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Resist, Redistribute, Remix

by M E N CH

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100% of proceeds will go to human rights campaigns in Philippines.

On the eve of yesterday’s Mendiola rally by different peasant organizations, Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA) took part in International Day of Action Against Peasant Killings, set on October 20 every year to commemorate the Sagay Massacre in 2018. In doing so, UMA turned to the national democratic movement’s rich tradition of music not only in condemning extra-judicial killings perpetrated on their sector, but also in grieving the loss of their comrades in the peasant struggle.

For this, several musicians contributed covers and remixes of seven protest song classics, emphasizing the urgency of anti-fascist and anti-feudal struggles waged by the peasantry, and the willingness of allied sectors to link arms with them. The occasion was a part of the sector’s observance of October as Peasant Month.

A SONG FOR THE SAGAY 9
First up was the song “Panaghoy ng Lupa,” dedicated by musician and UMA volunteer Mara to the nine sugar workers killed three years ago in Sagay, Negros Occidental. It came with UMA’s statement commemorating the Sagay massacre, and unpacked its roots in land monopoly.

The federation reminded listeners that Hacienda Nene, the 90-hectare estate where the tragedy took place, had long been covered by the state’s land reform program. But the landlord family owning it evaded distribution by giving 70 hectares away to fake ‘beneficiaries,’ who then leased the land to other landlords who sought to profit from sugar farming. This forced the 39 beneficiary-families to conduct ‘bungkalan,’ a form of political mobilization in which peasants occupied and cultivated disputed land to assert their rightful sovereignty over it.

“State forces in Negros, however, soon outlawed the political undertaking, redtagging all peasants who carried it out,” narrated UMA. “This led directly to the Sagay Massacre perpetrated by the Special Civilian Active Auxiliary of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the subsequent vilification of the victims and their families as terrorists.”

MELODIES AND MASSACRES REMIXED
On the same day, UMA launched “Resist, Redistribute, Remix,” a playlist of six electronic tracks made by 10 musicians. Each consisted of a classic protest song sampled and remixed into a new piece of electronic music. The effort was completed in partnership with the peasant advocates of Sama-samang Artista para sa Kilusang Agraryo (SAKA) and the Defend Negros #stoptheattacks Network, as well as online music platform Dang A Dang Radio. The program was hosted by activist and performance-maker Alon Segarra of SAKA.

“Every massacre committed to preserve land monopoly is a remix of peasant massacres past,” explained UMA in their intro to the project. “The circumstances may evolve, victims vary from tragedy to tragedy, but at its heart it is the same melody of semi-feudalism: big landlords and corporations who refused to distribute their land among the peasants who worked it earned the favor and protection of the fascist state so it could continue to serve the demands of the world market.”

Hiphop artist Calix and singer-composer Tao collaborated on “Pahayagan”. multimedia artist Jonathan Olarte, as his musician persona Comrade Jones, sampled “Dapat Bawiin” to create a bed for Melbourne-based rapper Geril Lumawig’s lyrics. And the peasant ballad “Tano” was filtered with glitches and echoes by multi-disciplinary artist Apol Sta. Maria, using his musician pseudonym Apolinario. These made up the first half of the launch, which opened with an introduction by UMA chairperson Antonio Flores and a short keynote from John Milton Lozande, secretary general of the National Federation of Sugar Workers.

The second half of the program featured DJ and electronic music producer Wicked Adobo sampling the marching anthem “Ang Masa” into a pounding techno track; a three-way collaboration between Diego Mapa, using his DJ moniker Eggboy, Ourselves the Elves frontwoman Alyana Cabral, with her solo alias Teenage Granny, and Tomas of activist punk band The Exsenadors that turned “Bulok na Estado” into a sunny call to action; and finally Menchie Caliboso, one-third of the Los Angeles-based electronic/soul trio Bootleg Orchestra, who sampled “Manggagawa at Magsasaka” into an upbeat dance track.

Solidarity messages also abound. Karapatan secretary general Roneo Clamor repeated the call to end peasant killings, while SAKA spokesperson Ara Villena demanded an end to militarist policies like Executive Order 70 that wrecked the countryside. Sarojeni Rangam of PAN Asia Pacific - PANAP zeroed in on the need to dismantle corporate plantations to give way to peasant sovereignty over food production. Pats Ombion-Oliva, among the Defend Negros Network’s spokespersons, closed the program by urging authorities to repeal Memorandum Order 32, the policy that welcomed hordes of fascist troops into the country’s hacienda capital.

The event, which was streamed on FB Live last October 20, may still be viewed on Dang A Dang Radio’s page: www.facebook.com/dangadang.radio/videos/605935423771267

The tracks may be downloaded through Google Drive: tinyurl.com/ResistRedistributeRemix
#JusticeForSagay9
#StopKillingFarmers
#LupaAyudaHustisya
#LandToTheTillers

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released October 27, 2021

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M E N CH Long Beach, California

Select solo work of Menchie, producer of Bootleg Orchestra.

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