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CORDJan 2013

GEORGE HARRISONPSY

WORLD MUSIC

CORD BEST 5

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5 Cord Hits/ 21 Cord Artists/ 28 Cord Images/ 30 Concert Review/31 Music+Current/ 33 Haikus/ 34 Fiction/ 37 Best of Blotfree/ 38 Good Laugh/ 39 Kim & El/ 39 Mr Jeydi’s Witdom/ 40 Film Reviews

Sections

FeaturesCONTENTS

Top of the World Music - 10

George Harrison - 14

Ravi Shankar - 23

Undercover Grasshoppers - 21

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The stock answer for a candidate of a beauty pageant on the question, “What is your wish for the world?,” is “world peace.” Wishing is easy; but achieving “world peace” has eluded hu-manity even with the knowledge and experiences of the brutal-ity of two World Wars, and pocket wars in different countries. In the aftermath of World War II, the United Nations was formed by world leaders. The Charter of the United Nations in its pre-amble declared: WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS DETERMINED- to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and

- to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and- to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from trea-ties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and- to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom, AND FOR THESE ENDS- to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours, and- to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, and- to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest, and- to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advance-ment of all peoples Since its adoption on June 26, 1945, there have been many wars fought, many soldiers and civilians killed, bringing untold miseries to humanity. And the threat to world peace continues, with dictators, terrorists, jihadists and rouge armies. As we begin a new year, CORD asks everyone who is living to revisit the preamble of the United Nations. We must ask the hard questions on where we have fallen short. We must urgently find answers to end the body count of dead in war-torn areas in the world. While we ask our leaders to protect us from the evil that man do in war; we must at the same time pursue peace within our nation, within our community, within our family, within our heart.

MEL B LIBREEditor in Chief

From the Editor

Editor in Chief: Mel Libre Creative Director: Mel Elijan Libre

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C O R D H I T S

INTRO:C#m B A E x2

VERSE 1:C#m B A ELate one night she started to cry and thought “He ain’t coming home” C#m BShe was tired of the lies, tired of the fight A EBut she didn’t wanna see him go A EShe fell on her knees and said C#m BI haven’t prayed since I was young A B EBut “Lord above I need a miracle”

CHORUS: A EWell no matter who you are B C#m And no matter what you’ve done AThere will come a time E B When you can’t make it on your own A EAnd in your hour of desperation

B C#mKnow you’re not the only one A B A E C#mPrayin’ “Lord above, I need a miracle”B A E C#m BI need a miracle

VERSE 2: C#m B A EHe lost his job and all he had in the fall of ‘09 C#m B A E Now he feared the worst, that he would lose his children and his wife A E C#m BSo he drove down deep into the woods and thought he’d end it all A B EAnd prayed, “Lord above, I need a miracle”

CHORUS: A EWell no matter who you are B C#m And no matter what you’ve done AThere will come a time E B When you can’t make it on your own A E

I NEED A MIRACLEThird Dayhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmhNZkyGloc

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And in your hour of desperation B C#mKnow you’re not the only one A B A E C#mPrayin’ “Lord above, I need a miracle”B A E C#m BI need a miracle

BRIDGE: A E C#m Na na naa na na na na, BNa na naa na na na na A E BNa na naa na na na na Wooaah wooohh x2

C#m B A E

VERSE 3: C#m B A EHe turned on the radio to hear a song for the last time C#m B A E He didn’t know what he was looking for even what he’d find A E B C#mAnd the song he heard it gave him hope and strength to carry on A B A E C#m And on that night, they found a miracleB A E C#m BThey found a miracle

BRIDGE 2: A E C#m BNa na naa na na na na, Na na naa na na na na A E BNa na naa na na na na Wooaah wooohh

OUTRO: A EAnd in your hour of desperation B C#mKnow you’re not the only one A B EPrayin’ “Lord above, I need a miracle”A B ELord above, I need a miracle

Capo 4 (key of B)G G/F# G/B Cadd9 (no index)Seems like all I can see was the struggleHaunted by ghosts that lived in my pastBound up in shackles of all my failuresWondering how long is this gonna last Em D Then You look at this prisoner and say to me “son G Cadd9 (no index)stop fighting a fight that’s already been won” G G/F# G/B Cadd9 (no index)I am redeemed, You set me free GSo I’ll shake off theses heavy chainsG/F# G/B D Cadd9 (no index) Wipe away every stain now I’m not who I used to beI am redeemed

All my life I have been called unworthyNamed by the voice of my shame and regretBut when I hear You whisper, “Child lift up your head”I remember oh God, You’re not done with me yet G G/F# G/B Cadd9 (no index)I am redeemed, You set me free GSo I’ll shake off theses heavy chains

REDEEMEDBig Daddy Weavehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzGAYNKDyIU

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GOOD TO BE ALIVEJason Gray

Verse IEHold on A EIs this really the life I’m living? A ECause I don’t feel like I deserve it A Every day that I wake, C#m Aevery breath that I take youve given B C#mSo right here, right now

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4omFQJEAAVc

G/F# G/B D Cadd9 (no index) Wipe away every stain now I’m not who I used to be---because

Em B7I don’t have to be the old man inside of me G Cadd9 (no index)Cause his day is long dead and gone------- be-causeEm B7I’ve got a new name, a new life I’m not the same G Cadd9 (no index)And a hope that will carry me homeRepeat Chorus

B AWhile the sun is shining down Chorus E BI wanna live like there’s no tomorrowC#m A ELove like I’m on borrowed time B C#m A EIt’s good to be alive, yeah

Verse IIEHold on A EIf the life that we’ve been given B EIs made beautiful in the living C#m And the joy that we get brings E Ajoy to the heart of the giver B C#mThen right here, right now B AThis is the song I’m singing out Chorus (2x) E BI wanna live like there’s no tomorrowC#m A ELove like I’m on borrowed time B C#m A EIt’s good to be alive, yeah

Bridge E B I won’t take it for grantedC#m AI won’t waste another secondE BAll I want is to give you C#m AA life well lived, to say thank you Chorus X2

Bridge

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NEED YOU NOWPlumb

INTROG Bm G Bm

VERSE 1 G BmWell, everybody’s got a story to tell G BmAnd everybody’s got a wound to be healed C Em DI want to believe there’s beauty here G BmCause oh, I get so tired of holding onG Bm I can’t let go, I can’t move on C Em DI want to believe there’s meaning here

CHORUSG BmHow many times have you heard me cry out, “God please take this?”G BmHow many times have you given me strength to just keep breathing?AmOh, I need youC G BmGod, I need you now.

