MANILA – A group of artists mounted a concert last night to showcase the people’s clamor for change, a week before the next State of the Nation Address of Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“Oh Shux Despotiko: Gabi ng Banda, Blooms, at Bb. Bagong Pilipinas”, a concert organized by the Concerned Artists of the Philippines (CAP), was held to reflect the state of the nation through arts and cultural performances.
“There is nothing new but cases upon cases of harassment and red-tagging perpetrated by state forces and its cohorts,” said CAP in a statement.
During the concert, independent musicians sang their hit songs. Among these artists and bands were Plagpul, Tao Po, Esremborak, Macky Llaneta, The Mox, Bed Potato, Musikang Bayan, Talahib, and Tubaw Music Collective.
Blooms, a “protest pop” girl group, also made a debut during the concert as they performed “Despotiko” and Salarin, Salarin”, parodies of the hit “Pantropiko” and “Salamin” originally performed by Bini.
A parody pageant also showcased the drag interpretations of select characters in Philippine politics such as Bb. Bagong Guilty- Iselda Narcos, Bb. Bagong Retoke Imeme Narcos, Bb. Bagong Habla Rodriga S Ingrata Juterte aka Dutz, Bb. Bagong Diktadora-Inday Sara, and Bb. Bagong Mastermind- Mema Glow.
“Apart from these travesty, the Filipino people have become more impoverished and deprived while duty bearers squander over P20 Million worth of State of the Nation Address (SONA) meal budget for a day’s worth of spurious depiction of the real state of the nation,” CAP added.
Text and photos by DOMINIC GUTOMAN 
