FPAC 2008 – The PinoyLife Recap
I am super tired right now. I just spent two days at FPAC. The top of my scalp is burnt, my flat feet hurt and I really want to just sleep.
But I owe it to all the cool people that had such nice things to say about PinoyLife.com at the festival to muster up the strength to crank out the FPAC recap. I just downed my medication for high blood pressure and the pill to lower cholesterol so I’m in a whole world of fun right now.
Here’s the recap!
THE AWESOME
Joe Bataan lived up to being the headliner on Sunday with a full band and a crowd that was ready to party. He’s simply a great performer and the best choice to close out FPAC.
Kiwi and Bambu had solid performances on Saturday and Sunday respectively. Their fans got a special treat as the two rappers made cameos at each other’s sessions to deliver some of their classic Native Guns songs. If you weren’t there, then you missed out because the Native Guns reunion was an FPAC exclusive. Good stuff from both guys and make sure you check out Bambu’s new album “Exact Change” coming out on September 11.
The Show and Prove Street Dance Showcase on Sunday afternoon was hugely popular with festival goers of all ages. With the popularity of MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew, the Generation Stage was overwhelmed with people trying to catch a glimpse of the hip-hop dance teams. Extra mention to PAC Modern and Kaba Modern for always delivering the goods.
THE COOL
Kapisanang Mandirigma’s Philippine martial arts demonstration may not have had a huge crowd but they brought out some heavy hitters from the different disciplines of Kali and Eskrima.
Camille Velasco performing with Kayamanan Ng Lahi was a good surprise. I had a chance to meet the former American Idol contestant and she’s a really nice person. She took photos with anyone that asked and checked out a lot of the other acts. Camille is a real class act.
There were also some good bands that played on the Generations Stage on both days.
P.I.C from NYC turned some heads on Sunday afternoon and, despite competing with a main stage that had Bambu followed by Joe Bataan, the people that wandered by the Generations stage got a pleasant surprise as they heard the unique and soulful music of P.I.C. Did I mention they have a horn section? HORN SECTIONS KICK ASS!!!
Saturday afternoon had three solid bands in the afternoon with For Elise, The Committee, and Rhythm Natives. Props to the FPAC folks that scouted and found these guys. I just wish Fil-Am Arts could do a night time band showcase at a club. (Hint!)
I can’t forget the reggae and dub sounds of the band that had the best name at the festival… THE FIGHTING COCKS! Thanks to John Eric and Sy for all the kind words about PinoyLife.com. I’m glad to know that PinoyLife is cock friendly.
THE LONG OVERDUE
The tribute to Pinoy DJs featuring Kuttin’ Kandi, Babu, Rhettmatic, and Nasty Nes was great to see. These pioneers left their imprints on the hip-hop culture while representing being Pinoy to the fullest. Thanks goes out to these four great DJs for everything they’ve done and continue to do.
THE FUNNY
Sadly, this year’s FPAC ended the Rex Navarrete performance streak but people were treated to a newer face in Pinoy comedy and magic, Justin Rivera. The best way I could describe Justin’s style of comedy is an ethnic version of the Amazing Jonathan but with less blood and better magic. This guy is funny as hell so if he’s performing at a club near you, please go out and watch his show. You can also catch him on The Gong Show on Comedy Central.
This year’s balut eating contest was hilarious and grotesque at the same time. I’m not a balut eater but quite a few of my friends that had an up-close view of the people eating the duck eggs were a little concerned for the competitors as my friends weren’t too sure if those eggs were fully cooked. But hey, if you’re on stage eating balut for our entertainment then your personal health is probably not on the top of life’s priority list.
I also have to give some props to Filipino Style Clothing with the Tabachoy shirt and the Got Gout shirt. Good stuff fellas. Please keep cranking out the shirts.
And now the part you’ve all been waiting for, here comes the rant.
THE NOT SO FUNNY
Travis Craft. Whoever thought that booking this guy to emcee the main stage was a good idea needs to be taken out and shot. If you don’t know who Travis Craft is, he’s the poor excuse of a YouTube hit that got popular by speaking anglo-fied Tagalog while cooking adobo. Yeah, it was novel on YouTube for a two minute video clip but it became annoying and painful at FPAC with the more stage time this guy got.
