by aLfie vera mella
Rarely do we have a Filipino-produced concert of local Filipino-Canadian bands in Winnipeg, so the recent production Pinoy Rock Fest held on May 24 at Jimel’s International Cuisine was indeed a very helpful event for the local Filipino-rooted bands. The concert featured 10 bands, each of which dished out their set of engaging songs—some covers, some originals. Bands that performed included Traffic Jam, Impact-2, Chichay, Fhamathou, haLf man haLf eLf, The 12/21, Immortal Sacrament, and Brownfire Movement. Attendance was moderate, but those who were there seemed to have enjoyed the evening of good live music.
The Filipino music scene in Winnipeg has been on the groove for more than a decade now. Let’s continue supporting our local bands, a number of which have started to up the standard by recording and releasing original materials. Still a long way to go in terms of a Juno involvement, but it would just be a matter of time, patience, perseverance, community support, and belief in original music.
