Where The Wild Roses Grow

She:
They call me The Wild Rose
But my name was Elisa Day
Why they call me it I do not know
For my name was Elisa Day

He:
From the first day I saw her I knew she was the one
She stared in my eyes and smiled
For her lips were the colour of the roses
That grew down the river, all bloody and wild

She:
When he knocked on my door and entered the room
My trembling subsided in his sure embrace
He would be my first man, and with a careful hand
He wiped at the tears that ran down my face

He:
On the second day I brought her a flower
She was more beautiful than any woman I'd seen
I said, "Do you know where the wild roses grow
So sweet and scarlet and free?"

She:
On the second day he came with a single red rose
Said: "Will you give me your loss and your sorrow"
I nodded my head, as I lay on the bed
He said, "If I show you the roses, will you follow?"

On the third day he took me to the river
He showed me the roses and we kissed
And the last thing I heard was a muttered word
As he knelt (stood smiling) above me with a rock in his fist

He:
On the last day I took her where the wild roses grow
And she lay on the bank, the wind light as a thief
And I kissed her goodbye, said, "All beauty must die"
And lent down and planted a rose between her teeth

Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds

Copper Inscription: Laguna Copperplate Artifact

Here's an interesting artifact that is in no way related to other ancient Filipino artifacts we know today. Hector Santos, a Filipino History enthusiast, mentioned that this black copper piece of metal later known as the "The Laguna Copperplate Inscription" was accidentally unearthed in 1989 by a man who is dredging sands alongside the shore of Lumbang River where it emptied into Laguna de Ba'y.

As to how it is being passed down until it was brought to the National Museum of the Philippines is intriguing. Let's just put it as a history. Almost all of our artifacts containing incantations, poems, chants or what have you where burned down to ashes by this Spanish friars thinking that they are evil inspired. Unfortunately, we only have a handful of these artifacts that's preserve now.We've lost a significant contact with our brothers in SE Asia primarily because of the impact of Spanish colonization where nothing was left for us to be really identified with our roots.

Original transcription by Hector Santos and translation by Antoon Postma:

Line 1:
swasti shaka warshatita 822 waisakha masa ding jyotisha. chaturthi krishnapaksha so-

Hail! In the Saka-year 822; the month of March-April; according to the astronomer: the 4th day of the dark half of the moon; on

Line 2:
mawara sana tatkala dayang angkatan lawan dengannya sanak barngaran si bukah

Monday. At that time, Lady Angkatan together with her relative, Bukah by name,

Line 3:
anakda dang hwan namwaran di bari waradana wi shuddhapat(t)ra ulih sang pamegat senapati di tundu-

the child of His Honor Namwran, was given, as a special favor, a document of full acquittal, by the Chief and Commander of Tundun,

Line 4:
n barja(di) dang hwan nayaka tuhan pailah jayadewa. di krama dang hwan namwaran dengan dang kaya-
the former Leader of Pailah, Jayadewah. To the effect that His Honor Namwran, through the Honorable Scribe
Line 5:
stha shuddha nu di parlappas hutangda wale(da)nda kati 1 suwarna 8 di hadapan dang hwan nayaka tuhan pu-

was totally cleared of a debt to the amount of 1 kati and 8 suwarna (weight of gold), in the presence of His Honor the Leader of Puliran,

Line 6:
liran ka sumuran. dang hwan nayaka tuhan pailah barjadi ganashakti. dang hwan nayaka tu-

Kasumuran; His Honor the Leader of Pailah, namely: Ganasakti; (and) His Honor the Leader

Line 7:
han binwangan barjadi bishruta tathapi sadanda sanak kaparawis ulih sang pamegat de-

of Binwangan, namely: Bisruta. And (His Honor Namwran) with his whole family, on orders by the Chief of Dewata,

Line 8:
wata [ba]rjadi sang pamegat medang dari bhaktinda di parhulun sang pamegat. ya makanya sadanya anak

representing the Chief of Mdang, because of his loyalty as a subject (slave?) of the Chief, therefore all the descendants

Line 9:
chuchu dang hwan namwaran shuddha ya kaparawis di hutangda dang hwan namwaran di sang pamegat dewata. ini gerang

of His Honor Namwran have been cleared of the whole debt that His Honor owed the Chief of Dewata. This (document) is (issued) in case

Line 10:
syat syapanta ha pashchat ding ari kamudyan ada gerang urang barujara welung lappas hutangda dang hwa ...

there is someone, whosoever, some time in the future, who will state that the debt is not yet acquitted of His Honor...

Oyog-oyog: a Mandaya Lullaby

Mandayas are known to be be music lovers. The folk songs reflects their intimate relationship with Mother earth and the attitude they have towards the environment and the world. Oyog-oyog is a folk song that deals with Pagka-iso (Childhood) and Gugma nang Ginikanan (Parental Love). Here's an Oyog-oyog (Mandaya by Joel Velasquez):

Oyog-oyog, mag oyog-oyog . . .
Masinga nang Bullawan
Diyanay yagadadallawon
Baan sumngaw makawong
Dumallaw makagwa
Walla kaw sa pangubsa
Walla kaw sa pangkawasa,
Nang mallugon diabongan mo
Magaon na siollambodan mo;
Malaygon sa gigiba
Pugtok sa llollumpasi.

Walla sa pangungubsa
Wa sa pangawasa;

Awson pagpaka-indo
Ubson magpakagawa.

La - la - la- la - larin - larin . . .

Let's get skankin'

Reggae and Ska enthusiasts out there!!

Upbeat Production is an independent group which was primarily founded by Dabawenyos and was formally launched last August 18, 2007. It aims to further uplift the whole Mindanao ska and reggae scene, as well as help indie-minded bands promote their music through UpBeat Production-organized gigs. Composed of Mindanao-based ska and reggae bands, the group continues to foster these bands in order for them to get ample support and be recognized. Stay tuned for the upcoming events this November and December 2008.

For more info visit the site at http://upbeatproduction.weebly.com/