on December called Penduko. All those mentioned above are from what I've learned from my HS and/or college education. It has been alamat's mission to serve edutainment.
Please reblog and add if I missed some! Thank you so much!
when youre a homebody but heard your idols will be performing on a venue literally a 10-min walk from your house lmaooo
i won a m&g w/ ALAMAT! so i painted a banner, had it signed! it was my 1st time meeting them irl. aaang galing galing nila mag-live, so genuine & appreciative! what a night to remember. thank you so much 6inoos! 🥹🤎