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No.12 OCT / NOV 2014
freddy todd TNNK Juan jose duran maria tiurina amanda mendiant boz mugabe han han Jaime Woods
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A note from the Team
Fall, finally here!
Through the highs and lows, peaks and latent times of productivity, here we are yet again with another exciting issue of Artnois Magazine! As with every other issue release, we thrilled to share artists with quality of permanence. Artists passionately establishing reputable work of art. Music, paintings, photography, you name it, we share it! Artnois Magazine is our way of showing appreciation to these artists (it is our way of giving back). They are our motivation and inspiration to carry forward with this time-devoting project. Thanks to all our followers and first time readers for all the support; we hope you enjoy this latest issue. -Artnois Team
Catch up on past issues!
Artnois Team Magda Becerra Artnois Co-Founder, loves anything creative, manages art and graphic design. magda@artnois.com Jesenia Meraz Artnois Co-Founder, brings music to your ears. Always looking for new music and artists to share with the world. jessy@artnois.com Carlos Rubio Journalist/ Photographer Tells it like it is. carlos@artnois.com Daniel Palencia Web Assistant Our genius go-to guy
Special thanks to: Robert Farkas Katie Mallory Brett Stuart Wilson David Romero Darryll Schiff.
Visit us at Artnois.com Questions, comments or suggestions? Email us! If you have any ideas on how we can improve Artnois please contact us, we’d love to hear your feedback. Also, feel free to send us samples of your work (or if you want to send us token of appreciation we don’t mind that either.) magazine@artnois.com
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contents
Issue 12 OCtober / November 2014
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An amazing voice from Chi city!
Producer from one of our fav spots, SF Bay area, Oakland.
She shows us music has no barriers.
Jaime Woods
Freddy Todd
HAN HAN
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28
32
Video gamer and freelance artist living in London.
The No Name Kid
Irish artist, demonscrawler andvisual disinformant.
Maria Tiurina
TNNK
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40
Bringing you fashion and art from France.
Fashion illustrations from beautiful Costa Rica.
Amanda Mendiant
Boz Mugabe
Juan Jose Duran
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CHECK OUT ROBERT FARKAS’S STORE AT: http://society6.com/astronaut
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Brett Stuart Wilson art For music Larger than Life Portraits of Maverick Musicians. Built-Out Dimensional Paintings revealing Electrifying Stage Lights and Nightclub Funk.
www.brettstuartwilson.com
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David A.
ROMERO LATINO SPOKEN
WORD ARTIST
As seen on Russell Simmons All Def Digital
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Contemporary Art & Abstract Expressionism by
Katie Mallory
“My ex-fiance juggling calls and texts every Saturday night.” Mixed media on canvas 36 in. x 24 in.
A painting by Katie Mallory created after an entrepreneur in Silicon Valley suggested she should create a new art collection about bad dates and bad relationships geared toward women and their experiences.
View 2007 - 2014 Painting Collection
See More Katie Mallory Artwork
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Interview with
Jaime Woods Jaime Coryn Woods is a musician with a magnificent voice from Chi City! She was residing in brooklyn but is currently “on the road, on tour” and says she’s a gypsy; although I beg to differ, I think she’s more of a giver, a warm and thoughtful soul. by Jesenia Meraz
What surrounds you at the moment? Palm trees and my handsome band mates! They’ll like that I said that (haha). We’re in the car on the way to The Griddle Cafe in LA. That place encompasses all the feelings that are good in this world. Until it closes. Hopefully we’ll make it in time! When reflecting on your childhood, what do you think helped gear your interest toward music? Church, definitely. It was my
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life growing up, and music is a fundamental part of church. I sang in choirs, led worship, and sang on praise teams. I liked singing, but the communal aspect of the performance is what impacted me the most. Tell us about your experience performing for Sofar with your brotherDaniel James Woods? The performance was a blast! We enjoyed it so much, mainly because of the atmosphere that the Sofar team creates. You always end up in
someone’s dope living room, with a roomful of the most open and attentive listeners. My brother is my favorite person to perform with. There’s really nothing like the human connection you have with family. You have the same history, so you understand each other in a deeper way. That understanding translates so loudly when performing together. It also helps that he’s brilliant and super supportive. I hope to be half as inspiring as he is one day. I say it all the time, he’s my hero.
