by Aubrey Jill I. Ledesma
I’ve been searching for that one song that deserves the recognition for “The Best OPM of the Year Award,” but I couldn’t find one because almost all of the Filipino musical compositions are good.
Excluding the most iconic Filipino bands in the Philippine Music Industry like Eraserheads, Parokya ni Edgar, Rivermaya, Kamikazee and others; modern OPM artists/bands like Ben&Ben, IV of Spades, December Avenue, The Juans and the like also produces good quality music. However, after years of discovering my love for OPM, I finally found the right one.
Too close to the hearts of many Filipinos, rock band Juan Karlos and rap legend Gloc-9 has paid a tribute to overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in their song, “Sampaguita.”
Nudity? Alcohol and drugs? Curses or any inappropriate messages? I believe this song does not possess any of that, but if we talk about the band/artists? Musical composition and arrangement? Content of the lyrics? Cinematography? Story line of the music video? I think this was it. The whole package for the best quality music.
The song track may just have perfectly encapsulated how a parent—specifically an overseas Filipino worker (OFW)—feels about having to work away from his family. Also, the video was divided into three chapters: “Pangungulila,” “Pag-asa” and “Paglisan.”
Through Gloc-9’s storytelling, “Sampaguita” expresses the longing and loneliness felt by parents who are forced to separate from their loved ones just to earn enough money to support them, albeit in a place that is nowhere near.
“Anak, kaarawan mo na ulit, ‘wag mong kalimutang suotin ang bago mong damit. Tandaan mo lagi kahit ‘di tayo magkalapit, naaalala ka ni tatay tuwing ako’y pumipikit,” Gloc-9 rapped.
I’ve always been a fan of Gloc-9. He’s one of the best artist/songwriter that I admired the most. The way he spills stories with his deep lines? It’s as if he’s just chewing the words, but end up hurting the listeners without even reading the entire lyrics. It’s funny how he addresses societal issues with painful truths. Perhaps, that is why everyone loves him, except those who were guilty with his pastry words turned into stone.
Moreover, to match the rapper’s somber tone, frontman Juan Karlos Labajo delivered a soulful chorus and somehow promised hope through the lines: “Kahit saan man mapadpad, sa’yo pa rin ako babalik, giliw. Sa halimuyak ng ‘yong paboritong sampaguita.”
I love how this line has a lot of interpretation. Some conveyed it in a way that at the end of the day, OFWs or any person who went overseas will always comeback to his/her homeland. On the other hand, some took it in a literal sense where parents will always choose the welfare of the family despite the struggles that they are facing.
It’s definite that the song was enigmatic and poetic. It has a crisp story, bundled in a strong and gritty instrumental accompaniment.
After listening and watching the music video, there was an amount of self reflexivity at the end of the video; how we are living in a cruel society where we lack empathy with. I may not fully relate myself into the song message because I have no OFW parents or relatives, but the pain and the sense of reality not just for other people’s socio-economic situation has made me think how life can make anyone cruel and turn someone into the person they are not.
Perhaps, that’s how I wondered how this song was so underrated despite its overall good qualities. This song deserves more recognition than those vulgar ones, but I get that how the best quality music comes from those who were not favoured and completely understood by others.
The Classy Classics 