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Hi! I'm Aeff Roldan and I'd like to show my appreciation for Filipino authenticity in the media. Authenticity in media, in my opinion, refers to the passionate portrayal of Filipino stories with little to no influence from foreign formulas. I'll examine Philippine popular culture from my point of view on this page, along with the kinds of media I enjoy and my favorites.

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In continuing the theme of my padlet discussing music, The Uses and Gratifications Theory helps explain why Filipino music holds such a profound place in the hearts of its listeners. More than just a source of entertainment, music serves as a tool for emotional release, cultural identity, and social connection. Filipinos turn to music for comfort, whether through hugot songs that express heartbreak or uplifting anthems that inspire resilience.The relationship between music and culture is a two-way street—Filipino music both shapes and is shaped by the nation's cultural landscape. From the heartfelt ballads of Rey Valera that defined romance for generations to the socially charged verses of Gloc-9, Filipino music has long served as a reflection of the people's emotions, struggles, and aspirations.

Over the years, the industry has seen shifts in genre trends, each tied to the country's social and cultural realities. Filipino music is my favorite aspect of Philippine pop culture because it is deeply personal yet universally relatable. It tells our stories, mirrors our realities, and gives voice to the emotions we sometimes cannot express. Through music, Filipinos find not just entertainment, but also belonging, empowerment, and a lasting connection to their heritage.

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Pinoy Rock Queens Acel, Aia, Barbie, Hannah, Kitchie, and Lougee to Stage Comeback Show this December

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Filipino rock queens Acel, Aia, Barbie, Hannah, Kitchie, and Lougee will reunite in December for Tanawin: A Thanksgiving & Listening Party.

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Celebrating Original Pilipino Music (OPM) with If by Rivermaya is a nostalgic and meaningful experience. The song, released in the late 1990s, is one of my is one of my all-time favorites and never fails to bring back memories of my youth. It's a reminder of the emotional connection we have with OPM and how it continues to shape our cultural identity.

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Isabel and Alfredo Aquilizan with Reflections/Habitations (2025)

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Original Filipino art is a vibrant expression of our identity. Whether in the form of paintings, sculptures, music, literature, dance, or film, Filipino artists continue to create works that reflect our culture and experiences. I'm a fan of The Aquilizans' approach that shows Filipino art in contemporary discussions about community and environment. Sidenote: The background for my padlet is Fernando Amorsolo's Rice Fields. It captures a nostalgic and idealized vision of the nation's agrarian roots that aligns with the nationalistic movement of the early 20th century, when Filipinos sought to establish a cultural identity distinct from Spanish and American colonial influences.

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‘We love involving everyone’: these married artists want you to work on their giant cardboard sculpture

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Isabel and Alfredo Aquilizan are inviting Bundanon Art Museum visitors to contribute to their new work – which ‘demystifies the idea of art as an individual pursuit’

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Pinoy Big Brother (PBB), ABS-CBN’s adaptation of a popular reality franchise in Europe.

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Before everyone wanted to go viral on Tiktok, gain thousands of followers, or be noticed by their celebrity idols on social media, I remember when everyone dreamt of being a housemate in Big Brother's house and back when everyone was focused on developing an interesting personality just to prove they would be qualified for Pinoy Big Brother. Filipino reality shows like Star Circle Quest have birthed so many household names as families would tune in to these shows to root for the personalities that gain their favor. I don't believe we, as a society, recognize the importance of reality shows in the development of our culture, such as humor and philosophies.

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Pulled from my interest in OPM, I credit nearly all my love for music to this popular Filipino music channel. As a child I've always enjoyed watching their segments that ranked songs, watching the skits of the VJs, and tuning in to the most popular songs during the time. I believe that being a MYX viewer is a unique experience because it created a distinct experience and culture around music. Even until today, I can still talk about references and memories about this channel that only other viewers can understand.

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I find relief in the telling of our stories. The recounting of our stories brings me comfort. After years of colonization and in the face of continuous Western imperialism, I believe it is fair delivered when we focus on ourselves. I highlighted "I'm Drunk, I Love You" as a testament to the power of indie filmmaking. Proving that honest, heartfelt narratives can leave a lasting impact on audiences, even without the glitz and glamour of mainstream cinema. The film’s success proved that indie romantic dramas could compete with big-budget studio films, leading to more personal, introspective love stories in Philippine cinema

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I’m Drunk, I Love You (2017) ⭐ 6.9 | Romance

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In this section, I want to highlight the rise of New Wave music in the Philippines as a defining movement in Filipino pop culture. Emerging in the early 1980s, this genre introduced a fresh and modern sound that resonated with the youth, setting itself apart from the prevailing musical trends of the time. Characterized by synthesizers, distinct guitar riffs, and introspective lyricism, New Wave quickly became a cultural phenomenon.

Filipino Bands that I know of like The Dawn, known for Enveloped Ideas, blended Western influences with Filipino sensibilities. Bands I'd also like to highlight is Identity Crisis and Dean’s December pushed the boundaries of the genre with experimental sounds and thought-provoking lyrics. Their music not only defined an era but also influenced fashion and lifestyle, fostering a more expressive and modern youth culture.