VERSE 2G BmStanding on a road I didn’t planG Bm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ylnx0NA9X4

Wondering how I got to where I am C Em DI’m trying to hear that still small voice C Em DI’m trying to hear above the noise

CHORUSG BmHow many times have you heard me cry out, “God please take this?”G BmHow many times have you given me strength to just keep breathing?AmOh, I need youC GGod, I need you now.

BRIDGEC Am Oh, I walk...Oh, I walk through the shadows G BmAnd I, I am so afraidC Am Please stay, please stay right beside meG Bm With every single step I take

(Light strum)G BmHow many times have you heard me cry out? G BmAnd how many times have you given me strength?

REPEAT CHORUS

AmOh, I need youC G BmGod, I need you now G BmI need you now G BmI need you now

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Ravi Shankar could have been a rock

star, but he refused to ride on his as-

sociation with George Harrison in

gaining a foothold in pop culture.

Rather, he maintained his integrity by promoting

traditional Indian music in concert halls. It was in

1967 that Shankar played a four-hour set in the

Monterey Pop Festival, which started with a slow,

meditative sequence that accelerated towards

a bullet-train pace that brought Jimi Hendrix

and fellow musicians to a long standing ovation.

Harrison (who composed the Indian-influenced

“Norwegian Wood”) called Shankar as “the godfa-

ther of world music” and rightly so, for the virtuoso

from Bangladesh had brought to the exclusive fra-

ternity of Western pop music the beauty of centu-

ries-old Hindustani classical music.

But Shankar who died on 11

December 2012 (aged 92) never

took advantage of Harrison’s label of

him, for surely he knew that “world

music” had infiltrated the Western

pop culture long before he came into

the scene.

What is “world music”? So many defi-

nitions have been put forward, and

quite a number claim to have coined the word.

Ethnomusicologist Robert E. Brown is said to

have used “world music” in the early 1960s at

Wesleyan University in Connecticut, where he

developed doctoral programs in the discipline.

Another milestone that brought the word up front

was the initiation of World Music Day (Fête de

la Musique) in 1982 in France. But most signifi-

cant was the breakthrough album of Paul Simon,

“Graceland” that incorporated “world music”, more

specifically the South African rhythm of Ladysmith

Black Mambazo and Savuka.

CORD simply defines “world music” as “music

other than Western pop”. From Brazil’s sam-

ba to India’s raga; from Japan’s koto to Ireland/

Scotland’s Celtic; from Spain’s flamenco to tuareg

of the desert nomads; from Christian Gregorian

WORLD WTOP OF THE

USIC

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WORLD chant to Islamic qawwali. Often these music forms

are not limited to the 3-4 minute commercial sin-

gle dictated by record companies, rather these

could be performed for hours.

Probably one of the most successful world music

song is “The Girl From Ipanema”, composed by

Antonio Carlos Jobim. It reached no. 5 is the US

pop chart, won a Grammy for Record of the Year

in 1965 and is the second most recorded song of

all time after The Beatles’ “Yesterday”.

While Bob Marley and the Wailers started playing

reggae in 1963, they gained an international audi-

ence when Eric Clapton covered Marley’s “I Shot

the Sheriff” in 1974.

One of the defining moments of “world music”

was the release of “Graceland” by Paul Simon in

1986. The album took the 1986 Grammy Award

for Album of the Year, while the song “Graceland”

was voted in 1987 as Grammy Record of the

Year. The album was inspired by Zulu music of

isicathamiya and mbaqanga mixed with Western

pop/folk/rock.

Flamenco music reached global airplay through

Gipsy Kings (“Djobi Djoba”, “Bamboleo”) with their

smash 1989 album that spent 40 weeks on the

US pop chart.

In the 1990s, Apache Indian (reggae DJ Steven

Kapur) produced the megahit bhangramuf-

fin (a mix of bhangra and ragamuffin) tune,

“Boom Shack-A-Lak”. “Jai Ho” performed by

Sukhwinder Singh, Tanvi Shah, Mahalakshmi Iyer,

Vijay Prakash from the soundtrack of Slumdog

Millionaire, was acclaimed as Winner of Best

Original Song at 2009 Oscar Awards.

Formed in 2007, the English folk rock band

Mumford & Sons uses bluegrass and folk instru-

mentation, such as a banjo, upright bass, man-

dolin and piano, in alternative folk-rock American

roots music. The group scored big with “Little Lion

Man”, and has become headliner in major music

festivals around the world.

In Korea, “changga” (popular Western melody

sung with Korean lyrics) took its roots in 1885

when American missionary, Henry Appenzeller

started teaching American and British folk songs

at a school. In 1992 Seo Taiji & Boys defined

K-pop with their song “Nan Arayo”. K-pop has

since taken the world by storm through Psy’s

“Gangnam Style” that went viral on the Internet

and has since became the most viewed video of

all time on YouTube (beating Justin Bieber).

Purists like Ravi Shankar may not like irreverent

mixture of different music genres that has created

commercial high-breeds in this digital age. But

the emergence of music that emanates from dif-

ferent continents and cultures can also be seen

as a badge of recognition, that humanity is one,

and this can be expressed through “world music”.

(CORD)

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1. Bob Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) brought Jamaican reggae music to world consciousness. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for The Wailers (1963-1974) and Bob Marley & The Wailers (1974–1981). He became popular when he died and people soon discovered Jamaican mu-sic and the Rastafari movement that he passionately embraced. His best-known hits include "I Shot the Sher-iff", "No Woman, No Cry", "Jamming", "Redemption Song", "One Love" and "Buffalo Soldier".

Top 5 World Music Artists of All Time

2. Paul Simon (born October 13, 1941) had established himself as singer-song-writer of folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel. But it was when he became a solo artist that he established himself as an icon in world music by experimenting on music outside of folk rock. In 1986 he released Graceland that brought South African township music not only to the American audience, but globally.

3. Antônio Carlos Jobim (January 25, 1927 – December 8, 1994) is the foremost mover of bossa nova. He was a songwriter, composer, arranger, singer, and pianist/guitarist. The Brazilian composed one of the most re-corded songs of all time, "The Girl from Ipanema" (Garota de Ipanema).

4. Ravi Shankar (April 7, 1920 – December 11, 2012) was an Indian musician and composer who established the sitar as an important classical string instrument. He popularized Indian music with his friendship with the Beatles; and with George Harri-son created the first concert-for-a-cause “Concert for Bangladesh”. He is the father to two popular musi-cians – sitar player Anoushka Shankar and American singer-songwriter Norah Jones.