What is your experience following similar career paths with your brother? We are developing a balance; we are siblings who live in the same city doing the same thing. Fortunately, NYC is a big city, and there’s room for both of us to do our thing. We perform together from time to time, mainly as opening acts, and that’s a-lotta fun. We’re total hams. But he’s definitely got a presence he’s creating, and I’m really excited to see how he grows into himself. I’m really one of his biggest fans. I wanna see him succeed more than myself. He’s way more than capable. What is your experience going to Berklee College of Music? I only attended Berklee for three semesters. Those three semesters were priceless, although I’ll be paying loans back until I’m 80 years old (lol). I created so many relationships that I will hopefully have for the next 80 years! I was fortunate enough to join some great clubs, and the ever so coveted neo- soul ensemble. Socially and musically, the folks I met changed my life. That’s what Berklee is really about. Trying to make a curriculum out of music is impossible, and you’re not a failure if you can’t get with that particular program. In your eyes, what makes it stand out? I was desperate to leave Chicago, and live a little more. lol Chicago is amazing for many things, including it’s music scene. But I needed to do more than what I was doing, and it wasn’t really possible there. Daniel left for Berklee a year before I did, and that’s how I knew about it. Berklee offered a little bit of money, and a chance for me to move to the east coast, so I took it! What are your short-term and long-term goals in regards to your music career? I have an album in the works!! The process can take a while, depending on the amount of money and open scheduling one’s team/band has. But it’s coming along. I hope to be done with it in the spring. I’d like to release it on my birthday in April. What kind of stories do you enjoy conveying through your music most? Other people’s stories, haha. I’m not one to share my stories, through music, at least. I don’t know if I refrain from telling my own stories to protect myself, or because I’m scared, haha, but I’d much rather sing about other people. I feel more relevant that way. I mean, I’m sure I’m not the only one who sees things the way I do, or the only one who’s gone through certain things, but I’d rather be inspired by other people.
J
I was desperate to leave Chicago, and live a little more. Listen Here
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What motivates you to write and share stories with others?
I really really enjoy it. The only thing better is What do you wish your from your falling inlisteners loveget and that’s music? skressful I’m an accommodating typebruh. of person. If you’ve People. I’m inspired by people. When I have things to share, it’s because someone trusted me enough to share something valuable of his or herself. I don’t take that for granted.
ever spent time with me you know, I care about making people comfortable, and encouraging them to be free. And I’ve learned in order to give anything, you have to have it yourself, first. So I share my freedom, my love, and my joy in my performances, and hope it rubs off on the people listening. If I can make people forget about a not so great situation, and smile, even just during a four minute song, I’m down.
Tell us about the debut concert, themed “Lifespeak” you put together November of 2010. It sounds like it was a success, where does most of your support come from? That concert was a last minute idea to raise money to get to Berklee. It was indeed a success. My support then came from churches I worked with, or was a member of, family, friends, parents’ friends, fellow musicians, coworkers- definitely a village situation. Now, I’m fortunate enough to sing in a couple of reeeeally phenomenal bands, like Emily King and Gizmo, and I build my bases with them. Facebook (Jaime Woods), Twitter and Instagram (@jaime_ coryn) are also really helpful. Berklee is such a huge circle... once you’re in it, you can never leave had to have been taller than 6’5” each that wouldn’t leave me haha. But Berklee folks are really supportive, in my alone, I mean would not leave me alone, I could barely get experience. Sofarsounds (sofarsounds.com) has away from them. I’m a tall guy but I’ve got my limits too… been good to me. Blogs, YouTube. Soundcloud. I’ve done a few tours now, mainly opening for some What has been the most challenging thing about creating pretty cool bands, and getting to connect with your music? people after the shows is awesome. There are a lotta ways that I’m building, I guess. Pretty cool. It’s Disproving and avoiding stereotypes. That, and coming from really just a bigger village. such a small town with no crew. What was your experience performing with Bilal? Are there any perceptions about being a rapper that you (I ask because I am a huge fan of his. Ha!) wish didn’t exist? Bilal is great, haha. I was lucky enough to perform Yes, that your music is going to be terrible, because most for/with him with an ensemble from Berklee. It rap music is. I think if you look at what you’re making in was the Neo-Soul ensemble, ran by Gizmo. He’s an comparison to the world, not just in terms of the rappers amazing singer, and a captivating performer. He’s you encounter, but actually thinking about the level at which people make music for a big audience across the whole globe, you take what you’re doing more seriously and try to create something that actually sounds good and has a purpose. I went to the University of Illinois for one year as a music major and the number one component they left out of my theory and aural skills classes was beauty, which in itself is such a widely debated and diverse idea, but at the root of 12 12ARTNOIS ARTNOISNo No1, 12, Agust OCT2012 2014
I liked singing, but the communal aspect of the performance is what impacted me the most. hilarious, and easy going, but he pushed us all to do more, performance wise. I’m super grateful to have been able to work with him. I think he’s more brilliant than people give him credit for. I would love to see his career really blow up.
