FrancisM....MMK

I remember when Francis Magalona came to our town to do a concert. It was free and for the campaign of retired general for Mayor. The son of the general was his close friend and neighbor in Mandaluyong. Wow, overwhelm kami; ako, kaibigan, barkada, kapitbahay at buong bayan. Biruin mo its a free concert and with a complete band setup. Wow, that's rock and rap. I thought before I'll see only a mic stand then they will play a minus one of his songs. I was wrong it was maangas and to think during those time concert where usually held on the municipal hall basta indoor places. The concert was held outdoor in front of the kiosko sa patio with a constructed platform. It was summer of 1992. Sixteen years ago.

The time when Eraserheads, The Youth, Yano, and other pinoy bands and the "rock" scene were still emerging and becoming popular as well as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, STP, etc.

The concert starts with a local rapper rapping his way thru a recorded keyboard drumbeat and performing his rap act monotonously shouting, "mente gali, mente gali."(Galing talaga ni pogi naaliw kami dun ah.)

Then Lo and behold...FRANCISM...shouting and blasting rap songs about life,politics and state of our corruptible nation. Wala sa hulog, walang bayag, walang sistemang bansa na ang mayayaman at matatakaw na politiko lang ang nakikinabang. Angst like FrancisM.
He performs most of his famous song and the ones on the present album during that time.
'Man from Manila', with the dancers. Yes, he got his dancers with him also. "Halalan", "Mga Kababayan", etc. basta mga sikat na kanta nya noong panahon na yon.
Basta ang galing galing talaga ni Francis, ng banda nya at ng mga dancers nya nung time na yun. Napakaastig. It was the best concert I've seen sa talambuhay ko. Libre,bago at ang galing. Combining rock with rap ala Rage Against The Machine. Socially and politically relevant. He got a DJ for mixing. Wow, he probably pioneered acts like Incubus or Sugar Ray or Linkin Park. Ahead of our time. And to think after that acts comes the hiphops vs rockers haters while he started already the merging or alternative pinoy rap and rock. Ah hiphop may dancing dancing and always pacute sa girls ibanyo mo si ana at si fe, i prefer rap.

Funny thing i remember during the concert one of my former highschool classmate(i'm a college stud that time) actually raised his hand when FrancisM ask the audience if there's a 'Praning' in the crowd. I have to admit then 'what's praning?' got no idea until he do the song. Ah yun pala yun. And I've read thats this song was influence by "whiteline" an 80's breakdance song. Funny thing again, I've heard a reggae song i think that have the same beat and theme like it in bangkok while riding a bus. Does this song a ripped off of 'Mga Praning' or he rip off this song. Hmm..very intriguing indeed.

Before the concert theres a Motorcade around the town. I think its Francis second or third time coming there during the "Bagets" movie shoot. Its around 4pm in the afternoon.

My neighbor's sound systems or 'Mobile' as was it called before were set up on the event.
And I've heard that the wife of Francis don't want bootlegging of the concert but they did it anyway they put a live mic on stage while He was performing and I've heard them playing it after the day of the concert. It was so long ago i think the tape was lost and no copy was ever made. I asked my friend recently cause he got a sony recorder and recorded the concert it was lost also. No hope of finding remnants of history. But maybe...i'll ask again.

The event was very memorable. It was my first concert. The next concert I watch there was after 2 years and nothing compares to what FrancisM did. The general in his own right is honorable and gets elected Mayor. Francis might have added addt'l voters and fans.

Now comes the MJ addiction,the issue regarding this matter against him maybe the bad points to his good reputation. Either i believe it to be true or not we are weigh through all the things we do on this earth.

Let see FrancisM by his good side...

Mabuhay Ka FrancisM.