5. PSY (Park Jae-sang) (born December 31, 1977) hails from South Korea. A singer,songwriter, rapper, dancer, and record pro-ducer, he has produced the biggest K-Pop global hit, "Gangnam Style." The single has exceeded 1 billion views on Yutube, the only video to do so as of this writing. He culminated 2012 in the New Year’s Eve celebration with American rap-artist MC Hammer on-stage in front of a live audience of over 1 million people in Times Square, New York City.

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GEORGE HARRISON

BEST5CORD :

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GEORGE HARRISON

G Am7 D7Give me love, give me love, give me peace on earth Cm D7 F Cgive me light, give me life, keep me free from birth. G Am7 D7Give me hope, help me cope with this heavy load Cm D7 F Ctrying to touch and reach you with heart and soul... G G G7 CmOm m m my lord. G G G7 C Please .. .. take hold of my hand A A7 D7that I might understand you. Won’t you please oh won’t you. G Am7 D7Give me love, give me love, give me peace on earth Cm D7 F Cgive me light, give me life, keep me free from birth. G Am7 D7Give me hope, help me cope with this heavy load Cm D7 F Ctrying to touch and reach you with heart and soul... G Am7 D7Give me love, give me love, give me peace on earth

Cm D7 F Cgive me light, give me life, keep me free from birth. G Am7 D7Give me hope, help me cope with this heavy load Cm D7 G...trying to ... touch and reach ...

GIVE ME LOVE 5

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Am Am/G Am6 Fmaj7I look at you all see the love there that’s sleep-ingAm G D EWhile my guitar gently weeps Am Am/G Am6 Fmaj7I look at the floor and I see it needs sweepingAm G C EStill my guitar gently weeps A Amaj7 F#m A Bm EI don’t know why nobody told you how to unfold your loveA Amaj7 F#m AI don’t know how someone controlled youBm EThey bought and sold you Am Am/G Am6 Fmaj7I look at the world and I notice it’s turningAm G D EWhile my guitar gently weeps Am Am/G Am6 Fmaj7

With every mistake we must surely be learningAm G C EStill my guitar gently weeps A Amaj7 F#m AI don’t know how you were divertedBm EYou were perverted tooA Amaj7 F#m AI don’t know how you were invertedBm ENo one alerted you Am Am/G Am6 Fmaj7I look at you all see the love there that’s sleep-ingAm G D EWhile my guitar gently weeps Am Am/G Am6 Fmaj7Look at you all...Am G C EStill my guitar gently weeps

WHILE MY GUITAR GENTLY WEEP4

CHORUS D Gmaj7Here comes the sun. Here comes the sun.E7 D | G6 Dadd9 G6 | Dadd9 A7 |And I say “it’s allright.” VERSE 1 D G6 A7Little darling, it’s been a long, cold lonely winterD Gmaj7 A7 A7susLittle darling, it feels like years since it’s been

here.

VERSE 2Little darling, the smiles returning to their faces.Little darling, it seems like years since it’s been here. VERSE 3Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting.Little darling, it seems like years sinc it’s been clear. middle section: repeat x4 after last repeat play: *1F C G D A7 :| |A7 | A7sus | A7 | A7 |Sun, sun, sun, here it comes

HERE COMES THE SUN3

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WHILE MY GUITAR GENTLY WEEP

HERE COMES THE SUN

INTRO: F Eb G C C Cmaj7 Something in the way she moves C7 F F/E Attracts me like no other lover D D7 G Something in the way she woos me Am Am/G# I don’t want to leave her now Am/G Am/F# F Eb G C You know I believe in how C Cmaj7Somewhere in her smile she knowsC7 F F/EThat I don’t need no other loverD D7 GSomething in her style that shows meAm Am/G#I don’t want to leave her nowAm/G Am/F# F Eb G C You know I believe in how

BRIDGE A Amaj7 A7 You’re asking me will my love grow D G A G# G F# F E I don’t know I don’t know A Amaj7 A7 You stick around and it may show D G C B A G E D I don’t know I don’t know C Cmaj7Something in the way she knowsC7 F F/EAnd all I have to do is think of herD D7 GSomething in the things she shows meAm Am/G#I don’t want to leave her nowAm/G Am/F# F Eb G CYou know I believe in how

SOMETHING2

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A Em My sweet lordA Em Hm, my lordA Em Hm, my lord A D I really want to see youBm D Really want to be with youBm D Really want to see you lord F#dim B7 Em But it takes so long, my lord A Em My sweet lordA Em Hm, my lordA Em Hm, my lord A D I really want to know youBm D Really want to go with youBm D Really want to show you lord F#dim B7 Em AThat it won’t take long, my lord (hal-lelujah) Em AMy sweet lord (hallelujah) Em AHm, my lord (hallelujah) Em AMy sweet lord (hallelujah) D I really want to see you D7 Really want to see you B7Really want to see you, lord

EReally want to see you, lord G#dim C#7 F#m BBut it takes so long, my lord (hallelu-jah) F#m BMy sweet lord (hallelujah) F#m BHm, my lord (hallelujah) F#m BMy, my, my lord (hallelujah) E C#mI really want to know you (hallelujah) E C#mReally want to go with you (hallelujah) E Really want to show you lord (aaah) G#dim C#7 F#m BThat it won’t take long, my lord (hal-lelujah) F#m BHmm (hallelujah) F#m BMy sweet lord (hallelujah) F#m BMy, my, lord (hallelujah) F#m BHm, my lord (hare krishna) F#m BMy, my, my lord (hare krishna) F#m BOh hm, my sweet lord (krishna, krish-na) F#m BOh-uuh-uh (hare hare) E C#mNow, I really want to see you (hare rama) E C#mReally want to be with you (hare rama) E

MY SWEET LORD1

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MY SWEET LORDReally want to see you lord (aaah) G#dim C#7 F#m A But it takes so long, my lord (hallelujah) F#m BHm, my lord (hallelujah) F#m BMy, my, my lord (hare krishna) F#m BMy sweet lord (hare krishna) F#m BMy sweet lord (krishna krishna) F#m BMy lord (hare hare)

F#m BHm, hm (Gurur Brahma) F#m BHm, hm (Gurur Vishnu) F#m BHm, hm (Gurur Devo)

F#m BHm, hm (Maheshwara)

F#m BMy sweet lord (Gurur Sakshaat) F#m BMy sweet lord (Parabrahma) F#m BMy, my, my lord (Tasmayi Shree) F#m BMy, my, my, my lord (Guruve Namah) F#m B My sweet lord (Hare Rama) F#m B (hare krishna) F#m BMy sweet lord (hare krishna) F#m BMy sweet lord (krishna krishna) F#m BMy lord (hare hare)

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CORD ARTIST:UNDERCOVER GRASSHOPPERS

A 5 piece Indie Rock group that hails from Cebu City Philippines. With sounds that circulates from 60’s rock, post-punk, nu wave and the in between.