Speaking of not funny, did anyone hear the crowd laughing their asses off when the Happy Slip chick made her live comedy debut? Neither did she.
Note to the FPAC planning committee: Beware of YouTube phenomenons as they will more than likely SUCK LIVE.
THE DOWNRIGHT RIDICULOUS
Waiting at least 45 minutes to buy a plate of Filipino food at a Filipino festival is not cool. Waiting a long time for a parking shuttle on Saturday is not cool. Advertising that someone is going to perform at 11:00 am then when I arrive at 11:00 am and find out that the person already performed ‘cause he got bumped up early WAS NOT COOL.
FPAC planners, please be more considerate of people’s time. People drive long distances to the festival and they gladly pay the entrance fee. The least you can do is be considerate of the time investment people are giving the festival. FPAC goers would rather spend their time enjoying the festival instead of being in food lines and shuttle wait areas.
THE SLIGHTLY UNCOMFORTABLE
The street dance showcase was cool but it was a bit weird watching 12 to 15 year-olds dancing to Prince’s song Erotic City. FPAC should always stand for the Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture and not the Festival of Pedophiles And Cradlerobbers.
THE ACT THAT I PRAY WILL NEVER BE ON STAGE EVER AGAIN
Miko Pepito. Holy shit! This guy was talagang wack na wack naman bro! I don’t have the actual video of him at FPAC but just imagine the video clip below really loud in an outdoor festival on a Saturday afternoon with a purple shirt on.
Ok folks, another FPAC is in the record books. It was a smaller area and there were some hits and misses but it’s fair to say that people had a good time. I know a lot of you were there and the people behind the festival read this site so feel free to share your thoughts about FPAC in the comments section.
Time to crash.
Links:
Kiwi’s Obligatory FPAC Reflection - Kiwi’s Blog
Hardly any Filipino food at the Filipino Festival - darleeneisms (.la)
FPAC vs. Pinoyfest – J!-Ent
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21 Responses to “FPAC 2008 – The PinoyLife Recap”
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ok, so with a completely biased and partial view, THIS WAS THE BEST FPAC EVER. maybe cuz it was the first time i was on the other side of the walkie talkie marathon of shrill, but for the first time in a really long time i saw how the festival is actually pretty fucking cool. I was super proud to see how great the 4 festival directors performed this year (a shift from having just 1 or 2 codirectors). The programming was great, the shopping was cool, the site plan worked cool, there was more people at the festival this year than in the past few years. The interns this year were effin stupendous. SEriously, the festival wouldn’t happen if it weren’t for the diligence of the college students who come in every summer. Don’t get it twisted though, the real accolades belong to the volunteers who came on saturday and stayed til sunday hauling trash and eating shit sandwiches from all of the complaining neighbors and guests. After seeing all of that from my brand new perspective, I have changed my mind about Filipinos because my faith in the community has been restored.
As for the not cool portion, since i am on the other side of the organizing this time I don’t feel weird about defending it. first of all, every year there is complaint about the lack of filipino food at the festival. ever since one of our good friends found a worm in his food in 2001, filipino food at the festival has always been hard to come by. its a combination of bad timing, no funds, lack of knowlege on how to run a booth that affect the restaurant’s decisions. this year like past years, it wasn’t that food vendors weren’t asked to participate, its that they didn’t want to. which means BIG CHACHING to Aling Neri and Auntie Amy who run the two booths who have been at FPAC every year since the very beginning. loyalty pays off i suppose. so the long lines, have nothing to do with the organizers and everything to do with the vendors. and btw, anyone can vend as long as they meet the health standards, so it takes a special person to take an entrepreneurial risk.
As for the shuttle, word on the ground is that the liaison from the councilperson’s office fucked up the shuttle order. if the logistics co-director wasn’t the amazing and talented person she was, there would only be 1 bus instead of the 4 that was ordered. And for the record, elaine macguyvered it so that 4 buses showed up on Sunday and operated until 7pm.
And finally the scheduling, while i know it sucked that you didn’t get to see Vincey-poo (as i am a super huge fan of that hyper talented man and his salt&pepper hair) the only people to blame for a big shift earlier for an act is the act before it. The artist policy at the festival has always been show up 2 hours early and be prepared to perform from then forward. It is up to the artist to inform their guests to be present that early as well. Another way of saying that is shit happens. Sorry it happened to you, but the show must go on. Now i know, that doesn’t sound so nice or community. But since i no longer speak on behalf of the org, fuck it I can say this.
