LVNA Reconstructs New Paintings
From Rolling Paper vol 1 no 1
October 1996
We wanted to take pictures of them in a mala-U2 pose. After all, aside form their originals, U2’s are the only songs they harmonize on stage. However, we had to nix the idea. If their newly-penned blues-rock ditty, “Words Of My People,” is an indication of things to come, it seems that these boys from Lvna are slowly showing that they are trying to take a few steps away from their U2-ish days, adding other dimensions to their colourful life, as a new wave-inspired band, by finding a sound of their own. Or aren’t they?
“Actually malawak ang tunog ng U2, eh.” opines vocalist/guitarist Jet Cunanan in his familiar shrill voice. It’s so woman-ish that you wouldn’t really know that it’s a “he” you’re taling to and not a “she” oce you speek to him on the phone. “Hindi lang sila basta nakatali sa new wave. New wave siya pero hiwalay siya sa ibang new wave. Actually nagkataon lang na isa sila sa mga banda na lumabas nu’ng panahon ng new wave. Pero, malawak sila. Sila lang ang bandang alam ko na may pagbabago sa bawat labas nila ng album, musically at lyrically. Musically, may distinction bawat isa. Lyrically, hanep sila sa lyrics. Poetic ‘yung mga lyrics ni Bono. Kumbaga sa atin, masarap siya na Tagalog. Isa pa, may sinasabi ‘yung mga kanta nila. Hindi lang sila basta love songs. Sa isang kanta, marami silang gustong sabihin. May mga nakatagong galit sa bawat kanta. Kung magiging sundalo sila, ‘yung mga lyrics nila ang kanilang mga sandata.”
And that is what actually differs Lvna from other local bands out there who are donning U2 classics on their sets. A staff was reasoning that we should do an article on this one particular band instead of trying to waste a 60-minute blank tape on these guys. “They really sound much more u2 than Lvna, pare.” he insists, “and their vocalist sounds much more like Bono than Jet.”
I shrugged the idea away.
To sing songs from U2, it doesnt only mean that you should croon as Bono-ish as you can or play the guitar the way The Edge executes it. Singing is one thing. If you want real belters, you should try watching showbands from Art’s Venue, Shakey’s or Cowboy grill instead. But feeling and knowing what you’re singing is another thing. U2 is an Irish band. If you know your world history very well (which, actually, I dont), you might probably know that Ireland is very much noted for being a country beset by, what most labeled, as the “hundred years war.” The war which is a by-product of a religious fracas among Catholics, Protestants and what-have-you-religions that started in the state some centuries ago. It also explains why artists and bands from that part of the world carry with them progressive lyrics instead of bubblegum tunes- The Cranberriesm Sting, and U2 to name a few (“Ode To My Family” is a protest song and not just any tewwtumelodic ditty on the radio). Activists are born in there, not nurtured, and rebellion come out naturally for them. Which differentiates Lvna from any other U2-inspired only by its melodies-bands.
For me, the criteria is simple: you should not play U2 or act U2 (or any other Irish-bred bands in particular) if you haven’t been an activist yourself and haven’t felt waht it is to be like. Activist in the true sense of the word. As for Lvna, the band started out as the musical branch of university-wide progressive cultural group Lupon ng Nagkakaisang Artista (or LUNA) back in 1992 over bouts of sleepless nights in coming up with propaganda materials for protest actions held that time, basically against the tenure of the US Bases. LUNA, the cultural group, was conceptualized by different art students/lovers from different universities with Jet, an architectural student from TUP, as an example. Along with Jet came bassist Nolit Abanilla (Fine Arts, PWU), Waldee Oasan (DLSU), and drummer Pet Barricaua (Fine Arts, TUP). However, Pet left the group two years ago, and was relplaced by Otep Estallo, a classmate of Jet’s, to heed the calling of Tambisan Ng Sining, KMU’s cultural arm. A lot has changed from them with Per’s departure, lyrically and perhaps politically, that hardliners tend to question political line nowadays.
“Nanggaling din kami sa isang political atmosphere kaya hindi nawawala sa amin ‘yong pagiging … (coughs) aktibista.” Jet explains. Waldee butts-in, “..Parang sugat kasi ‘yan, e. Nagiiwan ‘yan ng marka sa balat mo.”