With different music backbones, ranging from end to end on whatever music spec-trum there is, they pull their influences together and create a sound that compli-ments them all as one while staying connected to the listeners.

When it comes to the songs they write, the band say they simply want to depict their understand-ing of our day to day existence and the attachments that comes along, whether it be a struggle or a personal victory through the rock n’ roll religion.

Started in 2008 right after graduation of the members from college, the band had an indefinite hiatus in 2010 and came back 2012 when they released their first full length album under 22Tan-go Records

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Why the name?

The same thing as asking why the sun is named as such. It just sounded right when the words plopped out of our heads How did the recording pro-cess go?

We recorded most of our tracks at 1032 Studios with Jad Ban-tug except for Frantic Static and Finding Marvin which were done at Backyard Studios re-corded by Micmic Demeterio and produced by Ian Zafra of SATI.

With all songs, we started re-cording the drums first, fol-lowed by bass, guitars , main vocals then the nuances or background vocals.

The songs and arrangements have already been settled and finalized before we stepped into the studio. However, some of the backing vocals were made spontaneously while re-cording.

Who wrote most of the songs?

I wrote the songs while the ar-rangement was a collaboration between everyone in the band. Jad Bantug also gave inputs here and there in the studio.

How is radio responding to your songs?

Frantic Static our first single that was released in 2009, reached no. 1 on the top ten countdown in a local station.

and it gained a lot of airplay, so I guess it was a good response. But we haven’t released our new songs to the radio yet af-ter we launched the album last year because most of our ac-tivities are online. Maybe, in the near future, we may be releas-ing these on the local radio.

Gigs?

We have gigs for the Sinulog week. Jan. 18 - at HandurawJan. 19 - MCITI Suites and on the Jan 24 - at The Outpost where we will be opening for SATI (Sheila and the Insects)

How is the Cebu Music live music scene?

There are not a lot of venues for live gigs with bands playing original songs but we are hop-ing this year the music scene will be a lot healthier.

Are you the next big thing out of Cebu?

Next big thing? Nah.. but why not? It all depends if people re-act to us. What we do is make music that relates to us first and if others dig and connect with it then all the better.

Other thoughts?

We aren’t full time musicians like most bands here in Cebu. We have our main jobs in broad daylight. But when the sun comes down, and our bodies heavy with emotions gathered during the day, the still air and black sky invite us to make mu-sic for the stars to dance along and glitter.

You can buy our album online at iTunes.com and Amazon.com or simply like us on facebook and listen to them for free.

CILEE KUIZONOur exclusive interview with

of Undercover Grasshoppers

http://www.facebook.com/undercovergrasshoppers

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CILEE KUIZON

FACT SHEET: RAVI SHANKAR

Birth name: Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury

Date of Birth: April 7, 1920

Died: December 11, 2012 (aged 92)

Place of Birth: Varanasi, British India

Genres: Hindustani Classical Music

Occupations: Composer, Musician

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THE PIONEERING CONCERT FOR BANGLADESHGeorge Harrison & Friends “My friend came to me, With sadness in his eyes, He told me that he wanted help, Before his country died, Although I couldn't feel the pain, I knew I'd have to try, Now I'm asking all of you, To help us save some lives...”. The song, “Bangladesh” told of the story of Ravi Shakar asking Beatle George Harrison for help as the former’s countrymen suffered as a result the 1970 Bhola cyclone that killed an estimated 500,000 people, considered the 20th century's worst cyclone disaster. It was a tough call, but Harrison knew that he could use his popularity as a vehicle to getting other acts to join him in a humanitarian concert that had never been done before. Among those who responded were Ringo Starr, Billy Preston, Leon Russell, Badfinger and two hesitant par-ticipants, Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan. Forty thousand people filled the two shows (2:30pm and 8pm) held on August 1, 1971 in Madison Square Garden. The performances were filmed and recorded, and upon the insistence of Har-rison no adjustments were made, thus, one writer noted the off-key vocal performance of Ringo was preserved.

What made the concert extraordinary was the collaboration of the musicians in most of the songs, especially with Harrison appearing in nearly all the numbers and acting as the emcee. The Concert for Bangladesh wasn’t technically perfect, but that was the beauty of it all, artists in the raw, sans studio magic. These were talents and geniuses in their purest form. While the rock artists were the draw, the opening set of Shankar with fellow musicians− sarodist Ali Akbar Khan, tabla player Alla Rakha, and Kamala Chakravarty on tamboura gave the audience a hypnotic trip of classic Indian music. Ravi Shankar in an interview decades later, said, “As a result (of the concert), overnight the name of the country Bangladesh came to be known all over the world. Millions of dollars were raised (US$243,418.50 for the concert alone) and given to UNICEF who distributed milk, blankets and clothes to refugees. It touches my heart very deeply to know that this event is not to be forgotten, and that with the re-release of the film and the album people in Bangladesh will continue to be helped. I am sure that the music of this electrifying concert of 1971 will move the listeners even today”. Acknowledging Harrison’s contribution, the great sitar player stated, “An enormous amount of money was collected and this could never have been achieved without the help of dear George. What happened is now history: it was one of the most moving and intense musical experiences of the century.” The Concert for Bangladesh served as the template for future humanitarian concerts. Though it had its flaws, it remains to be a defining moment for musicians as proof that friendship and tal-ents can do so much to uplift people in times of suffering and need. (CORD)

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Am G#dim7My friend came to me, with sadness in his eyesAm/G FTold me that he wanted helpE5+ E7b9Before his country dies Am G#dim7Although I couldn't feel the pain, I knew I had to tryAm/G FNow I'm asking all of you E5+ E7b9To help us save some lives

Am Bangla Desh, Bangla DeshE7 Where so many people are dying fast DmAnd it sure looks like a mess G#7I've never seen such distress ENow won't you lend your hand try to under-stand Dm E7Relieve the people of Bangla Desh AmBangla Desh, Bangla DeshE7 Such a great disaster - I don't understand DmBut it sure looks like a mess G#7I've never known such distress ENow please don't turn away, I want to hear you say Dm CRelieve the people of Bangla Desh SOLO (sax)Am E7 Dm G#7 E

Dm E7Relieve the people of Bangla Desh AmBangla Desh, Bangla DeshE7 Now it may seem so far from where we all are DmIt's something we can't neglect G#7It's something I can't neglect ENow won't you give some bread, get the starving fed Dm CWe've got to relieve Bangla Desh E Dm CRelieve the people of Bangla Desh E Dm CWe've got to relieve Bangla Desh E Dm CRelieve the people of Bangla Desh Am E7 Dm G#7 ENow won't you lend your hand try to under-stand Dm E7Relieve the people of Bangla Desh Am E7 Dm G#7 E Dm E7 (fade)

BANGLADESHGeorge Harrisonhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ylnx0NA9X4

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REVIEW: THE X FACTOR USA 2012It was a Carly Rose Sonenclar show until the final night of Simon Cowell’s $5-million winner-take- it-all 2012 contest. The teen vocal prodigy had everything to take the crown. Neophyte judge Demi Lovato even called her “alien” for her being too talented for her age. Carly Rose had that unique voice. She had that sweet innocent your little sister-look. She had a humble demeanor that endeared her to millions of fans. She had the X-Factor. But country singer Tate Stevens got more votes at the very end.