The biggest pain in the ass to an FPAC organizer is the artist who complains about how the festival doesn’t have the artist’s back or whatever combination possible of that sentiment. this is a personal beef for me, because how would fpac as an institution be able to meet every demand of every artist they present? with 2 stages, several areas, and curated segments that pre and postdate the festival, there are roughly 500 artists who come through each year. If the Festival didn’t care about the artist why bother going through with such a painful undertaking. There is no FPAC endowment man, filipinos don’t give money to do that. And as the former business director (and fpac lifer who set alot of the artist policies as well), I can tell you coming up with the money to fund the production costs a lot of people blood, sweat, sleepless nights and maybe a few tears. Dude, not even the money, the man power needed to make it happen. 300 volunteers and countless people chitchattering about it on their own time is what gets the people through the doors cuz there definitely isn’t a marketing budget to make that happen. SO, If we didn’t care about the artists why would we bother having the festival?! So, A.F. aka, TATTOO ASSHOLE FROM HELL, and anyone else who feels that way, you’re selfish, myopic, and the ultimate in crabbish ways, you don’t know shit, and keep your face away from me and my fist.
(ooh moonie, maybe you should edit that.)
but seriously, if people only knew what it was like on the inside of the festival. that fpac feeling you get comes from the amazing magic of GOOD PEOPLE who put their all into it. please don’t forget that. So ELAINE DOLALAS, MARK VILLEGAS, ALBERT BATACLAN, KAT CARRIDO, JILLY CANIZARES, CLARISSA, KIRSTIE, BEN, CELINA, and all the rest of the amazing people i got to meet this year, congratulations! You all did an amazing job.
Moonie, I think Nessa put you to shame on word count.
It’s not that FPAC doesn’t care about artists…it’s just that they don’t get it!
From the good, the bad, and the ugly… overall my FPAC experience went well, to the point of giddiness even. Well, maybe there was another reason for that. Oh, never mind.
Let me FIRST say that I appreciate the hard work and sacrifice that all the organizers and volunteers do to make FPAC even happen. Knowing some of the folks personally, I know that the intentions are good, and the planning is done with struggle, integrity, and love. And with very little resources or money.
That said, from an artist’s perspective, I couldn’t help but feel like there was A LOT more being asked of me/us this year. Which is a big issue with me, cause I’ve gotten to the point where I view my art as my labor as well. This is my job. There is so much more that goes into it beyond just the 20 minutes I have onstage. Whether it’s hounding producers for beats, songwriting sessions, rehearsals, arguments with my DJ, and so forth. Even the actual quality or “dopeness” of the work itself is a big deal. Or the “digging deep within my soul” factor. All of this takes time and energy. Therefore artists, especially if they’re going to have a draw and create a buzz for an event, deserve to be paid. And it perplexes me that it’s just a given that we’re supposed to gladly sacrifice their livelihoods and perform pro bono for “community’s” sake. Last I checked, I’m ALSO part of this community, correct? It’s situations like these that compromise my value as an artist, that make me feel like I’m worth less that I am, that this music that I’ve grinded out for over a decade is simply some ‘hobby’ and that I should just quit, go back to school, and get a day job. This is the crossroads I’m at this very second.
I know that FPAC has some deep financial challenges. I know there’s some capacity-building that’s on the horizon. I ‘donated my talent’ this year with the faith that FPAC will build on this year’s lessons and create a structure and plan that will be more efficient and eventually reward everyone involved for their work. I think what would help me, as an artist, is that the sacrifices I’m making (i.e driving down from the Bay Area) would be taken in consideration when deciding what I am (or am not) being compensated. That the work I’ve put in (over 6 years performing at FPAC) is finally rewarded. I think it would be DOPE (challenging, but DOPE) to have some of FPAC’s past performers be a part of the planning process.
Oh yeah, and we need to redefine “Filipino time” to actually be something that runs on time. We can do it!