Click to Listen
What is your go-to musician/band to gain insight/ inspiration/motivation? Emily King. King. Lucius. The Beatles. Little Dragon. Marvin Gaye. Chaka Khan. Miss Badu. Lauryn Hill. Fred Hammond. Georgia Ann Muldrow. Laura Mvula. The Bird and the Bee. Jennah Bell. Nadia Washington. Marie Davy. Gizmo. Daniel any piece of music I make theSullivan. reason is to have something Woods. Aers. Jazmin Sarah Vaughn. Louie that sounds “good,”Feist. List to me at least. Armstrong. goes on and on. I really cannot choose just one. Please don’t make me! If you could collaborate with any musician, living or dead, who would it be? Do you have any upcoming tour dates/links/extra info you’d like to share with us? Frank Ocean, Andrew Lloyd Weber, Bill Evans Trio, Hitboy, Chano I&just Kendrick. Because hits.this week, but finished a tour they withgot Gizmo if you follow me on any of the social medias, What inspires you to continue creating music? I keep my whereabouts and shows updated. I have a residency I need to start promoting, I really actually. really enjoy it. The only thing better is falling in love Starting October 1st, I have a residency and that’s skressful bruh. at Rockwood Music Hall (in LES, NYC) every otherWednesday. So that’s the 1st, 15th, and 29th. Any messages public? right now, actually, but I’ll I have a for LOTthe happening start with that. Just follow ya girl. The F word will be used on daytime TV in less than 10 years. If you could have one superpower which would it EnterWILD is releasing be and why? this fall. Whoever you are, I promise I put something on there just for you. I wrote this in June, Rain Dance To should be here by the time youone read this. to Do what it be able to transport from place another, says. to save money on travel, haha.
DARRYLL SCHIFF FINE ART
ds@schiff-art.com
www.schiff-art.com 13 ARTNOIS No 1, Agust 13 ARTNOIS No2012 12, OCT 2014
Interview with
Freddy Todd by Jesenia Meraz
Fred Palmer Todd IV, better known for his artist name Freddy Todd is a music producer from Oakland, California. Background graphic by Aviv Design Studio What surrounds you at the moment? A wooden camel my roommate Pericles gave me, some quartz crystals, a statue of Ganesh I gave to my girlfriend, some ganja, a white furry pillow, a ton of books, and my Grassroots California leopard print hat. I’m on my couch in my living room in Oakland, CA right now. Who is your all-time favorite music producer? I’d have to say the one and only Detroit’s J-Dilla, but as of late, and in a completely different category, everything Tipper has done completely blows me away. but gawd damn Quincy Jones though… its a tough one! Have you always lived in Oakland, CA? I actually just moved here a little over a year ago. I grew up outside Detroit in Southfield, MI, lived in the city of Detroit for a year, moved to Chicago for a year, and now reside in Oakland. My favorite thing about Oakland has to be that laid back, westcoast vibe and beautiful weather (temperate, never too hot and never too cold, perfect); plus great food = good people, resulting in a flourishing and vibrant art scene. What are some highlights in your neighborhood that visitors don’t generally see? Man, we moved to west Oakland, which is a slightly rough area in some spots. One day I was home alone working on music (when) I heard a sound, something that sounded like a snare or drums in the distance. I decided to check it out. Following my ears and sniffing out the funk, I round the corner across the street and turns out there’s a bangin’ daytime party going on, full of OG’s, 50-some year old black folk just kicking it listening to what sounds like a pristine recording. I meet the nicest guy ever named Lenny out front who sees me walk up. We introduce each
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Graphite pencil
other and he promptly invites me back, which, to my surprise, I find out there’s actually a LIVE BAND jamming the funk out in the backyard. These guys are soo good that they straight up sound like a recording on a PA. Just a bunch of old friends, 50-60 year olds jamming out on a bunch of equipment they
all bought individually: analog synthesizers, guitar, bass, drum set, a second synth guy who came in later, beautiful vocals on a microphone, vocoder vocals through an analog synth. Lenny proceeds to tell me how the neighborhood is turning around, how they haven’t been able to do something like this (blatantly jam in a backyard) since before the crack epidemic here in the 90’s. So I promptly buy a 6-pack and call my buddy Russ Liquid, who lives in east bay too about 10 minutes away. I tell him “get over here STAT with your horn!!!” Russ is a very adept horn player and absolutely crushes everything. As legend has it, Russ comes over in due time and proceeds to win every single funklord’s cell phone number there because they loved this random white dudes jazzy funky trumpet playing so much. We continued to get smashed and jam out until it got dark out. I will never forget that time, how many other neighborhoods have live funk jams??? I love Oakland. P.S. there’s footage of Russ rocking out on his horn with the guys on my Instagram @freddytoddmusic. How was your latest show in Vegas, Nevada? Was it your first time performing there? It was awesome! Wasn’t sold out or anything but (it was) pretty packed and (had) a very energetic dance floor. A-lot of fans apparently drove as far as 4 hours from Arizona. Good night with the homies Thriftworks and Stickybuds. Shouts to Serenity Festival people for booking me too, they throw a great fest in California that everyone should go to (which) I believe i’m performing at this year. But yeah, first time in Vegas I’d say was a success! How would you describe one of your performances? A-lot of dancing, a-lot of bass (if we’re at a proper venue with proper sound), a pinch of psychedelia, and perhaps some live keytar or synthesizer. On occasion I’ve had a live drummer as well (and on new years in addition to my live drummer, I also played a latin percussion set). I play 100% original material although random nights I may throw a track or two in there that’s a mashup or something that isn’t original but extremely rare and special. Is there anything about your performances now that you wish to enhance/change? I guess I’d like to enhance what I do on my midi-controller more. That’s the thing I use to basically move the entire set, pick songs, fade from track to track, beat match, throw in live acapellas and overlay effects, as well as control synthesizer/keytar effects. That’s basically what I’m doing with it now, but it has 64 buttons and a ton of knobs and there is an infinite amount of things I can do with them, I guess I just want to get more complex and deep with it! How long have you been making music and how did you get started? Well my dad always had a drum set and instruments in the basement so I think I was tinkering around on the drums since before I could walk, but fast forward years later: I took 2 years of piano classes, countless years of school-band classes, and teaching myself guitar. My friend showed me a very peculiar program on the computer called Fruity Loops (now FL Studio). I had been recording certain guitar arrangements, vocals and things using cubase a year or so before this, but this program
