HAPPY WOMYN'S MONTH!!!

I dreamt of 17 full moons around me; one by one they appeared in the sky as I watched the stars. The moon is about femininity. I think my wish would soon come true and all our goals would soon push through: a feminine revolution in music and in the arts; a Renaissance of womanity. I dare ask my co-womyn: are we ready for this? I answer at once: let's all do this :)

charms

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

WELCOME 2007! Since it has the number 7, our lucky number, we are hoping this would be 'our year' :)
I know we have kept you, our avid following, waiting for long; for too long, if I must say. For us, the frustration and the desperation is too much to handle as well. We can only give ourselves more hope; we're not giving up :)
We have always been committed to each other, although we have different ways of showing it among ourselves. Thus, these differences create misunderstandings that cause the delays of the product of our craft. Priorities play an important role; and each of us differ in our priorities. I'm hoping that all of us in the band could finally settle our differences. But don't worry, we guarantee everybody that our album will soon be out. Not today nor tomorrow; not anytime soon, I guess. But, it will. I promise you that.
And this year, it will. I'm sure of that (or I'll kill myself! harhar!).
No, seriously, my crystal ball says the same thing.:)
Slowly, but surely...we want to give you good stuff as well :) It's my wish for this year. Plus this: please! please! pleeeaaasssseeee! NO MORE QUITTING! I wish none of my bandmates would think of quitting anymore. The procrastination for the album is enough. Or should I say, too much already?
Sigh. We need all your positive energies. please continue to support us.
Thanks :)
Charmzzzz...

The Real Thing: the UP Underground CD Sampler (album/compilation) out now in record stores!

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.

Pictures from last December's gig at the UPIS Fair

Ayn on bass and Wina on guitar

Smile, Jovi! :)

Happy Anniversary, Matilda!

Geesh. We never thought we'd stick together this long! It was in 1999 when Yvette, Lemon, Jovi and Charms got themselves acquainted to form an all-girl band. This day, 7 years ago. And Jovi's hair was very, very short, then. And Yvette and Charms were unable to focus on Ma'am Thelma Arambulo's discussion during class, because they kept talking to each other about the plans for the band.
Memories. Reminiscing is addictive.

Matilda Song of the Month

LET GO

Her meadows, green
Your envy, green
What's the point of that green scheme
Blue, withered, wrinkled skin
Blue can make the darkest gleam
Red, fiery, glaring dream
Water heated, produces steam
Immaculate, unmarred crown
Stained purple by a sweet frown

Give up the fight
And you will win
Surrender your demons to the din
Give up the air, so you can breathe
Let go, and you will find it

You don't have to have what you don't have that she has
Everything you need, want
You earn but
not too fast
Look inside you
In the long run
You are quite all right

Torn between two emphatic scenes
One to give up
One to keep
Mess on their floor
Broom's at your door
Break the lock
Into the knob's core

Give up the fight and you will win
Leave all your demons to the din
Give up the air, so you can breathe
Let go and you will find me

In every wall
there is a crack
where light seeps in
Familiar beam that for so long
you haven't seen
Possession's nice
But you must learn to let go
and carpe diem

Trivia: Let Go is one of Matilda's oldest songs. It was included in my (Charms) "Impromptu" album (unreleased), a simple cassette tape with ten tracks delivered impromptly. All tracks were untitled. When I introduced the song to Yvette, Jovi, and Lemon, they loved it, so we immediately worked on it for public release on gigs. The original Matilda version wasn't as upbeat as the version it acquired when Meryl and Coi came into the picture. And the lyrics you see here are not the original lyrics as well. The original was heavier and... not entirely wholesome. I started rewriting the lyrics when our board of censors (Jovi) asked me to do so. In so doing, I tried to make it ambivalent, so others can interpret it in many other ways. That's why in the released and final track, the one you hear in our EP, the song was upbeat, enigmatic, optimistic (in a sense), and lighter.

The song was basically about envy and letting go. Sometimes, women can be very competitive and they compete against each other. When I was in High School, I used to have a friend who envied me greatly. In her envy, she betrayed me and stole a lot from me. She tried to have what I have. She tried to be me. She almost succeeded at my expense. However, I never confronted her about it. She confessed everything to me, though. It was through this song that I released whatever I wanted then to tell her.

When the atmosphere of the song became lighter, I knew I had to change the lyrics. I then put on more light into it. In no time, the untitled track became an optimistic one. Thus, the title and the theme, LET GO.

Until to this day, the song serves as a mantra for me whenever I feel like I need to let go of things, no matter how difficult. Sometimes, though, I sing on my own, the original version, whenever the need arises.