What went wrong for the 13-year old? If she was a boxer, she had peaked about two weeks earlier. She blew us away week after week: “Feeling Good”, “It will Rain”, “My Heart Will Go On”, “Over the Rainbow”, “Rolling Deep” and “If I Were a Boy”.

When the semi-finals kicked off, Carly Rose’s choice of songs were pretty bad especially the over-covered “Imag-ine” and Hallelujah”. Her duet with LeAnn Rimes “How Do I Live” was tailor-made for Rimes making poor Carly Rose sing second fiddle.

How about Tate Stevens? The 37-year old vet-eran country performer was the perfect persona of middle-aged Americano: struggling amidst the eco-nomic uncertainty; hoping to achieve one’s personal dreams; wanting better times for the family and the country. He had a branded country voice. He burst the right emotions to his songs. He was humble, always addressing the judges with respect. Most importantly, he stuck to his country roots throughout the competition. That “Pontoon” duet with Little Big Town was a joy to see with Stevens fronting for the band. His crowning piece Chris Young’s “If Tomor-row Never Comes” was heartfelt and fresh as com-pared to Carly Rose’s overproduced “Hallelujah”.

But the most improved act in this year’s competition was Fifth Harmony. Formed hastily from five solo singers who failed to make the cut, the group began as individual performers singing together one song at a time. But as the competition neared the semi-finals, they had become an honest-to-goodness singing group with near perfect harmony, glamorous costumes and confident stage presence. When they performed as one of the top 3 they had become a “five-in-one diva” pack-age. For a moment, I thought they’d overtake both Carly Rose and Tate.

All three – Tate, Carly Rose and Fifth Harmony – have a good chance of taking the next step as professional recording artists/performers. Let us cross of fingers for their success.

In the over-all, this year’s X-Factor USA series is an improvement from last year’s, thanks in part to the good hosting skill of Mario Lopez. But I think that Kardashian girl should go together with over-paid Britney Spears. (CORD)

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CORD IMAGESEuro Structures by Eduardo Ong

Venice, Italy

Germany

Rome, Italy

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Paris, FrancePrague, Czech Republic

Vienna, Austria

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CONCERT REVIEW

KIS has grown up. Kayth Ina and Shaine have been together since they were little girls and their cute-ness made them favorite performers in social and cultural events in Auck-land. Now teenagers KIS has taken time to hone their talents through vocal and piano lessons and dancing sessions. They’ve also start-

DANCE FOR LIFE: KIS & FriendsAuckland, NZ - December 23

Photo credit by Jeff Busby

ed composing their own materials. When asked to help raise funds for the victims of Typhoon Pablo in the Philippines that claimed more than 1,000 lives, they were first to raise their hands up. With the support of their parents, KIS organized the concert, Dance 4 Life, inviting some of their talented friends. KIS fired-up the gig with “California Gurls” followed in earnest with the pro-life anthem, Dance 4 Life that showcased their vocal harmony. As they exited, YFC Moses Wanted Crew took command with their slick dance moves. The next set consisted of a wonderfully delivered acoustic rendition (featuring guitarist Cheen-ee Mandawe and percussionist John Mandawe) of Maroon 5’s “Payphone” and the well-choreographed “Hush, Hush”. Errin C and Alistair Serrao brought chuckles with their funny rap-and-song stories. Vince Sacay rendered a beautiful violin classical piece accompanied by pianist Dicdic del Castillo. From Bruno Mars’ “It Will Rain”, KIS then made their tribute to X-Factor USA Judge Britney Spears incorporating the Diva’s patented dance moves. Enter: SKSA: K-Pop Dance Crew in their winning form in a mash-up of popular Korean pop hits and rightly excluding the overplayed “Gangham Style”. In their final set, KIS changed to Christmas colors in Taylor Swift’s “You Belong with Me” and Mariah Carey’s “All I want for Christmas is You”. The finale got all the performers together as KIS rocked the venue with another Britney signature ditty, “Hold it Against Me”. What makes KIS fun to see is the joy that embodies their numbers – something honed through years of togetherness and friendship, maybe sisterhood. They have become confident on stage; and given the right original materials, should be in a new league. Well done, KIS, well done. (CORD)

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Kari Jobe, the female worship leader who earned her first Grammy nomination for “Best Contemporary Christian Music Album” (Where I Find You) and joined the Winter Jam Tour, released an acoustic EP and headlined her first tour, “A Christmas Tour” with special guest Warren Barfield. “I feel so incredibly blessed in this season,” shares Kari, “God is such a good giver of dreams and more than anything, I am so thankful that God is using my music to help people draw closer to the Lord. It is so precious to be a part of the Kingdom of God in this hour.