Live in Las Vegas Photo CreditL: Project Art was incredible to me at the time. So, (at) age 14 in 2004 I saw the young beginnings of what would turn into my insane life, as I was also first listening to psychedelic drum and bass IDM such as Aphex Twin and Squarepusher with my homie, the young GriZ. He also started producing at the same time (we have an early side project together called SplaTTerboX). After playing in so many bands that disintegrated due to any number of reasons (mainly just trying to get 5 dudes together at once consistently), the advent of the beginnings of electronic music taking off (into eventually the insane EDM thing we have going on), and my skills just increasing in general, things took off and via the internet the world got to democratically know my music. It wasn’t forced into anyones face, cough cough iTunes, U2 and I organically gained fans randomly through the internet because they liked what they heard. Next thing you know I’m getting flown around to play shows at the age of 19 (and had to lie about my age at venues)? I dropped out of college and quit my day job at a movie theater selling popcorn; to this day at age 24, I haven’t had a day job since and have been supporting myself solely through my music and art. Who named the genre of your music “psycho-delicious soul splatter /// acid bass unicorn chrondor”? Haha I did. I am in charge of every creative anything that is present in the world that is attached to my name. I regulate my Facebook and all of my own social media, (although I do have a brilliant guy working on my website right now). I was just trying to be as colorful as possible with the genre name. I heard Slugabed call his music post-genre recently. I like that too. What type of samples do you select for your beat creations and how do you decide on a specific sample? This is the beauty of the creative process! It’s all innate and there are no rules. When I dive into a beat I usually have no idea or direction. I mean, maybe if I just got a juicy new rare old vinyl 15 ARTNOIS No 12, OCT 2014
LIVE at Wakaruse Festival, Arkansas Photo Credit: LEL
Artnois cover / Golden Tremendous album cover by VilleSavimaa.com
Every single one of us is a golden tremendous and people need to just try harder to shine, cuz it's in all of us recording of Himalayan mountain flutes then I’ll know what i want to sample next, but usually I just open the program up and see what happens. in the past I’ve sampled a-lot of funk, disco, and soul. A-lot of Indian Sitar and Tabla stuff and a lot of “uncleared” vocal samples that I like to fuck with just enough so no one can actually tell what it is and attempt a lawsuit. What does the name for your most recent album titledGolden Tremendousmean? It doesn’t really mean anything, it’s meant to be interpreted along with the music, but I suppose if I had to put an exact meaning to it, perhaps just (not trying to sound too cliche) but be the best that you can be. Every single one of us is a golden tremendous and people need to just try harder to shine, cuz it’s in all of us. The artwork to this album is off the hook; tell us a bit about how it came about.
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The artwork is amazing. We had one artist locked down but he was traveling and hard to track down when we were getting very close to an album art deadline with the label. we were scrambling when a light went off in my head and i remembered my girlfriend had showed me this artist randomly on Pinterest one night, Ville Savimaa out of Finland I believe. So I had my assistant ring his agent and they immediately responded. Very professionally, like his work, they corresponded with us and were equally stoked on collaborating. He was down to create an original piece from scratch but we were very short on time and i didn’t want the art to lack due to time constraints. So Ville let me choose from a collection of about 10-15 original pieces after I picked out which ones from his portfolio I loved the most. (I chose one to which) he finished off by putting a very modest “golden tremendous” font in a pink lil circle that looks like it was stamped on and wrote my name in white chalk. Fucking WHITE CHALK!! I love this guy and hope to work with him on future projects. Very drippy future-Dalí.
This is the beauty of the creative process! It’s all innate and there are no rules What does this album mean to you? It means the last 2 years of collective work; a-lot of time; a lot of careful and meticulous sound design, creation, editing, mixing, and mastering. I’m a tiny bit of a perfectionist. What do you wish to do with your music? I wish to make people happy and perhaps challenge them to think a little deeper; dance a little weirder; be a little more different from the crowd; (encourage them) to be themselves; and in the process support myself. I just want to be comfortable paying rent, eating good food, and living in a modest house in a decent area. Are you looking to collab with anyone at the moment? Haywyre and I have been trying to collaborate for a minute but we probably won’t do that until we can actually link up in a studio together. He just moved to Vancouver so he’s definitely closer, on the West coast. probably gonna make a track with my dude space jesus in Brooklyn sometime. I just started a collab with my roommate Pericles. As I said earlier, probably expect more russ liquid collabs, probably another with Thrift.
