Emily in ...the Philippines?
Matsuri 2 of 3. I'm not going to make it to Paris.
I wrote this in the back of a van going to Osaka with sleepy GOCOO members. I've had a nasty dry turned wet cough for the past 4 weeks after returning from Mandaue, Cebu (city, a Philippine island). Do other people often get sick after traveling? (It's now been 8 weeks of coughing, but much better after my $15 appointment + prescription meds. #socializedhealthcare)
So that brings us to our 2nd matsuri: Cebu with GOCOO. About 6 years ago, GOCOO performed at Mandaue’s “bon odori” matsuri and it impacted many locals who value Japanese culture as they found that it brought the 2 communities there together. GOCOO worked tirelessly with Daredemo Hero, a Japanese organization in the Philippines that helps local children receive and achieve educational goal, to find a way back. Of course, this was stopped by the pandemic, but they received support and a last minute grant by the Japan Foundation! So the band, the managers, myself, and the photographer (Naoi san) hopped on the plane to the Philippines!
The trip had 2 focuses: play as a headliner for this 2 day Matsuri, and hold workshops for the children living in low income areas.
Please note, I'm not IN Gocoo. They're a band that you don't audition for, rather Kaoly san asks you to join if somebody leaves. I had the privilege to go because she's a very generous human.
This was not the typical Japanese bon odori or matsuri, but more like an all day event with cosplay and jpop karaoke competitions, local and Japanese food and shop vendors, and performances by Japanese performers like Akita Nishimonai bon odori club, Einka singer Ayumi Hibiki, Japanese pop singer SHOGO from a popular 1990s band 175R, a Japanese comedian from Manilla named Yuki Horikoshi, and a popular viral Japanese person living in the Philippines named Fumiya. They ended the night after GOCOO’s performance with a short bon dance and fireworks, hence the name for the fest, “bon odori.”
Photos and a short write up about the "bon odori"
Many more photos, videos, and posts of the festival by the Japan Association Bon Odori
I did not get to play taiko, but I did get to help the children perform ELEVEN with GOCOO and twas the biggest crowd I've ever been in front of. And ya know, it was fun! I could connect with them through English, listen to their stories, and properly communicate with them to do impromptu things like dancing in front of the stage.
Life lesson time:
#67 - Ease up. When you let loose and have fun, it’s easier for everyone to do the same. Kaoly san requested that the children remain on stage to dance and have fun after performing ELEVEN, for their last piece.
I don’t know if it was stage fright, wanting to look cool in front of their friends, fear, or purely not knowing what to do, but most of the children reverted to “viral dances,” cautiously dancing, or hiding. Even when we asked them to come to the front, only a few were up for it. Perhaps while reading this, you can relate.
Then out of nowhere sans camera, the photographer appears doing the most chaotic zombie walk right in front of Kaoly san. On stage. Middle of the performance. He started bouncing around as if he was possessed by the music, and jumped off the stage like a cartoon character.
But, that got some of the youngest ones relaxed. They started smiling, wiggling around some more, and even tried to dance with Naoi san.
As for me, I couldn’t quite reach that level of freedom. I guess I still care about what others’ think of me, but I think after that ridiculousness, I was able to get a little closer to this level of freedom. And like Rev. Ron Miyamura says at bon odori in Chicago, you're a fool if you dance. You're a fool if you don't. So why not dance?
#72 Respect local life. Like I said earlier, we also did a few workshops with the local children, and I’ll focus on 2 of them. One was at an abandoned convention center, kitty corner (#chicago) to where the matsuri took place at an abandoned convention center with over 100 children participants. I was told we had the workshop (and small performance) there because the children that live in there and couldn’t afford entry to the “bon odori.” The other workshop was at a village by the “smokey mountains” or mountains made of trash. These people depend on the trash for their income and sometimes for food.
The first workshop at the convention center consisted of a small performance that the managers and I also performed in, followed by GOCOO member, Jera, leading workshops. In Tawoo Dojo, we teach workshops mainly by “repeat after me” style, so the leader plays, and then the participants copy. Although with limited translation, this was hard to convey at first, but everyone had a great time and didn’t want to stop. At the end, Jollibees (The classic Filipino fastfood chain) was given to all the children that participated, along with a cold sugary drink.
Before the other workshop, we were fortunate enough to walk on the mountain of trash (there were goats living there!). After, we walked through their village which consisted of stores, computer rooms, and small open air homes doorless homes constructed from ply wood and metal scraps and other recycled materials as an example of this community’s resourcefulness and ingenuity. After, we saw the Daredemo classroom and then set up to perform and have the workshop on a street. The children once again enjoyed themselves with smiles on their faces, as did the GOCOO members and staff.
Please don’t read this as “charity work.” I felt weird walking through their village, peering easily into their homes. At first, I even took a photo of their open air home, only to realize it felt disrepctful towards their privacy. I wouldn’t want tourists looking into my bedroom as I’m waking up. Yes, it's a way of life that some of us may never experience, but I couldn’t help but feel invasive as the foreigner. Handing out food and drinks to me was “omiyage” culture from Japan, bringing gifts to show appreciation, and in this case, for letting us share taiko with them.
Of course in return, this was an incredible opportunity for the children too. They had a private small show by an internationally known Taiko group and got play on drums from Japan, brought all the way to their neighborhood. That's pretty special, and if I ignore this fact, I feel icky with imperial vibes.
OH AND FOOD! OF COURSE! Let’s talk butterfish, mango shake everyday, pater (Mandaue speciality of rice with shredded seasoned meat wrapped in banana leaf), San Miguel beer (the Filipino pils), the Jollibee spaghetti and fried chicken, and a ube roll stuffed with coconut that I still dream about. Also, we’re all such a fan of Cebu dried mango, check out this suitcase full of the good stuff. Omiyage for days!
One more matsuri. Stay tuned. That’s all.