DISSECTING AURAL CULTURE

AURAL CULTURE     
WILHELMINA S. OROZCO 

I turn on the radio to classical station -- every day but this Christmas day, I tuned into Radio hy and listened to wonderful Christmas songs -- traditional, jazz, choir, solo, etc, 

Our aural culture is largely crowded with western pieces that are well-composed -- with lyrics that have different themes, and well-recorded with different combinations of musical instruments and tempos. 

I try very hard to listen to Pilipino songs on the radio but I feel a grating on my nerves. I prefer choosing live performances like that one of Noel Cabangon, the jazz artists like Richard Merk and his mom as well as  Ms. Jackie Magno. But listening to the Pilipino songs on radio you cannot really force me to do that. 

Then when I ride the jeepney, I hear the stereo blaring Pilipino rap (kinopya ang style sa blacks), or the ad misericordiam type of lyrics that could make you wallow in tears because the guy or the girl singing is pining endlessly for a lost love. 

Then when I listen to DZBR, I hear only western standard songs. Sometimes Pilipino music is aired but very rarely. 

Over DZFE, the only time we hear Philippine musicians, sometimes music is between 12 to 1 lunchtime, which runs smack into the news time of other AM radio stations that I feel compelled to listen to everyday. 

You know Folks, our print culture is so much more full of variety and lots of things can be read, too, from personal to high-falluting articles on philosophies about nature, about culture, etcetera. Now I wonder why our aural culture cannot go above the level that I have talked about. 

One time, I asked a composer, bakit hindi natutugtog lahat ng mga compositions ng Filipino Society of Composers? Dahil sa payola, I was told. What is payola? It is the pay given to the station or the announcer to play a piece over and over again. 

So this is how one reaches the top of the Billboards, by paying for your song to be aired. 

No it does not have to be this way at all. 

Maybe the non-government organizations dealing with aural culture -- lyricists, composers, and publishers -- can make the government reserve and budget one station that will air only 
original music compositions. In this way, we will be able to broaden the opportunities of our aural artists and let them have their space in our society. 

Now why is nurturing our aural culture important? Is it not that the Filipino people are attuned more to the radio than to TV or the movies? That it has the biggest audience compared to other media? Actually our ears are very sensitive. You talk down to a Filipino and he/she would clam up, give you the smirk, or get teary-eyed. They do not talk back, but rather keep it to themselves. 

As an aside, you know Folks as I am writing my blog, a passerby came in here in the kiosk and started making noise trying to distract me from writing. That is how disgusting harassment is in our country. A simple blog merits this kind of treatment. 

Maybe if we straighten out our aural culture, we will have a more respectful government, respectful of the rights of people to express themselves. Aural connections are more lasting and stay in the memory longer than writings. 

Have a happy new year!