I collabed on a track with Australia’s Mr. Bill earlier in the summer that should be appearing on his next full length album. Any messages for the public? My next release will probably be a fusion hip-hop future beat album with this rapper NOTE from San Diego, so be on the look out for that. What is your go-to musicianfor inspiration? They’re not my go-to, but a favorite and very inspirational band is Fat Freddy’s Drop. I guess I’ve been rocking Cameo a-lot recently. Old funk slaps. Really anything GOOD inspires me. If I listen to something thats good, I’m inspired and I immediately want to use that inspiration to innovate off that sound. Check him out at The Floozies Fall tour! He’s “gonna be sleeping in a jumper van with a bunch of weirdos like myself for a month.” They’re hitting 13 cities in the South this November.
Listen Here
Rooftop in downtown Detroit Photo Credit: Joshua Hanford Photography
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Interview with
Han Han by Jesenia Meraz
At one point Han Han was a full-time nursing student; a part-time nanny; sales associate in a retail store; and a community volunteer. She’s a driven Iumad Cebuana young woman with an intense drive to create unique & profound music in multiple languages.
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What surrounds you at the moment? I’m surrounded by a lot of things at the moment; paper, noise and more noise and the smell of my mother’s cooking. How are you feeling? I feel good about myself. It was my birthday yesterday (Sept 12) and it was also the release date of my debut selftitled album. I felt so relieved! What is your favorite Filipino dish? Chicken intestine barbeque, it’s delicious. I know some people find it gross. I also love lechon! Canadian dish?
that program, she was able to petition me and my two sisters to Canada. I (had) just turned 21 years old when I came to Canada. I grew up away from my mother and it was when I came to Canada that we finally reunited. When I was a child, reuniting with my mom was a dream. How would you describe the community in which you currently reside in? Toronto is my home in Canada. It is very diverse and I love it. It’s like the whole world in one city. I live in downtown Toronto and everything that I need is accessible. I walk everywhere. I love walking. It’s like meditation.
I wanted to say poutine but I like Canadian bacon and eggs more, especially for brunch. I can even eat a whole pack of bacon when I’m craving! Actually, it’s quite tricky when you say “Canadian” dish because I don’t exactly know what it means. Canadian dishes, like its people are very diverse...
When I arrived for the first time in Toronto, it was fall. There was snow falling and I was cold. My mom met us at the airport and she was smiling from ear to ear. It was a happy reunion. I remember sitting on the backseat of the car and thought to myself “hhhmmm what will I become in this city?”
You currently reside in Toronto, what made you migrate from the Phillipines to Canada?
On your Tumblr I learned that you are Iumad Cebuana, what does this mean to you?
My mom came to Canada first via the Live-In-Caregiver Program. Through
“Lumad” means native. I was born and raised in Cebu, so I am definitely
Cebuana by heart and blood. My values formation and point of reference almost always emerge from where I come from. You can say that I am a proud Cebuana. Embracing my roots is important to me. It keeps me grounded. Do you write all your lyrics? For the album, I wrote all of my verses except for the English part of “World Gong Crazy”. I wanted to write thoughtful lyrics because I feel the responsibility of what comes out of my mouth. The words I write be it in poetry or lyrics are manifestations of what’s inside my brain: some good, some bad. There must be a sense of responsibility. I noticed you decided to sing in Tagalog, Cebuano and English; how was the experience of writing in three tongues for you? It is actually intentional, especially for this project. We wanted to prove that language is not a barrier to music. As an immigrant, I would like to believe that it is also my form of resistance. My mother tongue is Cebuano. I learned Tagalog and English in school in the Philippines. Those are the 3 main languages in the Philippines. I wanted to capture all that. I can easily switch
Listen Here
photography by Patrick Estebar Styling by Jodinand Villaflores Aguillon Hair and Make-Up by Charm Torres.
