Paalam, Kiko! Salamat sa Musika! Salamat sa Makabagong Kamalayan!!

His was the 'new' voice of my generation. His music was 'out of the box' OPM rap that resonated amongst the youth of the mid 80s and early 90s. My generation.

I did not particularly like rap music but his was different. It spoke of pagkakaisa, of our being kababayans, of being Filipino, of being one nation and people. He spoke of kasarinlan, kapatiran, kalayaan and other Filipino values lost in a shrinking, globalized world.

His music then resonated with me, with many in my generation. A generation of young people who were slowly awakening to a new consciousness, a new awareness of being Pinoy in a world of many cultures, of many nations, of many peoples.

Thus his death resonates with me and perhaps with many others because apart from his message and his music, he was one of us, he belonged to my generation and his music, it was different in that it dwelt on our identity as a People.

He popularized our sense of ourselves as a people at a time when the information age was exploding around us and when information about the world all around us was spreading like wildfire and engulfing and consuming us all. He reassured us of our being distinctly Filipino at a time that was both confused and confusing. He gave us clarity. He gave us certainty about ourselves. For this, my generation will forever be thankful.

Kiko will be missed.

And to paraphrase Shakespeare...Good night, sweet Prince, may a thousand flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!

Paalam, Kiko! Salamat sa iyong musika at sa iyong gabay sa mga kabatan ng iyong henerasyon! You will live forever amongst a generation of Filipinos. A generation of Filipinos who now have a greater sense of self because of your music, your message and the gift of song.


K


Paalam, Kiko! Salamat sa Musika! Salamat sa Makabagong Kamalayan!!

Siya ang bagong boses ng aking henerasyon. Ang kanyang musika – OPM rap – ang tumatak sa kamalayan ng mga kabataan mula mid-80s hanggang early 90s. Ang aking henerasyon.

Hindi ako mahilig sa rap music, pero ang rap ni Francis “Kiko” Magalona ay iba sa lahat. Nagsasabi ito ng pagkakaisa, ng ating pagiging magkababayan. Binabanggit n’ya sa kanyang musika ang kasarinlan, kapatiran, kalayaan at mga ugaling Pilipino na unti-unting nawawala sa ating kultura.

Naimpluwensiyahan ako ng kanyang musika kagaya ng maraming iba sa aking henerasyon. Henerasyon na unti-unting namulat sa pagiging isang Pinoy sa mundo ng iba’t-ibang kultura, nasyon at lahi.

Si Kiko at ang kanyang musika ay yaman ng ating bansa at ipinagmamalaki ng aming henerasyon.

Ang kanyang pagpanaw ay malaking kawalan sa industriya, sa bansa, at sa aming henerasyon.

Ibinandila n’ya ang karangalan ng Pilipino sa panahon ng globalisasyon. Binigyan n’ya tayo ng tiwala sa kakayahan nating mga Pinoy.

Kiko, mami-miss ka ng mga Pilipino.

Paalam, Kiko! Salamat sa iyong musika at sa iyong gabay sa mga kabatan ng iyong henerasyon! Ang iyong musika ay mananatili sa mga susunod pang henerasyon ng mga Pilipino. Mga henerasyon na nagpapahalaga sa ating lahi at sa bansa dahil sa iyong mensahe sa loob ng musika.