interview
Proudly
Philippine-made!
mere madness


Music
The Top 20 Singles
Find out who's on top!

Deathmatches
Spoofing the spoofmasters.

My Music
My own attempts at songwriting.  mp3s not available.

Album Reviews
Some albums I've taken the time to listen to and rate.  What do you think?

Music Interviews
Supporting Philippine independent music (and major label players)!

Gig Articles
Some gig's I've covered, usually underground and quite enjoyable.

Literati
My Work
Some poetry, a little fiction, and a lot of chutzpah.

Mere Writers
Freelance writers' organization. 
Me
Online Resume
I am not much.  But I am.

Contact
My contact information.

Links
Some other websites I think are phat.

Lost?
Just click on the mere madness at the top and it will bring you back to the home page.
CYNTHIA ALEXANDER:
Mystifying Yet Mystified
I pride myself on being nonchalant when meeting with local musicians.  Yet, when asked to do a story on Philippine folk chanteuse nonpareil Cynthia Alexander to chat about her recent sojourn to the 3rd Rainforest World Music Festival, her latest album, �Rippingyarns,� and her musings on gender, love and living the life of the independent artist, I become putty.  I start to babble.  I blush and lose motor control.  My father would kick my ass.  Daydreaming about my luck,  I miss my bus stop, and arrive fifteen minutes late.  What a way to start the biggest interview of my life.

�Oh,� she says, extending a hand to me when I arrive, cursing the traffic, �you�re the one who sings all my songs at 70s Bistro.� 

She knows me!  My knees are jelly, but I manage to squeak out a meek �how was your trip?�.  I hate myself for being so starstruck.

�It was wonderful,� she says, taking a sip of what looks like tea.  She�s Indian-sat on one of the Cibo chairs, looking very comfortable in loose-fitting pants and an attractive blouse.  Her hair is tied back with a skoongee.  All around us, people are downing coffee, delicately slicing sandwich morsels with blunt knives, all oblivious of the goddess seated amongst them.

Beauty of Sarawak

�The festival took place at the foot of Mt. Santulong in Sarawak, Indonesia,� she continues. �It was beautiful, with tight clumps of trees, a wide expanse of forest.�  She laughs.  �Imagine traversing that distance with gongs and guitars!�

Playing at the Rainforest World Music Festival is not unfamiliar to Cynthia.  Two years ago, she played with her brother, unequaled ethnic maestro Joey Ayala, at the First Rainforest Music Festival.   Good friend Pepe, of world music group Asza, recommended the brother-sister tandem to this year�s seminar coordinator Randy Raine-Reusch.  Joey couldn�t make it, so Cynthia and her band became the sole Philippine representatives to one of the most prestigious international showcases of world music.  Cynthia recalls a period of stunned wonderment at the selection.

Page
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Back To My Music
Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

1