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to these 3 different languages fluently even mixed them. There are moments when I can’t express what I want to say in one language so I switch to another. Sometimes one word in one language is equivalent to a sentence in another. I just play it by feel for the most part. If art is expression, I want to write as honestly as I can. You can only be honest if you write in a language that really speaks to you at the moment that you are writing. Veracity is very important to me in general. Sometimes when you listen to music, you don’t even need to understand it. You just need to feel it. If it moves you emotionally in whatever way, the music has done its purpose. For example, just this summer a friend introduced me to Kerry James, a French rapper. When you listen and watch his video for the song “Lettre à la République”, you don’t need to literally understand it to capture the gist of what he is saying in that song. Or if you listen to Kurt Cobain, sometimes his lyrics do not make sense but his voice and delivery alone can move you because there is a sense of rawness in it.
and biopsychosocial and spiritual aspects. The song however, focuses more on racial identity. There is this gap between those who are born and raised young Filipino- Canadians in Canada (the “bacons”) and those who recently migrated to Canada who were born and raised in the Philippines (the “fobs”). It is mostly cultural gap because they grow up in two different worlds with sometimes opposing worldviews. Yet, all of them identify as Filipinos. Somehow, I become a bridge between these two worlds through my presence and voice. I wanted to show all the young FilipinoCanadians that, whether “fobs” or “bacons” (let’s use these words for the sake of conversation), it is possible to unite even if it’s just through the words and songs I create with my collaborators, who are mostly born and raised Filipino-Canadians. All of us are the future of the Filipino-Canadian community and the Filipino diaspora in general. We need to accept and respect each other’s differences. In addition, the song also has a subtle feminist connotation to it. The words “Bata, bata pa’no ka ginawa” or “Child,
As an immigrant, I would like to believe that it [music] is also my form of resistance. What track from your release of Han Han stands out to you at the moment? It would be “World Gong Crazy” because it captures what the whole album is about. It is written in English, Tagalog and Cebuano verses. We integrated kulintang and agong (traditional Filipino instruments) and fused it with contemporary music. Kudos to my executive producer, Alexander Punzalan for doing that! It’s like tribal meets colonialism. The verses are about the tension of having dual identities, that being Canadian and Filipino. I wanted to navigate how to be Canadian while being Filipino and how to be Filipino while being Canadian. I realized that identity in itself is a constantly evolving concept. It’s not only about race, it is also about sexuality, gender 20 ARTNOIS No 12, OCT 2014
child, how were you made?” is a reference to the novel of the same title written by a Filipina, Lualhati Bautista. The novel is about the role of Filipino women in Filipino society where men are considered dominant. Figuratively, the question for me is about how to create your own identity. I believe it’s a question that first or second generation young immigrants should ask themselves. Who produces your instrumentals? My friends do. I got lucky that I happen to know and meet people who create music. It all started when I met Jian Manalo in a poetry workshop. Her hubby, Olivier, is a French producer. In 2009, Jian who is based in France, came home to Canada and brought with her beats created by Olivier. We gathered for a reunion once in
the basement of her parents’ house together with the Poetry as a Second Language (PSL) collective (my former poetry collective in Toronto). She played beats and we started writing verses. It was purely experiment and play. But what came out of it was magical. I wrote my first rap lyrics and recited it. Let it be known that I first rap on French beats! Then, I worked more on it when I got home. Those words happen to be the verses I used in World Gong Crazy. Then eventually, I met Rudy through Santa Guerrilla, a collective of 10 Filipino-Canadian artists which fuses dance, traditional Filipino instruments, contemporary music and poetry in performances. In 2010, we joined the collective at the same time so we kinda have a special bond. I used to just go to his apartment and jam with him. He is a hiphop producer and a chef. At that time, I was a full time nursing student, a part-time nanny, sales associate in a retail store and a community volunteer. I made sure jamming with Rudy was always productive and fun because I hated wasting my time especially with all the things I was doing. Every time I visited his apartment, we created something. The songs I collaborated with Rudy are what I call catharsis from the frustrations of life... During that time, it was pure play. We didn’t plan on making an album or anything. “Tawa” and “Sige” were created during that period. Then, Rudy sent them to JR (Alexander Punzalan), who is also a producer. He loved the songs and put his own flavor to them. That’s how they become what they are... I recorded those songs in one take. I wanted (them) raw, as raw as possible. There is honesty in raw. Eventually, JR proposed the idea of creating an album. I was reluctant at first because I was doubtful that I would be able to handle the pressure and the responsibility, considering that I was working as a full time nurse in another city. He said that we would apply for a grant from the Ontario Arts Council... He was very persuasive so I said yes...The product is the HanHan album. Rudy and JR, including Jo Maramba (who co-produced “Malay Ko”) and Romeo Candido constantly motivate and inspire me... I love working with them because they allow me to be who I am and they have always treated me
Somehow, I become a bridge between these two worlds through my presence and voice. 21 ARTNOIS No 12, OCT 2014
