kagabi, suwerta ako to be in the company of legends. narito na si binky lampano and the lampano alley sa singapore. they are part of the on-going Mosaic Music Festival that is currently being held at the ultra modern highly sosyal na Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay. more than that – they are here to spread the blues to the hungry people of singapore. kagabi was just the appetizer – a symposium of sorts about what the blues is all about. and binky and the band really showed us what blues is and how blues was meant to be played. i had a great time listening to his music because it was so informal and everybody was cool.
matagal na kaming nagsusulatan ni binky. nagsimula ito nang makita ko ang website niya. natuwa ako at nag email ako sa kanya. una nagpasalamat ako dahil kumanta siya sa benefit concert para sa brain surgery of my kuya. but more than that, i wrote him because i am a big fan of his music. jet and i really love to watch binky play live because he is the ultimate stage animal who always gave everything in every performance – no holds barred, big booming voice, primal, soulful, world class. and finally we met face to face last night. we shook hands for the first time. actually, it was during the show na kinamayan niya ako. hehehe. siyempre proud na proud ako. post show – we went down to the bar and talked (and binky sang a couple of songs much to the delight of the people there). what does it feel like when the artist you really admire introduces you to his band and buys you a beer? tangina, siyempre, ang saya ko. sana lang kasama ko ang asawa ko. she would have loved to get to know binky. next to me – she is probably binky’s biggest fan. baka nga mas fan pa si jet ni binky kasya sa akin.
at siyempre, kasama ko si amor at ang isa pang up-coming legend – si jenn ang paborito nating periodista. naghahanap kasi si binky ng journalist para naman ma cover ang show nila sa press. bukod sa pagiging journalist, jenn is now a full fledged mediacorp actress. kung kayo ay taga singapore, abangan ninyo mamayang gabi sa channel 5 yung teledocumentary tungkol sa tsunami called “killer waves”. jenn plays the true to life role of a thai housewife who almost loses her two sons when the tsunami hit thailand. tandaan ninyo ha: jenn – now a name, soon a legend. hehehe. sabi ko nga kunin na rin akong actor. gusto ko rin kasing mag endorse ng “Beijing 101“, yung gamot sa pagka kalbo na parating pinapakita sa TV at dyaryo featuring singapores leading actors. anyway – sabi ko kay jenn, kahit extra lang ako (halimbawa – ako yung aapakan ni kingkong sa next movie ni peter jackson), pwede na yon sa akin.
di pa na declare ang martial law, magkakasama na kami. a brotherhood that started in 1971, when we were in kindergarten – pakingsheet, we have been friends for 34 years. ang tagal na pala. from left to right: levi, tony, batjay, xoxo and raymund. nagkita kita kami one cold winer night in LA. kanina ko lang natanggap ang mga kodak at natuwa ako nang makita ito. si levi ang enforcer namin nung high school. very tight kasi ang batch namin at pag may umaaway sa amin na higher or lower years, siya ang umaareglo – kadalasan nagugulpi ang mga kinakausap niya. si tony naman, umalis nung 3rd year high school kami and i haven’t seen him since 1982. mayron na siyang pamilya ngayon sa LA, di pa rin nagbago ang katawan at ugali. si XOXO naman ang aming muse. gay to the bone at virgin pa raw sa kaliwang butas ng tenga. another one of my kindergarten classmates – we haven’t seen each other since our high school graduation. masarap yakapin dahil machong bakla at ang bango-bango. hehe. si raymund – one of my closest friends at brother in arms sa EDSA. we were together in malacanang the night marcos left. hetong isang magandang kwento tungkol kay raymund bilang pangwakas ko sa tribute na ito.
Batang Kaning Lamig 