REVIEW BY PINOYLIFE.COM re:verse Album Review - regarding verse: Considering the How and the What re:verse re:verse RP63 Records by Allan G. Aquino The proverbial big question about the arts, I feel, should always be based on "How" rather than "What". In other words, when experiencing, say, a film or a work of literature, the first and most important question to ponder shouldn't be "What does this piece say?" Rather, it's more interesting to ask, "HOW does this piece say. . .whatever it might be saying?" In the words of Villa: "Craft, then meaning." When the craft and style is solid, whatever one may "say" can be all the more effective and meaningful. How many films and writings, for instance, have been created around the theme of love? Lots and lots, I gather. But consider the ones that really matter to you. Consider, now, the genre of poetry and spoken word. How many pieces, whether you've experienced them on page or the stage, have used (or abused?) euphemisms like revolution, empowerment, justice, peace, and so on? Lots and lots, I gather. Ever wonder why poetry-in-print is so unpopular these days (at least in pop culture; if you think you can get rich publishing a poetry book, get a brain)? Because we've been conditioned throughout our lives, especially in high school and college, to dwell ceaselessly on "peeling apart" the bygone verses of DWM's. What's the writer saying, asks some of our teachers. Long ago, when posed with that question in some high school Lit class that bored me to no end, I'd mentally reply, Hell if I know. We're not mind-readers, and, sure enough, the average person is not necessarily equipped to know what a dead poet had attempted to "say" through his ambiguous lyricism. In light of that kind of conditioning, we lose sight of the fact that there's nothing wrong with reading a poem for the sake of its own beauty. There's nothing wrong with reading a poem for the sheer pleasure of its language, the pleasure of experiencing it through the lens of our own experiences and worldviews, rather than trying to "get into the mind" of the author. As poet Eileen Tabios once said, a poem needs an audience to reach fruition: It takes the diverse perspectives of other people to help a poem truly grow. Aside from poetry-on-page, there is what some consider poetry for the stage, better known as performance or spoken word poetry Spoken word -- this very label puts a bad taste in some people's mouths. The term evokes, for some people, images of a bitter-as-fuck fist-raiser ranting leftist platitudes with a pretentious hip hop swagger. Think bad Saul Williams clone. Think Zack de la Rocha, just strip away the music, insight, passion, and wit, but turn up the screaming. In the words of one Very Opinionated Pinoy Dude, spoken word, indeed, may be (expediently) abused as an artform for talentless artists. Since many spoken word artists tend to lean toward similar themes, the question of what their work is about gets pretty moot. Hence, it's better to question how they articulate what their work's about. Sure, many artists bespeak Revolution, but which ones really matter? Which ones truly inspire you, rouse your sense of wonder, pump you up? The emergence of poetry and spoken word CD's, all independently-proudced, have marked the past few years. There is the Bay Area-based Infliptration anthology. The isangmahal kollective has produced two recordings out of Seattle. Eileen Tabios recently released the "Empty Flagpole," while the phenomenal LA Enkanto Kollective produced and released "In Our Blood" late last year. A powerfully creative spirit is indeed in our blood. Hence, the proliferation of such projects, where poetic verses manifest themselves in performance and music, should be no surprise. Enter re:verse, a DC-based lyrical duo comprised of Giles Li and Leah Taguba. On their self-titled CD Regarding Verse (RP63 Records, 2001), Li and Taguba team up to (as per their website bio) explore issues of identity, culture politics, racism, sexism, and countless other topics, individually and as a duo. Clearly, the question of What is no surprise. Again, countless spoken word poets shape their craft around such issues. So, again, the proverbial big question arises: How do re:verse fare as meaningful artists? Poetry is words is language; hence, the opening track is aptly titled "Words Meaning." Li and Taguba lay down their MO, slick and fluid: I write a wave of emotion that leaks from cipher to fingertips/Spilling essence onto a page. Poetry, again, is often not so much about preaching messages; it's often about provoking emotional experiences. That's not to say that re:verse is devoid of messages and meanings. Nor are they limited to poetry of the from-the-page variety. They are performers, and their requisite passion is made clear. "My addiction is the diction," says Li. "The stage is the page." re:verse shift smoothly through their pieces and respective themes, Li and Taguban flowing on both individual and collaborative tracks. Their vocal tones are crisp and steady, going down easily. (Thankfully, no bad Saul clones here!) Li and Taguban sometimes unleash entire stanzas in a heavy cascade of images, making it hard to absorb everything in one sitting. For instance, to the clang and echo of kulintang, Taguban, in "She Comes," lays the exposition for the life-story of an immigrant woman, a living example of struggle and sacrifice inherent in many a bygone elder: She comes from rice terrace mountains and mango groves as far as the eye can see/She lingers like caribou-covered fields and the scent of sampaguita after death/And before birth, she swings/She swings from treetop canopies to white sand beaches of eastern islands/Harboring dreams that her seeds would someday become them/ Reincarnated, budding and beautiful/ Free of persecution and poverty. . . And so such images and tracks sometimes expect one to revisit them, to play them again and re-experience, re-absorb the deeply-layered messages and meanings. Other tracks, likewise, make use of music and mood, and delve into other themes with comparable passion. "Rise & Shine" explores the memory of youth and the evolution of identity, a theme addressed in tracks like "Passport" and "Delaware." But while their persistent focus on such themes may feel a tad repetitive, regarding verse is meant to be experienced as a collection of pieces, thereby using interesting strategies to stay fresh and buoyant. Scattered throughout the tracks are a series of "phone shouts," literally, greetings from fellow spoken word poets-in-arms from other sectors of the US, illustrating the ever-growing and far-reaching influence of literary performance from the voices of marginalized yet self-empowered peoples. One of the album's standout tracks, no doubt, is Li's solo piece wittily titled "The Fast and the Curious." A poetic essay on the dynamics of masculinity, identity, and misogyny as reflected in the import (read: rice-rocket) subculture, Li makes potent and astute observations of the Asian American male overcompensater: You're so caught up in cosmetic alterations/That your mind reclines from altercations/And you're alone faced with the ultimatum/Do I wanna spend my time improving myself, or my car? Whether or not regarding verse will matter ultimately depends on the listener. While the seasoned spoken word fanatic might not be blown away by the duo's thematic content, they may well be delighted by their spirit, their meticulous and steady style. Again, How, not What. All things considered, regarding verse is a meaningful effort, more than worthy of an audience's undivided attention. And so, in light of the fact that much of the world has yet to experience the genre of spoken word poetry (yes, it is a true genre -- never mind what some stuffy academic might posit), regarding verse, like many worthy works, succeeds in delivering the average person from limited ways of seeing and contemplating life and society. To listen to samples from the album, or to purchase, visit: http://www.rp63.com/reverse.html For more information, visit re:verse at their official website, www.regardingverse.com Provided Courtesy of PinoyLife.com All Rights Reserved back