like an equal. It’s also partly because I don’t allow them to underestimate me. Working with testosterones is sometimes challenging. My uterus cramps all the time (I’m kidding). There is mutual respect between all of us. They believed in me even when I don’t believe in myself. I must give a lot of credit however to JR, because we worked closely together and he has helped me in a-lot of ways. He is very patient with me. He even designed the digital album art and he doesn’t even do designs! Like I said, I got lucky. The Filipino-Canadian arts community in Toronto is rich with talent! What was it like working with Datu? DATU (Alexander Punzalan, Romeo Candido and Rudy Boquila) was formed after Santa Guerrilla disbanded. All three members of DATU are the same people in Santa Guerrilla. They are my brothers from other parents and we had history working together in the past. I have performed with them in various venues and events in Toronto. So it was easy. Is the video of Lake Sebu School of Living Traditions on your Tumblr one that you took? No. JR took them when he visited the Philippines in 2013. He, together with his family did a cultural exchange in Lake Sebu SLT. What was your experience when meeting T’boli cultural worker Oyog “Maria” Todi of this culture? Oyog “Maria” Todi visited Toronto with her daughter Andi and T’nalak dreamweaver Buwat for a cultural exchange between Toronto and Philippines; it was organized by my friends in the Kapwa Collective. I met her in a local event where I performed. They performed as well, showcasing T’boli culture. I approached her and introduced myself before the performances. Then I learned that aside from T’boli language, they also speak Cebuano. So we talked in Cebuano. It was easy and felt so natural. Perhaps, it was quite refreshing for them to meet someone who speaks the Filipino languages in that event because most of the people who attended that event only speak English. After my performance, I saw them cheering and smiling. I know that they understood what I was saying. In 22 ARTNOIS No 12, OCT 2014
a way, I got the approval I wanted. I felt so honored that they liked what they heard. She now calls me “Inday Han”. You decided to give all proceeds from your digital album sells to this organization. What does this organization mean to you and what makes it stand out? Initially, I wanted to give the music for free. But then I changed my mind and decided to use it as a means to give back. Let’s face it, we borrowed the gong tradition from Mindanao culture. All of us in the HanHan project, including myself, are detached from that culture. I just thought it would be nice to support an organization which preserves Filipino culture and heritage. It is organizations like Lake Sebu School of Living Tradition (SLT) which keep tradition and pass it (along) to the next generation. We need to keep them alive. Tradition connects the old to the new. With corruption and all the other problems in the Philippines, I know for a fact that culture and heritage is not a priority by the Philippine government. There is not enough funding, no indigenous culture education in regular schools nor is there social support. Colonial mentality propagates Philippine society. Often, Filipinos discriminate tribal culture. They don’t understand the value of arts and culture which is quite sad. At the same time, it makes sense. When you live in scarcity, your priority is not arts and preservation of culture and heritage. Your priority is survival. It is up to us, Filipinos in the diaspora, who for the most part are privileged, to remind the Filipino of the importance of knowing who we are and where we come from. If you stripped everything colonial from a Filipino, all you have is the tribal Filipino. In a way, we are all indigenous and we need to embrace that. One of the main reasons why we included the sound of the gongs and kubing in the album is to showcase that Filipino tribal instruments can be cool. Hopefully, that will trigger interest. Somehow, we innovated them to keep it evolving. What are your intentions with your album Han Han? My intentions are simple. First, I wanted people to get curious. In particular, I wanted the young FilipinoCanadians and all young Filipinos in the diaspora to dig deeper. Language
and culture are intertwined. When someone asks me to translate the songs because they wanted to understand it, although I hate translating, I’ve done my purpose. Triggering curiosity is the first step to knowing, however and whatever way they want to do it. One of the main intentions of this project is to cross boundaries in terms of genre, aesthetics and culture. I think we have achieved that. I am a woman. Hip-hop in the Philippines and perhaps in the diaspora is mainly dominated by men. Filipinas in general are stereotyped as shy, modest and subservient. Sometimes, I get this stereotype. I may however, have these qualities but I am also more. My songs are intense and somewhat aggressive. I’m typically cheerful, by the way. HanHan is like my alter ego. HanHan is actually my pet name at home. I wanted to show my Filipina women that they can be aggressive, they can be intense and that it’s okay because it is part of the complexities of human nature. Filipinos are very nice and kind people. It is their strength and at the same time their weakness. They get abused because they don’t know how to say “no”. Filipinos must learn how to say no. Sometimes, it’s good to be firm and not compromise. Filipinos are still learning that especially Filipino women. I am a young immigrant, a nurse and I worked as a nanny when I was a university student. I know who I represent. Every time I introduced myself and tell people that I am a nurse, I get the “It’s so cliché” comment. The other day, I watched a video of a Filipina woman saying that “we are not just nannies and nurses, we are more than that.” Sometimes I get annoyed with these types of statements. Of course we are more than just nannies and nurses. But somehow, I feel like the young 2nd generation Filipino immigrants are ashamed of the nannies and the nurses when they should be celebrating them. Nursing, in general, is hardwork and a very noble profession. For me, being a nurse is a privilege because it allows me to see human vulnerabilities everyday. That in itself is a gift. Same with working as a nanny. It’s not just about the music, it’s also about the story. I want people to appreciate that. What I do inspires my music.