“Ang mako-compare ko lang ngayon,” Nolit, this guy who’s a deadringer for Violent Playground’s Maly Andres when the latter was still a few pounds lighter, shares, “ay yung fact na syempre nag-grow ‘yung Lvna. Pwede kami gumawa ng kanta na di tulad dati na mga topipcs talaga namin ay purely political, ‘yung galit lahat. Ngayon, pwede kami gumawa ng kanta na tungkol sa pag-ibig pero nadoon pa rin yung linya’t di mawawala. Meaning conscious ka’t nasa tamang landas pa rin.”
“Ako, ang tingin ko sa Lvna, ang dapat tingnan ng mga nanonood sa amin ay musikero kami at ero ang armas namin. Kung meron kaming dapat na i-clear na issues, eto yung music namin. Minsan, pag tugtug kami, ineexpect ng mga aktibista na dahil Lvna kami, mga radikal yung tutugtugin namin. Nanggaling na kmi di’n pero gaya nga ng sinabi, meron pa din sugat. Andyan pa rin yung prinsipyo pero eto na yung porma ng pakikibaka namin. Mas nagdagdag lang kmai ng iba pang sasabihin. Hindi lang puro galit, hindi lang puro politikal. Siguro dapat na gumawa rin kmi ng love songs kasi tao din kami.” Jet clarifies.
And perhaps they really have matured. Though they still sing old tunes of theirs with radical lyrics during sets – like the anthemic “Halina Karina” or “Pagwasto” or environmental tunes like the catchy “Butas Na Langit” and “Nasaan Na?” – an old-timer can boldly notice that the freshly-collaborated tracks from them like “A Date With Lvna,” “The Shadow” “Don’t Deny Me” and “Words of My People” is a clear signal that these guys are set on sharing their music to a much-wider commercialized audience.
“Gusto rin siyempre namin magka-album.” Nolit bares, “pero siguro mas gusto namin kung indie siya kasi kontrolado mo yung magiging takbo ng banda at hindi ka ipa-package ng majors. Ang problema lang nga, as usual budget.”
“Ang problema kasi pag sa majors, ang lakas-lakas ng promotions mo tapos pagkatapos ng isang hit, wala na. Basta kumita lang ‘yung banda at lalo na ung recording company. bahala na kayo afterwards.” Jet criticizes.
Lately, the band has been busy with their separate careers. For months now, Lvna has yet to be welcomed again on the doors of Mayric’s – their home away from home once before certain misunderstandings came up between the two parties that involved another band of the said joint. For years the group have been holed and nurtured in the Espana-based hang-out, in a time when the said place was more of a meeting ground for activist leaders than it is more popularly known now.
“Actually, nakakamiss talaga. Parang bahay na kasi namin yan” Jet narrates. “Partly may kasalanan ako sa nangyari. Nagkaroon talaga ng misunderstanding at hindi ko talaga na-explain yung side ko Pero sana tapos na yon. Ang mahirap kasi e nadadamay ung ibang members na banda. Nag-sorry na ako at nagsosorry ulit ako. Sa Mayric;s kasi kami mas at home. Hindi naman kami more sa kinikita namin dun. Masaya kasi kami sa magagandang pagsasamahan na nabuo namin dun kaya nami-miss talaga namin. Sana mabigyan ulit kami ni sai ng set. Sana…”
While awaiting their next Mayric’s gig. the band polishes their old originals and as mentioned, busies themselves in comming up with new materials, which should not have come out if they were given the regular gigs they had then. They also set foot on a once-a-month gig at the Remedios Circle where the Department of Tourism has turned the notable pick-up place into a cultural affair every Fridays and Saturdays. Aside from these, they are all painting new horizons and dimensions in their life, perhaps not as the collegiate activist they once were, but as ordinary men beset by hardships of yuppiedom. Perhaps, they realized that they have to move onto another phase, that even if the rotten society they once-fought against still haven’t changed, they had to themselves. Or did they really changed at all?
“Ibagsak ang IBP!!!” belts out Nolit which gained collective nods from the group.
Yup, some old habits never die.
–SIG/IRVIN