I’m beyond honored” … Matthew West performed be-fore two major, national television audiences at ABC’s

No. 1 new talk show, “Katie” and “Fox & Friends”. West performed his hit single, “Forgiveness,” which has inspired radio listen-ers and is featured on his praised new album, Into the Light… Parachute Festival 2013 on January 25-27, 2013 in Mystery Creek Events Centre, Hamil-ton, New Zealand will feature Newsboys, Switchfoot (photo at left) , Hillsong United, Family Force 5, Lec-rae, Evermore, Oh Sleeper, Rapture Ruckus, Sleeping

Giant, Mumsdollar, Parachute Band and Half Noise… Building 429’s breakout single “Where I Be-long” is Christian Song of the Year, accord-ing to the Billboard 2012 year-end charts. Billboard also named the song its Christian AC Song of the Year, while Building 429 re-ceived recognition as both Christian Song Artist of the Year and Christian AC Song Art-ist of the Year. Earlier this year, “Where I Be-

long” set precedent as the first song to maintain No. 1 on the Billboard National Christian Audience chart for 15 consecutive weeks. “Where I Belong” surpassed singles by tobyMac as well as Phillips, Craig & Dean, who each held the top spot on the Billboard NCA chart for 11 straight weeks. Furthermore, the song also peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard chart…Critically-acclaimed new duo for KING & COUNTRY, who just wrapped up their first headlin-ing tour, made their late night debut on NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” on January 10, 2013. They performed

MUSIC + CURRENT

32 Lahug, Cebu

“The Proof of Your Love” from their debut album, Crave. iTunes released their “Best of 2012” list and named for KING & COUNTRY’s Crave as “Break-through Christian & Gospel Album of 2012.” Am-azon.com also just announced their “Best Music of 2012” list and named “The Proof of Your Love” as “Christian Music’s Song of the Year’…Third Day launched its 12th studio project Miracle, with the powerful, “I Need A Miracle,” on Septem-ber 14. The song claimed the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Audience Chart marking more than 51 million cumulative impressions to date. While the band is known as a radio hit-maker, this particular No. 1 made its way to the top in a season domi-nated by holiday music. “This song is special to us because it was inspired by a story shared by one of

our fans,” shares Third Day’s lead singer, Mac Powell. “It’s about how music, and the great work of our friends at radio, can offer hope to a hurting world. We’re looking forward to getting to play this live on our spring tour.” The 12-track Miracle (Nov. 6) was produced by Brendan O’Brien (Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, Train, The Killers) and recorded in the band’s Atlanta-based studio called, The Quarry. Third Day will hit the road again this Feb-ruary for its 45-city headlining “The Miracle Tour”…. Filipianz head-lined Crossover, a fundraising musical concert on November 3, 2012 at the Eastgate Christian Centre, Auckland. Composed of 7 singers from “Miss Saigon” Auckland cast, Filipianz treated the audience with Broadway numbers and pop hits. Lelani Guillen (photo at right), who

p l a y e d the role of Kim in the Wel-l i n g t o n staging, sparkled in her numbers…Bro Mel B Libre, lead servant of TawagAwit, hosted OG: Open Gathering in Blockhouse Bay Com-munity Centre, Auckland on De-cember 23. He led in the singing of popular Christmas carols to new migrants who were treated to food, entertainment, inspiring words and

gifts. Among those who joined him on stage were: T-Kids of St Mark’s Pakuranga, Me-el of TaYo presents Eli, and Jeydi Parado and Isabel Caballero (photo at left).

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By M Batulan

In between two totsSinging “My Favorite Things”What heavenly touch

Christmas carolingBefore strangers and migrantsSilver bells ringing

Colorful lanternsWe made by ourselvesJoyfully we learned

The Santa ParadeFilled the streets of HendersonCultural collage

In native costume Father, mother and childrenFar away from home

One peach for each oneLeft over from Christmas DayFruit kissed by the sun

It is quite outsideJust a blue sky with white cloudsCold drink at my side

HAIKUS

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PART III. FALSE GRIEF

Lisa’s biggest dilemma was how to break the sad news to Oliver. She began by explaining to him that he will not see his father again and that right now he must be with the angels above watching over him.

“You mean dad is dead?” Oliver had said plainly and Lisa was taken aback by his son’s reply.

“Yes, he is, ” Lisa answered. Then Oliver let out an angry wail saying, “Dad is not dead. He will not ever, ever leave me. He promised to be with me until I grow up and be an engineer like him!”

“Ok son, Dad is not dead. He is just there somewhere. And he will soon be reunited with us” Lisa said trying to console Oliver. Somehow, her own words have comforted herself. She herself was not prepared for the reality. It was too much for her to bear at the moment.

So when the casket was finally brought home, Oliver was not bothered at all for in his heart and mind his Dad was alive and will be with him very soon. Through the glass of the casket, only the white handkerchief covering the disfigured face could be seen.

Soon stream of people came eager to console Lisa and Oliver. The support of Lisa and Nilo’s family and friends were overwhelming. The nightly schedule of sponsors of the funeral wake was made involving the church organizations, the school teachers, and NIA staff. Lisa’s co-teachers volun-teered to sponsor the first night. They organized a prayer service interspersed with songs that cut through the heart of Lisa. “For both in life and death, we belong to God…we shall all appear before the judgment seat of God…” went the haunting lyrics of the song they were singing. Lisa thought it was odd. Something told her Nilo’s time has not come yet. Was it self-denial on her part? And with great resolve, she decided that the earlier that she can accept it, the better for her and Oliver.

As it was a Saturday night, most of her co-teachers decided to stay over for the whole night’s vigil. At 12:00 a.m. many were still there under the wide canvas roof supported by big bamboo poles in their front yard. People were scattered over more than 15 tables, playing cards or mahjong or simply chatting. At the far end was a table occupied by a group of women in their 60’s who were engrossed in telling stories about souls and spirits who roam around particularly during the first two days after the physical death of a human being. Each had her own scary story to tell.

The access road leading to Lisa’s house that night was a bit dark as the bulb in the lamp post was busted. Despite the darkness, however, one of the old ladies saw a strange human figure appearing to be dressed in black.

“Hey, look at that!” The lady cried.

Claws of Lifeby Vedasto

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“You must be imagining things” the lady in front of her retorted.

Everybody turned their faces to the dark street and sure enough they saw the figure in black slowly approaching them and when there was sufficient light, they saw what seemed like the face of Nilo.

Pandemonium broke out. All five ladies shouted, “Nilo’s ghost is here!” then ran in different direc-tions, prompting others to do the same. Lisa and her mom who were in the kitchen went out to find out what happened, and again Lisa’s instincts told her something was not right!…….

PART IV. THE RECONCILIATION

Anxiety and lack of food and water have taken their toll on Nilo. He looked haggard, felt very tired and had recurring nightmares of being dragged into a pit, becoming deeper and deeper until what he could only hear were the echoes of his own shouts for help. And then he would see the menac-ing face of Zaldy together with his unsuspecting wife and son.

Then he heard faint sounds of footsteps coming. He turned his back and pretended to sleep. And what followed was the sound of the boiled sweet potato and water being dropped to the floor. After a while, he turned to see who was there and saw the back of the man retreating. No, it wasn’t Zaldy, as he suspected, but another man who walked with a gait that was familiar – way back when he was still a boy.

“Hey, wait for a while. Who are you? Please help me!” Nilo yelled.

But the man quickened his steps away from the cell. Nilo wondered who the man was and what he was up to. Was he there to help him? Was he the one who fed him? A glint of hope shone on Nilo’s eyes.