This was my first FPAC and I was privileged enough to be one of the summer interns at FilAm Arts so i have my own personal investment in the festival and, like anyone else, my biases. I just want to say that there are always things to work on in any community organization and/or event and constructive critique and help should, and in the case of FilAm in my experience, be welcome. A lot of the online posts in response to FPAC have been about placing blame for what went wrong and privileging the worth of people’s labor over other people’s labor. This is not constructive. As someone who dealt with programming I would like to know what it is FPAC “doesn’t get” in order to help remedy it. Also i encourage those who do “get it” to help out with the festival whether is be in detailing what they think might help or personally volunteering their time. I think that past performers being involved in planning the festival would be AMAZING! It would bring an invaluable understanding to programming.
In regards to being compensated for our FPAC labor, while I cannot fully understand it from an artists point of view, I can understand that from my point of view. As an intern from the Bay Area and whose LA internship/housing ended before FPAC, I, on my own dime, came back to LA from the Bay to put in long love and stress filled, pro-bono hours of work for FPAC. The fact that I put in long hours at FilAm doesn’t mean that I should be appreciated any more necessarily then the performers, vendors, community booth, artists, volunteers etc., or any less. “Doing for the community” for no monetary compensation is not easy and it is easy to loose sight of why we do it. It is a constant struggle and I think that dialogue and regrouping post festival, on online resources like this and elsewhere, help a lot in remembering and developing it.
It’s our festival and it was, and is, one of the highlights of my life to date.
Kiwi: Right on! How are we supposed to learn how to be “professional” if they don’t cultivate professionalism. They’re supposed to advocate us as artists. *Advocacy* goes beyond just giving us a venue to play on. I can walk into any coffeehouse and do that!
So yeah, we get used to playing for free just for the cause. Then we get sucked into playing free for others, and it creates an endless cycle. Where’s the advocacy there?
And what is this Pilipino Artists Network about? a LISTSERV?!?! C’mon, man. I can pull a Yahoogroup out of my ass too, and it won’t cost me a dime. They keep asking me to fill out this form for the network every year, and I get, what, 6 emails a year from the listserv and it hasn’t done shit for my career as an artist, nor has it anyone else’s.
My friend also performed at FPAC, back in the 1990s, he told me they used to pay artists. It wasn’t A LOT, but it was still something. So it’s not something that hasn’t been done before. If the artists are central to making FPAC happen, then they should create a budget for artists compensation. sure the economy is shit, sure there’s been cuts, etc. etc. But you know what? It doesn’t only affect Filipino American festivals in the LA area. I go to black, Latino, other ethnic festivals and most of them, the artists get paid. So if they can make it work, why can’t our community?
We don’t expect to get rich/make a living off of FPAC, but we would appreciate it if they help steer us in that direction.
FPAC needs CHANGE we can believe in!
Barocker
the festival was, to quote a beach boys song, “fun fun fun”. but why a panorama city venue? i mean, that’s my hometown and all (ever since the blythe street gang controlled the area which has since been gentrified as “the plant”), but filipino stuff could just be waay more funner if it wasn’t under a toaster oven sun.
anybody feel me? i am talking about fpac, right? (… … …)
p.s.
my favorite moment was the 3-way danceoff between asian persuasion, PEBZ, and A.B.I.T.C.H.
This isn’t the 1990s anymore. The economy has gone to shit and it’s affecting everyone. The public funding Fil Am Arts used to get ain’t there anymore…which is why the festival isn’t as big as it used to be back then. FPAC was in danger of not happening this year. Just ask yourself why the festival was cut in half this year.
It’s nearly impossible to compare other ethnic groups with the Filipino American community. 1) Mainstream American corporations don’t invest as much money to the Filipino community as they do to other ethnic groups. They believe mainstream marketing already covers the English-speaking, acculturated, Filipino American community. Don’t believe me? Just ask Channel 18 how many large businesses buy commercial time to their Filipino shows compared to Chinese, Vietnamese, or Korean programming. 2) Philippine corporations (e.g. Jollibee, Goldilock’s, Seafood City, etc.) don’t like to spend much money for FPAC because they believe that it’s a festival for Fil Am Youth, not Filipino immigrants, their primary target population. And it’s not as simple as booking more “immigrant” acts. Many of the popular Philippine artists only perform in the States if they make buko money from it. That’s why it costs $55 to see Dolphy perform at the Shrine.