Often played in radio stations that's instrumental in popularizing the genre, providing a platform for both local and international artists. New Wave music found a dedicated audience, solidifying its place in Philippine music history. Today, the impact of 1980s styled New Wave continues to be felt, inspiring contemporary Filipino artists and shaping the evolving sound of the country’s pop culture.

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Part One: On the Cosmic Journey of Khumb Mela Band

Arguably one of the most underrated and poorly promoted Filipino Alternative Rock bands that emerged in the 1980s was Khumb Mela Band. Although the group began as a promotional gimmick of Widdie Saulo, the owner of the local shop Khumb Mela (in Harrison Plaza Shopping Mall, in Manila; and in Park Square One, in Makati-which specialized in sports gear, bags, and other stuff including bootlegged and reproduced imported music albums-Khumb Mela Band, which proved to be a musically tight and style-conscious group, took off and carved a name of its own in the Philippine Rock music scene in the 1980s.

I saw them live many times back in the late '80s, the first time at a concert party billed as "Sneak Attack 2," held in May 1987 at The Atrium of Makati. The fashion sense of the band members left a memorable mark in my mind. They were among the typically New Wave-attired bands of the time-teased or gelled-up hair, silk or satin longsleeves, madeup faces, boots or creepers, and lots of accessories.

Luckily my former band Half Life Half Death got to share bill with them at a few gigs in 1989 and in the ensuing years. Khumb Mela Band used to cover songs like "I Don't Like Mondays'" (Bob Geldof & the Boomtown Rats), "My Way" (The Sex Pistols), "The Distance between Us" (Fra Lippo Lippi), and "Dancing with Myself" (Billy Idol).

I got to hang out with the band's bassist in the early '90s, when he became a member of Mariya, a band whose music had the influences of Pinoy Rock and Synthpop and whose initial members included Cool Carla (Abaya), Leni Llapitan, and Marvin Mendiola of Identity Crisis (another pioneering Philippine New Wave band) and Rozylyn Torres, who used to be a female vocalist in my former band Half Life Half Death.

Khumb Mela Band recorded only one album, entitled 108 Music, in cassette-tape format, released independently in 1988 and sold exclusively at the Khumb Mela shops. The band was among the first batch of Filipino bands that the now-defunct Philippine FM radio station NU 107 gave regular airplay during the station's early days, in the late '80s. Khumb Mela Band songs that I remember being played on NU 107 were 'Questions," "Moving Away," and "Cosmic Journey."

Before, I never really paid attention to the musicality of Khumb Mela Band. All I knew was, they sounded New Wave because of the incorporation of keyboard sounds and synthesized guitar melodies and the obviously New Wave attires of the band members. However, in retrospect, only in the recent years when I had the chance to listen again to the album after obtaining a copy of it from a fellow music enthusiast that I realized how Khumb Mela Band's music was ahead of its time, especially the lyrics.

Khumb Mela Band's musical ideology predated that of the 1990s-formed English Britpop band Kula Shaker, which adopted Hinduism as the central theme of its music. Yes, now that I fully understand Khumb Mela Band's music, I realized that the central theme of their album was Hinduism-what with song titles like "Cosmic Journey," "Limited Pleasure," and "Govinda," which predated Kula Shaker's song of the same title released in 1996.

Formed in 1986, Khumb Mela Band was comprised by Andrew Jeffs (vocals), Randy Capawan (guitars), "Dodo" Isidore Fernandez (keyboards), Allan Dichoso (bass), and Boying Reyes (drums, backup vocals). Lyrics were written by Annie Reyes; music and arrangement by Capawan, Fernandez, and Reyes. The band's major influences included the popular New Wave bands/artists of the time such as The Alarm, Billy Idol, Nik Kershaw, and Philippines' very own New Wave pioneers Identity Crisis and Ethnic Faces.

By the 1990s, the members of Khumb Mela Band had ended their musical journey together. Jeffs embarked on a solo singing career. Capawan did sessions for Lampano Alley-the subsequent band of Binky Lampano, the vocalist of another pioneering Philippine New Wave band, Dean's December. Fernandez became the session keyboardist of The Dawn during its live performances in the stretch of the 1990s. Dichoso did session works for other bands that included Mariya and Mulato.

Final Note
Sadly, in 2010, vocalist Jeffs passed away due to complications of renal cancer, amidst a brewing band reunion as prompted by a number of concert producers who expressed interest in reintroducing the music of Khumb Mela Band to the current music generation.

Experience or rediscover the music of Khumb Mela Band by sampling a copy of its one-and-only album via this link: http://www.mediafire.com/?it5b4u2rcolb9i2.

Acknowledgment:
I thank the guitarist of Khumb Mela Band, Randy Capawan, who promptly replied to my questions about the band.

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A Tribute to the '80s Philippine New Wave Scene - Filipino Journal

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Part One: On the Cosmic Journey of Khumb Mela Band Arguably one of the most underrated and poorly promoted Filipino Alternative Rock bands that emerged in the 1980s was Khumb Mela Band.