APL DE AP: Apl of the eye
A
llan Pineda Lindo Jr (or apl.de.ap) is one-fourth of one of the most popular bands in the world – Blacked Eyed Peas (BEP), and boy, is he proud of his Filipino heritage. When BEP broke into the international music mainstream in 2003 with their Elephunk album; there was one odd song, a rap number entitled “The Apl Song” that sampled “Balita”, a folk-rock classic from the Filipino band, Asin. Fans soon discovered that Apl was half-American, half-Filipino having been born in Pampanga, Philippines to a Filipino mother and an African American father, the latter stationed in Clark Air Base and left the family to tend for themselves, having gone back to the US. Apl’s rise to fame is a ragsCORD Music Magazine April 2012
to-riches story, from living in poverty in Angeles City to Pearl S Buck Foundation’s matching him to the Hudgens family in the States; from break-dancing to forming BEP with best friend William Adams (Will.I.Am). While Apl is a dynamite on stage; the man has such a soft heart, doing charitable work in the Philippines and contributing what he can to alleviate the vulnerable in society. Instead of living the highlife in the States, Apl makes it a point to return to his homeland, though it has not been totally kind to him. As the eldest of six younger siblings, he helped provide the family’s subsistence. He has also seen rough environment that continues to prevail in the place where he was raised - two of his siblings are dead: brother
Arnel committed suicide and the youngest Joven, was murdered at the age of 22 in February 2009 in Porac, Pampanga. One of his most recent reach out activity was making an unexpected visit and mini-concert at the West City Central School in barangay Carmen, Cagayan de Oro to cheer up survivors of typhoon Sendong that killed more than 1,000 people in December 2011. After their horrible experience from tropical storm Sendong, the unexpected came as Filipino-American hip-hop artist and Smart brand ambassador apl.de.ap of The Black Eyed Peas staged a miniconcert for survivors staying at the West City Central School in barangay Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City. He ended his performance with the hit song “Where is the love?” saying, “that’s what we 11