Bottomline is that yes, all artists should be compensated for their work. But I honestly think that if the FPAC organizers had enough money to do so, they would. Most of the organizers do not get paid, and those who do, don’t get paid enough for their work. So instead of bickering over the money that jingles, why doesn’t everyone come together and figure out how everyone can benefit by getting the money that folds. (Inspired by Coming to America).
p.s. On the food front, I agree that their should be more vendors…but not to the point where I’m eating worms from Lutong Bahay, or orange peel shakes from Tribal Cafe. Perhaps this is just indicative of the state of Filipino restaurants in the US…but that’s a whole other dissertation waiting to be written. In any case, since Aling Neri is the only Filipino food stand vendor that can pass through the rigorous County Health inspection year after year, maybe the organizers can ask her to expand their operations and operate several booths serving different food. Just a thought.
I’m glad FPAC did well, but how was PinoyFest?!!
Please! Please! This is supposed to be a happy occasion! Let’s not bicker and argue about who killed who. We are here today to witness the union of two young people in the joyful bond of the holy wedlock. Unfortunately, one of them, my son PINOYFEST, has just fallen to his death.
yup…I was a lazy ass and didn’t go this year, I decided to stay at home and relax in Oxnard =)
For those of you looking for PinoyFest news, hang on, I got a video blog entry coming up soon here on Pinoylife! Yes, I took one for the team!
I’m glad to set fires to have this conversation.
FPAC is necessary.
FPAC helps people get what they need..
FPAC is not perfect.
FPAC is open to suggestions.
FPAC never has enough people working on it.
FPAC is waiting for people to come in and change it and keeps asking for people to come and help.
You should understand the historical gains, financial and human resource capacity of FilAm ARTS, a public corporation whose budgets are public record.
You have ideas on how to make it better.
You have time to make it better.
You should call Jilly, the only person left working at FilAmARTS, and tell her how you can help.
I contest nothing anyone wrote, especially Kiwi!
Artists need and deserve a living wage and fair pay for their work.
Costs are rising for everyone, even artists.
FilAm ARTS’ solutions may not have solved the problems, but I hope to make the argument that we tried, and tried really hard.
It is even ok for FilAmARTS to be off the mark.
But what is not ok for me is that folks do not see or understand the history of actions taken to shore up the gap.
Its easy to think all that is wrong is due to a simple “not getting it”.
But no one cares what was actually done internally, how it worked, who did it and what they faced.
I think it is stupid not to consider what was actually done and who put what on the line to try to make it happen.
The argument from the artists’ perspective is that FilAm ARTS gets the benefit and shares none of the costs.
The argument from me, speaking as former FilAM ARTS, feels more like the Filipino community gets the benefit and shares none of the costs (except $7 for a ticket and $2 for drinks).
The truth is everyone eats a big fat one.
So then the question really is: why have the festival? It is an expensive party that turns over hardly anything for anyone. Should it be cancelled? Should it keep going?
Why not just give in to the $55 dolphy tickets?
Why not throw in the towel now that there are so many filipino markets and the tfc?
Why not scrap 17 years of hard work?
Why should anyone pick up the whip to punish themselves to do the work that it takes to make the festival?
“a critic is a legless person who castigates distance runners”
sorry, that just slipped. i almost had another “boondock saints” kind of tourette’s moment. F***!!! A**!!!
speaking of the 90’s, i say we BRING BACK the EARLY 90’s on multiple levels. i hereby call for the resurrection of all “newskool flip” cliques. all my “kroos”, where you at?! j4f in the house! way II drunk in the house! dopestyle posse in the house! hawla and raize da roof!
This was my first year at FPAC and let me state right off the bat here, that yes… I am biased. I am biased in more ways than one. Just like so many before me ( and hopefully more to come in the future)I was able to experience first hand the work that goes into planning a Festival…
To address the following issues:
Yes the artists used to get compensated. Yes FilAm arts would love to do so if they had the capacity ,however that is not the case. FPAC is run by a non profit COMMUNITY organization. So by all means take Kirstie’s advice and be constructive in your criticism. If you want to see change, than be that change, otherwise leave that work to those who countlessly volunteer thier blood, sweat and tears to this Festival( and yes there are all three), becuase THEY GET IT.