Nilo drank the water but did not touch the sweet potato. And so it took him the whole morning to realize that, carefully embedded in the boiled sweet potato was a key! “Was it the key to the cell?” he thought. He reached for the padlock through the hole in the door below it and he didn’t find it difficult to insert the key into it. He turned the key and the padlock snapped open.

The smell of freedom pumped up his adrenalin and soon he found himself half walking and half running in the forest and downhill. He realized that he had to reach the trail before darkness comes, otherwise he would be lost in the thick forest. He figured he had to walk for at least two hours before reaching the bus terminal where he would take the last bus trip to Sta. Lucia and into the safety of his home!

All the people were huddled together watching at the “ghost”, frozen. From somewhere, the sound of a small voice was heard saying, “Daddy, Daddy!” It was Oliver who had freed himself from the tight clutches of his mom. He ran towards the figure in black, and to everybody’s horror and surprise, the “ghost” lifted up the boy and carried him in his arms. There was a confused look on all the faces of the people. And then Lisa ran towards the father and son, and soon the three found themselves in a very tight embrace, tears streaming down their faces.

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“If Nilo is alive, who is this man whose soul we’ve been praying for?” the people chorused.

Nilo headed towards the casket and said, “I know that man. He was a disturbed man and had an obsession. He was obsessed of having a good life which he never experienced – of having a family, a happy family he can call his own. And he saw the fulfilment of his obsession in my family. But as you have witnessed, fate wouldn’t have allowed such obsession to materialize”.

There was still that quizzical look on the eyes of everyone. And so Nilo told them the details of his story starting with the false call from the NIA Provincial office, his trip to San Francisco, the sup-posed meeting of officials for the watershed project, his capture, his prison cell, the surrender of his clothes including his wedding ring.

“But there was a man who helped me through my ordeal in that prison cell. Whoever he was and whatever his intentions were, I may never know.”

“You know, unlike all of us, this man is alone and has no one to turn to. Fate has not been so kind to him. Maybe we should continue the prayers for him and give him a decent burial.”

And everybody nodded in agreement.

During Zaldy’s burial rites, a pair of cold eyes was watching intently. The man was deep in his thought, “So long, my friend, comrade and leader. I am sorry I did not help you through your plans. You went astray. And it wasn’t simply right. We never can play with fate”.

Epilogue

Hands clasped together, Nilo, Lisa and Oliver were walking down the beach savouring the beauty of the last colours of sunset. When darkness started to envelope the beach, they headed towards their silver Nissan Sentra car.

“Would you mind if I and Oliver sit at the back?” Lisa asked Nilo.

“Not at all madam.” Nilo said jokingly.

Then Nilo saw something clipped beneath the windscreen wiper. It was the familiar cigarette wrapper. He took it out and secretly put it in his breast pocket. “

“What is that?” Lisa asked.

“Oh, some kids playing with the wiper,” Nilo lied.

That night, he took the paper out and read: “My dear buddy, it has really been a long time since we last played together as kids. The forest would have been a nice reunion venue for the two of us. But we now have totally different worlds. Thank you for taking care of my comrade.”

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BEST OF BLOTFREEby Mel B Libre

St Pedro CalungsodPrior to Vatican II, the priest said the mass in Latin with the sacristan responding at designated parts. It was therefore important that a catechist accom-panied the priest in his tasks, including missions. One of those catechists was Pedro Calungsod who served the Jesuit Mission in Guam with Spanish priest Fr. Diego Luis de San Vitores in the 1600s.

He and the priest died on April 2, 1672 when two natives of Tumhon village attacked them with spears and a cutlass because of baptizing a baby girl. The bodies of the two were never found, as these were thrown into the sea.

On October 21, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI canon-ized the Philippines’ second saint Pedro Calung-sod together with 6 others, before 80,000 people in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City. In the Philip-pines, millions of Filipinos celebrated Calungsod’s sainthood in churches, public places and homes.

Among Filipinos of old, having a sacristan or a priest in a family gave a sense of pride and a place of honor in the community. Which reminds us of a Gospel reading: “James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” He replied, “What do you wish me to do for you?” They answered him, “Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left.” Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” They said to him, “We can.” Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared.” (Mark 10:35-40)

To be of service to God is to follow the path of service, sacrifice and suffering. “But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.” (Mark 10:43-44) One should never aim to be at the pedestal among men, rather to fulfill the mission that each one of us is called: to serve our fellowmen.

Pedro Calungsod followed the path of service, sacrifice and suffering. He died a martyr. Now he stands tall among men, as a saint. His life serves as an example of what God expects of us as His disciples.

http://www.blotfree.com

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GOOD LAUGHFUNNY NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS• I will spend less time on the computer. I will keep only one Facebook account.• I will make more friends, where else but Facebook.• I will always greet my wife and family upon arriving home, easier through Facebook.• I will do more physical exercise daily. Is typing on keyboard a form of exercise?• I will learn to better use the computer. I will use the manual, now where did I put it?• I will drink more water, less coffee— unless I’m in Starbucks which is often.• I will be health-conscious. I will walk to McDonald’s instead of ordering in the Drive

Thru.• I will not believe that the world will end. That’s so 2012.• I will stop going to the gambling casino. On-line gambling is more convenient.• I will cut on my TV viewing. I will skip the News.• I will stop one bad habit this year, that of my co-worker who is a chain smoker.• I will work harder than I ever did. But first I need to find a job.• I will learn a new skill. I will learn to play the piano. Now if I could only afford to buy

one.• I will be law-abiding. I will never do anything wrong in the presence of the police.• I will be more loving. I never took care of my car last year.

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KIM & EL

MR JEYDI’S WITDOM

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NOT having read Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel and not having seen any of the staging of the musical, I didn’t know what to expect from the British film “Les Miserables.” All I could associate it with are “I Dreamed a Dream” and “On My Own,” two all-time West End/Broadway favorites.

The grandiose opening scene of prisoners pulling a colossal vessel set the tone of a dark and poi-gnant story about Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman), the prisoner who turned his life around by car-rying a new identity and through sheer hard work. Almost all of the dialogues are sung. As publicized, the main actors sang the songs live when filmed.

It takes a few frames before one gets used to Jackman and Russell Crowe (as the pursuing police in-spector Javert) singing. Both carry the load of this magnificent opus, and they do justice to their respec-tive roles: the raw emotion, the dramatic singing and the heart-

pounding clashes.

Jackman and Anne Hathaway (as displaced factory worker-turned-prostitute Fantine) depict their suffering characters with authen-ticity not just in terms of their wretched appearances, but more significantly in their screen de-meanor.

