Gone But Not Forgotten (from an Observer's Point of View)

3/6/2015 12:31:23 PM

Photo credit: struturstuff.wordpress.com

I’m not saying this to kiss ass or to ride bandwagon (say, I just wonder: is anyone talking about him in the first place, aside from the people whom were closely related to him, and the music community?). In fact, I admit that I’m not even an avid fan. But I admire this guy a lot; I even remember he’s one of the persons I want to meet as a youngster (unfortunately, it didn’t happen).

Who exactly is Francis Durango Magalona? 

According to your best friend known as Wikipedia, Francis M is a popular musician and also a television personality. Apart from being the Master Rapper, he is also a photographer, director, producer, owns a shirt business (which means he is also a designer and at the same time entrepreneur), a former breakdancer, resident DJ in IBC 13’s Loveli’Ness, a radio DJ called The Mouth on 89.1 DMZ, and a whole lot of projects under his resume.

Other than that, he was the son of the popular movie love team in the mid-1900s, and a grandson of senator Enrique B. Magalona. He’s wife to Pia, and a father to eight children, including present teen star Elmo, young musician Frank, and actresses Maxene and Saab.

Six years ago, the Philippines, particularly the community of hip-hop and even the patrons of the popular variety show Eat Bulaga were shocked at his untimely demise. 

Over the course of days, people mourned while other radio stations gave tribute by giving airtime to his songs. Other user surfaced the GMA News website regarding the breaking report, causing the portal to bug down for a few hours due to traffic. Also, younger generations surfed the like of YouTube to listen to his songs.

No one really wanted to believe, not until the Bossing Vic Sotto himself announced the news at the start of the program itself on Friday.

It’s sad though that in his young age of 44, he succumb to the world due to leukemia. He was then on his 4th Chemoteprahy cycle at the Meidcal City. But anyway, life’s like that. The Freeman was freed from the sickness, as they say.

And since we’re talking about The Man from Manila here right now, how about this? Why he was not given a National Artist award? I believe he deserved to be honored, as well as the other Filipinos whom got their ears glued to his music – be it a romantic kind or a nationalistic one – as well as those online petitioners since President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s term.

There are speculatiins though that he can’t get one because of his allegedly involvement with drugs; something that even similar with the case of Superstar Nora Aunor recently.

But come on, not all musicians who were involved with vices are bad persons at all. It’s such a piece of crappy judgment, in fact. Sometimes, it actually helps one to furnish his craft. 

Want an example? The late National Artist Nick Joaquin, who happens to drink a lot of beer before he create his own piece.

The thing is, Francis M has done a lot of contributions – visual and auditory; commercialized or independently-produced – to the country. Is six years (or so) too long for the National Commission for Culture and Arts to decide to have his name right there and let our fellow countrymen honored the Freeman? 

Well, that's apart from the Posthumous Presidential Medal for Merit.

It is an undeniable fact that Francis M elevated the landscape of rap music at the country. He may not be the first man to do such craft; but he's considered one of the pioneers on its development. Without him, you may think the genre would go a different way, nor would it found its way to recognition; considering the type of society we have in general.

Overall, his contribution's enough to be a legend, earned much the following of the likes of Gloc-9, Death Threat, Stick Figgas, Lyrically Deranged Poets, Blaze, Pikaso, Legit Misfitz, Mastaplann, Bambu, and lot of names in the industry.

Because here’s another thing, and it’s not just me who notices this series of news recently: why don’t we give much tribute to the people who took exceptionally good efforts for the betterment of this nation? And instead, why do we express our sympathy to the ones who only do nothing but to romanticize us all? No offense to his untimely demise (yes, rest in peace though I personally felt sad he died at the age of 28), but we are sensing imbalance here. 

It’s like the so-called needs and wants theory.

As much as we gave our sympathy, but so we should give to a great man like Francis Magalona. Just saying!

Author: slickmaster | © 2015 september twenty-eight productions