Would FilAm Arts like to do more with PAN… of course! FilAm Arts would like to do more with everything, because I am sorry Barocker, I belive FilAm Arts gets it, considering it was started and continues to be run by artists.
Secondly, the listserve, while yes it isnt a necessarily difficult step to create one, it is a step in the right direction. And if anyone wants to help with that… You have the abilty to do so,just contact the office.
I think its time now that I mention that I am NOT Filipina nor do I speak Tagalong, in fact I am a Spanish speaking Mexican American who has a deeper appreciation for the Filipino culture than I have ever imagined. So… do I take offense to those who want to critize the Festival… of course and so should the community. This Festival was built on the idea of celebrating a culture, not pointing out, programming hiccups,long food lines, parking, and all the other petty ( yes it is petty) issues that are really all pretty insignificant.
Maybe instead of critizing the Festival and FilAm arts for this and that… people should be grateful that FPAC has been able to survive despite rising costs, budget cuts, and every other curve ball that has been thrown at it, becuase that truly is a symbol of the strength of the community…. and C’MON people lets rejoice that for a change!
So thank you Fil Am Arts for continually creating a venue where family, friends and non Filipinos alike can celebrate in love and harmony. Thank you to the volunteers who, year after year, are instrumental in the entire planning and expedition process. And Thank you to all those who Lift FPAC up!!!!!
Viva la Raza y la familia de los Filipinos
Si. Viva indeed. I too do not speak Tagalong. Nor do I speak Samoas, Do-si-dos, All Abouts, Cinna-spins, or Trefoils.
Thanks everyone for coming to FPAC this year. It was fun, empowering, and rewarding, coming from an organizer’s perspective.
What can I say? We made it happen. We made a WHOLE MEAL by boiling rocks. The interns, the fellow co-directors and our lovely ED, yo, yall are family and I’m glad to spend time with you. The process is just as important as the product. It just so happens the product was fire.
Especially for the young folks (audience members), its good to see them exposed to cultural pride at this kind of overwhelming magnitude. You gotta realize they are looking up on stage wanting to BE those performers on stage. Wanting to BE YOU, nawmean? I’m glad that FPAC provides that venue, instead of being a space for selling condos in the Philippines and beauty pageants. So that tradition–that very conscious intentions of focusing on ART–is very obvious in the overall presentation of the festival. That’s the gem.
No one–NO ONE–knows the shit that goes down in organizing this festival, unless you are in the stinking grime of it. And for artists who want to put in work for Fil AM Arts, that’s more than welcome. Aside from the fact that organizers are already artists themselves, it’d be nice for FPAC performers to be involved in greater capacity. That’s fine, but be prepared to bear hug torn and oozing trash bags full of warm rice and diapers that fell from the dumpster (in the dark), getting unnecessarily antagonized by good artists who didnt make the roster but there simply isn’t unlimited space for both stages, getting yelled at by well-respected elders, somehow miraculously getting two stages synced when artists go longer than promised, looking for turntables for 51 different hip hop acts, finding replacement artists and emcees when fooz don’t show up or are late, not eating a single meal in 2 days, getting your gas syphoned from the hotel parking lot…yaaaaa…FPAC labor is glamorous. More glamorous than labor at a “coffeehouse” i think. ya dig?
On a side note, the simple truth is that if you don’t want to go to FPAC or perform there, just don’t go, don’t perform. There are more than enough willing artists (gotta give shouts out to those young folks and FPAC first-timers who showed love, showed up early, and worked generously with us when the schedule imploded).
I gotta say FPAC is a miracle. Especially when it could have been postponed this year, with less and less money every year, and less and less resources altogether. I’m still shocked its done…it happened. It’s an amazing experience with beautiful, talented people–the performers and participants for sure–but also those talented interns and organizers who are overworked, underpaid, and often undervalued.
The 18th Annual is already being planned…grants are being written to keep it above red, and moving it forward…by boiling rocks…
Moonie, Travis Kraft is something you’ll never be…sexy. Don’t hate on this talented guy just because you are fat and ugly. Not cool, dude.
Shila, I’d hate to know what your vision of “talent” is. You must think Dane Cook is a genius.
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