The revelation, though, is Eddie Redmayne who is so natural as the idealistic Marius Pontmercy, the love interest of Fantine’s daugh-ter Cosette (Amanda Seyfried) and Thénardier couple’s Eponine (Samantha Barks). In his scenes, Redmayne shines with his im-peccable acting-singing. (I am convinced this actor has a bright future ahead of him.)

Seyfried is a surprise, embodying flawlessly a lass pulled between a father’s (Valjean) love and Marius’s love. As a newcomer, Barks, who was handpicked by producer Cameron Mackintosh from one of the stagings of the musical, carry

herself well among the veteran actors.

Providing comic relief are the fraudster Thenardier couple (Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter). Cohen still has the chops, but Carter has become boring, if not distracting.

Director Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech) created a powerful film using coherent storytelling and combining character close-ups with highlights of the Parisian gapping society of poverty and affluence---from the hopelessness of the rebellion to the heavenly re-demption of heroes and martyrs.

“Les Miserables” has brought film-adaptation back in front after the much-maligned “Rock of Ages” that cast Tom Cruise as an aging rock star. I guess the door is now open for the film adaptation of an-other Cameron Mackintosh epic, “Miss Saigon.” That should be as spectacular and as hypnotizing as “Les Miserables.” (CORD)

FILM REVIEWS

Les Miserables

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Taiwanese director Ang Lee start-ed to lose his Hollywood touch with the commercially-successful, yet viciously criticized Marvel’s “Incredible Hulk”. Presented with the complex Yann Martel novel on survival and faith “Life of Pi”, Lee has redeemed himself back to Os-car contention. Would you believe this tall tale about Piscine Molitor “Pi” Patel, a 16-year old stranded in a lifeboat with a fierce Bengal tiger named Richard Parker for company in the harsh Pacific Ocean? It’s an in-credible story, but who cares as we are treated to a visual feast from the master filmmaker. If this was a painting, it is a Picasso master-piece, abstract and thought-pro-voking. I’d prefer to believe that the tiger represented the fears, hopes and aspirations of Pi: it gave him rea-son to live. There were side stories that I found distracting and un-necessary. But you cannot blame Lee as he was dealing with a novel that was thought to be un-filmable.

This is the story of a CIA agent, Tony Mendez, who in 1979 was as-signed to bring safely back to the United States, six personnel of the US Embassy in Tehran, Iran, who were able to escape from the hands of hardline Iranian protestors who held hostage the rest of their col-leagues. Ben Affleck who plays the role of Mendez, directed the film. The movie begins with a snapshot on the history of modern Iran that led towards the departure of the US-installed Shah and the protests that led toward the takeover of the US embassy by militants. That was a wise move by Director Affleck, as it gave viewers the bigger picture of the turmoil as a prelude to the more intimate stories of the agent and the six Americans who took refuge in the Canadian Embassy. The thriller provides the right amount of emotions, suspense and action that keeps the view-ers engaged. The meticulousness of the filmmaker is shown in the 70s look of the actors, in the music and in the peculiarities of some of the characters. Affleck and screen-

Life of Pi

Argo

writer Chris Terrio knows the craft of building suspense that doesn’t stop until the very end. Among the things one can learn from the film is that one cannot simply write-off people because the one you least expect may turn out to be a hero. There are very few actors who are successful as directors, and Affleck may be on his way towards becom-ing the Clint Eastwood of his gen-eration. (CORD)

On its 50th year, the James Bond franchise was in danger of being repetitive, antiquated and tire-some. What is expected of Agent 007? Of course, women, gadgets, fighting and chasing plus a neces-sary evil. Well oh well Skyfall has all the elements – though with lesser women, fewer gadgets, the same amount of fighting and chasing. The evil is Raoul Silva, brilliantly played by Javier Bardem, who goes at length on his personal vendetta on M (Judi Dench). The choice of Sam Mendes as director placed the franchise to uncertainty. Mendes has only

Skyfall

Seeing this movie is highly recom-mended. (CORD)

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Wreck-It-Ralph

Bringing the prequel of Tolk-ien’s “The Lord of the Rings” could be a subject of a docu-mentary with all the dramas and controversies that this underwent, but that is not the subject of this review.

Directed by Peter Jackson, the first of the trilogy of “The Hob-bit” has maintained the quality of storytelling of LOTR while at the same time bringing us to some familiar characters, and introducing us to the young Bilbo Baggins and the warrior dwarfs. We are told already where this crusade will bring us, that is, to retake the Dwarf Kingdom from the dragon. But the journey has as much thrill-ing turns as the past trilogy. Jackson and his team have mastered the art of war where the clashes are more of a delight than a fright. The encounter of Bilbo and Gollum slows down the pace, but for good reason, we get to revisit our two-faced friend. A new element added by Jackson is comedy and why not, when you’ve got fun-loving dwarfs among the main char-acters. We would not know the out-come of this film had Guillermo de Toro directed it; but with Jackson at the helm and the delicate mastery of Weta on make-up and effects, this was worth all the wait. (CORD)

11 films to his credit (including American Beauty, Jarhead and Road to Perdition), mostly in the drama genre. Doing a drama for James Bond would be a disaster. But it wasn’t bad at all. Actually, it was one of the best Bond films of all time. Daniel Craig has changed the image of Bond to being human instead of superman. But what “Skyfall” has done is put some heart to the film especially in its final quarter. I must say that the sequence in Scotland was the clincher. Dark in hue, the film had touches of Tarantino’s exploding actions and, expectedly, Mendes’ emotional discourse. Let us look forward to the next episode, what with the changing of guards. (CORD)

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Who would be interested to see a film titled, “Wreck-It-Ralph”? Not me. But enticed by the fact that my grandson was coming along, I viewed the latest Walt Disney ani-mation. Wow, it is one of the best Disney animated film I’ve seen in

ages. It now occupies the top three in my list after “Bambi” and “Lion King”.

The story revolves around Wreck-It-Ralph who wants to turn a new leaf from being the bad guy in a video game to becoming a hero. Good intention can change things, but in this tale it leads to a catastrophic result in another video game called Sugar Rush. Ralph meets another reject, Vanellope von Schweetz, a glitchy character who wants to earn a medal herself. The unlikely friendship of Ralph and Vanellope is this tome’s soul. I wouldn’t want to give away the turn-of-events but I can say that it’s wonderfully written. If Walt Disney Animation’s cre-ative team can make imaginative and entertaining flicks such as this, then it can stand side-by-side with its two other power divi-sions, Pixar and Marvel. (CORD)

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CORD

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