Silipan Rinigan

by Kindred Pasana, with contributions from Redslim

Heading south on August 16, 2008, I felt like Little Red Riding Hood about to go
missing in an unfamiliar territory, except the one I was trudging had a paved
highway, not a jungle, and tollgates, not trees. In my inability to remain faithful to a
map, I took a wrong turn that still eventually led me to Al’s Bar. This Al’s Bar was
the nook in Parañaque where Redslim’s mini arts and music fest, Silipan Rinigan,
was about to happen.

I climbed the 2nd floor to find a spacious room with divans that felt like home. My
eyes panned the walls pinned with more than 150 photos, paintings, illustrations,
caricatures, loose papers and folders with doodles, sculptures, all in random
placement. Indeed a festival, one where artworks were as if confetti flung on a sticky
wall.

I would probably consume all 400 words allowed in this article if I were to enumerate
the names behind the arts.

I would probably fail at making you believe without hearing the music of our tattoo
artist-musician duo Turbo Goth, of the geekier, more adorable blend of Interpol and
Weezer locally known as Geek City Riot, of Crowjane’s front woman who does not
falsetto and effortlessly hits her notes like a dude, of Battle City that, with its name
alone, caught the interest of many, of rock and roll that the Blue Jean Junkies
continue to revive, of the robotic siren of Tether, of Top Junk’s unforgettable cover of
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, of the energy of Duelist on stage, of Nameless Heroes that, I warn
you, know more than the average teenagers, of the verses of Sinag, of Pitik and of
Ursaminor who are crowned Al’s Bar favorites, and of Crossed Fingers whose song
“Alamat” left a lasting echo in Redslim.

Exhibitors began mounting their artworks at noon. Outside, the veranda was lined up
with tables with merchandise. Al’s was an open house from 4:00 until 7: 30 in the
evening. Hereon until 3:00 in the morning, there was nothing but non-stop music.

Not much is left to say, now that I am looking back on the Silipan Rinigan night. It
has lived up to its motives: to show and to proclaim that arts and music are alive. You
can find it even in the hardest to reach corners of your city. You just keep an eye and
listen. Silipin mo, ringgin mo.