And last but definitely not the least, I want people to enjoy it! Who would you say are your major influences? My mother and my grandmother. They taught me survival. Any messages for the public? Thank you for taking the time to read my story. I hope it inspires you and moves you to be more than who you think you are. Also, after we recorded the whole album, I was literally drained. So, I went home, traveled in the islands and volunteered for All Hands volunteer. I went and volunteered in Leyte, Philippines for two weeks to help the local communities in rebuilding their lives from the devastation of typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda). Check out Hands.org. It was hard work. But I’m glad I did it. It helped me get a perspective on why I do what I do. It’s because I can and my representation can add value to someone else’s life. It made me realized that I have the power to influence and I have to use it carefully.
For me, being a nurse is a privilege because it allows me to see human vulnerabilities everyday. That in itself is a gift
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Illustrations by
Maria tiurina The Companion Ink on mountboard
Pixelating Girl Mixed Media
The Crane Watercolor, ink on paper
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Tubception Watercolor
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Floating Island Watercolor, ink on paper, digital
Diver Octopus Ink on paper
Egg Soldier DIgital Painting
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The Town of Thoughs Ink on paper
Nuclear Tree Watercolor
Deathbird’s Nest Ink on paper
The Army of Me Gouache painting, digital
Sound of Color Watercolor, pencils, ink on paper
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Tnnk
the no name kid Decay Mixed Media
A Quick Look to Diversity Nowadays Mixed Media
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Portrait of a TV Documentary Mixed Media
Decay This set of works is based on the “nonsense” movement (created by me and starting to be known inside the underground scene in my country). Decay, focuses on the death of the myths, as a consequence of the decline of Occident versus Orient and the loss of our own identity in exchange of a global communication. A satire of our world and the loss of subjectivity inside the new contemporary art, where the apparently illogic, hides a social critic. The “nonsense” is a transition movement for a restructuring era, finally announcing the complete death of postmodernism. Seeing art as a way to represent the historic moment in which the artist is part of, not as a way to exteriorize the interior of the artist, because even when the artist is part and result of the society he lives in, the art created without a social objectivity becomes an undeniable truth, loosing power and logic outside the artist mind; if we only see trough the parameters of the author, the author will never be wrong, generating a false sense of subjectivity. The “nonsense” points at the awful truth that no one wants to see, just as the kid in the tale “The Emperor’s New
Clothes” by Hans Christian Andersen, except that in this case we are all naked. The aesthetic created for the pieces of Decay is mostly based on some Japanese art styles with a mix of techniques and textures; representing the grotesque blend that conforms our current magical thinking and the unconscious nature in the masses for abandoning the ideologies and style of the dying empires. Each color (in this case yellow and blue) use, in different levels, the concepts and pays more attention on a certain amount of them, allowing the spectator a deeper understanding of the movement itself, and avoiding the visual monotony that could interrupt the correct appreciation of the artworks. The vacuum inside the contemporary man plays an important role in all the pieces, accepting it like a part of our selves, instead of denying it. “The no name kid” signature, invades the canvases structure, becoming an important part of the composition; a critic about the importance that nowadays is given to the artist and sometimes even considered more important than the piece itself.
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Omen Mixed Media
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Seanse Mixed Media
Dreamland Ice Cream Mixed Media
Also based on the “nonsense” precepts, Dreamland is a representation of our social decline, trough the analogy of a theme park. In Dreamland the signs that once denoted a deep meaning now are transformed into mere wallpaper, hinting trough their holes, the existential vacuum that everyone has inside.
“Useless” talks about the problems inside Middle East meanwhile “Ice-cream” focuses on the religion and how it easily can be used to abuse of the people; also refers to the concept of the human being transformed into a product.
We love México This set plays with the innocence as a tool to hide the real meaning inside the artworks. We love México focuses on the violence inside the country, our daily reality, behind the political speeches and the fancy advertising.
Enjoy Monterrey Mixed Media
Welcome to Ciudad Juarez Mixed Media
fishlemonade.tumblr.com
Dime Con Quien Andas Digital
Mis Corazones Rotos Digital
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Boz Mugabe
Chlorophobia
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B Propagule
Aura
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Trails of Hellion
Blind Miner
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A Chili Ceremony at the Erogenous Flame
Capsaicin Deity
Wild Honey
bozgallery.com
Exoparasites
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Amanda Mendiant
Bleu Girls Acrylic on canvas
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AnnĂŠes Folles Acrylic on canvas
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Frankie S Acrylic on canvas
Can You Keep a Secret Acrylic and Sharpie on wood 38 ARTNOIS No 12, OCT 2014
ID Glasses Sharpie on glass
Aristocratic Nose Paint on ceramic
Grannie Acrylic on canvas
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Take Car Sister II Acrylic on canvas
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amandamendiant.com Take Car Sister I Acrylic on canvas
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J Juan
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Noche Mixed Media
Jose DUran
DIa Mixed Media
Cartas Digital
Tia Leto Acrylic and color pencil on cardboard
Emmanuelle Alt Digital
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Rara Digital
Tetas Arrugadas DIgital / Collage
Rara Digital
Tia “Water” Acrylic on paper
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Lana Del Rey RUG Digital
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artnois.com
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