Matilda Song of the Month
IYAK NI MARIA
Naririnig mo ba ang daing ni Maria?
Hindi mo ba naririnig ang hiyaw Niya?
'Di mo ba naririnig ang iyak ni Maria?
Trivia:
I (Charms) was eleven when I composed this song. I was in fifth grade, then. It was the first song I have recorded, thanks to my (then) best friend's recorder (that small old-school type).Our friendship included sharing of secrets we couldn't tell other people. Why? Because we were too shy and afraid to tell anyone the times we have been violated as a woman (as a girl at that). I was a devout Catholic, then, and a devout follower of Mother Mary--- I turned to her for solace, whenever I was caught in a predicament. When I made this song, I was thinking of all the cruelty and violence against women, and why all that should happen. And I was thinking then, if Mother Mary could have been God instead, maybe these things wouldn't have happened. When I was studying then the Holy Bible, I have observed how women were treated in the book. Since Mother Mary (like all the other women in the book) wasn't given greater power (always under submission or with inferior power), I surmised she couldn't do anything, but weep.
I was provoked to compose this song, one day, in 1991, when I had a fight with my mom, because I questioned the Bible too much. I locked myself in the bedroom, and started singing while playing the guitar. I tried my best to put some words, but all I could do was cry. A few days after, I tried to put words into the song,and have written a few sentences. However, after much thought, I have decided to retain only three clauses, because I felt more the urgency and intensity of the song's content with less words in it.
Every time I sing this song, I couldn't sing it the same way I first did. But it always feels heavy inside, though getting lighter through time. But the weight of its history is always there. So, when I met Lemon and Yvette (the founders of Matilda-they experienced the same traumas in their childhood), it was easy for me to share it with them for they embraced the song as if it were their own. We jammed it at the Kamia Residence Hall before we introduced it to Jovi, who embraced the song as well. Two years after, when Meryl came into the picture, she made the remarkable suggestion of putting screams into the song. And so, we did. Two years after, when Maricor was finally allowed to join the group for good (she was old enough), she gave the most spectacular addition.
As Iyak Ni Maria continues to gain numerous awards, accolades, and recognitions, she takes on more meaning and responsibility. She kept inspiring and helping a lot of people. She is truly a powerful song. Perhaps, it is because she has an impenetrable history of depth and advocacy.
Happy Womyn's Month Everybody :) May there be an end to oppression of women.
Naririnig mo ba ang daing ni Maria?
Hindi mo ba naririnig ang hiyaw Niya?
'Di mo ba naririnig ang iyak ni Maria?
Trivia:
I (Charms) was eleven when I composed this song. I was in fifth grade, then. It was the first song I have recorded, thanks to my (then) best friend's recorder (that small old-school type).Our friendship included sharing of secrets we couldn't tell other people. Why? Because we were too shy and afraid to tell anyone the times we have been violated as a woman (as a girl at that). I was a devout Catholic, then, and a devout follower of Mother Mary--- I turned to her for solace, whenever I was caught in a predicament. When I made this song, I was thinking of all the cruelty and violence against women, and why all that should happen. And I was thinking then, if Mother Mary could have been God instead, maybe these things wouldn't have happened. When I was studying then the Holy Bible, I have observed how women were treated in the book. Since Mother Mary (like all the other women in the book) wasn't given greater power (always under submission or with inferior power), I surmised she couldn't do anything, but weep.
I was provoked to compose this song, one day, in 1991, when I had a fight with my mom, because I questioned the Bible too much. I locked myself in the bedroom, and started singing while playing the guitar. I tried my best to put some words, but all I could do was cry. A few days after, I tried to put words into the song,and have written a few sentences. However, after much thought, I have decided to retain only three clauses, because I felt more the urgency and intensity of the song's content with less words in it.
Every time I sing this song, I couldn't sing it the same way I first did. But it always feels heavy inside, though getting lighter through time. But the weight of its history is always there. So, when I met Lemon and Yvette (the founders of Matilda-they experienced the same traumas in their childhood), it was easy for me to share it with them for they embraced the song as if it were their own. We jammed it at the Kamia Residence Hall before we introduced it to Jovi, who embraced the song as well. Two years after, when Meryl came into the picture, she made the remarkable suggestion of putting screams into the song. And so, we did. Two years after, when Maricor was finally allowed to join the group for good (she was old enough), she gave the most spectacular addition.
As Iyak Ni Maria continues to gain numerous awards, accolades, and recognitions, she takes on more meaning and responsibility. She kept inspiring and helping a lot of people. She is truly a powerful song. Perhaps, it is because she has an impenetrable history of depth and advocacy.
Happy Womyn's Month Everybody :) May there be an end to oppression of women.
posted by matilda at 5:13 AM
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