Most of the time, artists are remembered for their talent and skills, while little is known about the person or figure behind the work. But with Jose “Pete” Lacaba, it’s his colleagues who make sure that the world knows that his character is every bit as remarkable as his lauded artistry.
That is what veteran journalist Jo Ann Maglipon, a longtime colleague of Lacaba, wants to celebrate in “Salinawit ni Pete Lacaba: A Tribute.” The event will be held on October 10 at My Brother’s Mustache Folk Bar in Quezon City from 5 to 9 p.m., and will gather poets, activists, singers, and artists like Joey Ayala, Bayang Barrios, Noel Cabangon, Cooky Chua, and Leah Navarro, among others.
Salinawit, a portmanteau blending salin (translate) and awit (song), is the art of translating classic English songs into Filipino lyrics, a craft that Lacaba popularized.
During my exclusive interview with Maglipon, we talked about Lacaba’s works, his legacy, and what she thinks people overlooked about him. What emerged was how respected and beloved the feted writer is by the people around him.
‘NO DICHOTOMY’
“What is so formidable to me about Pete Lacaba is that the person and the writer are one and the same. Authentic, real, clear, patriotic, intelligent, accurate, credible. So there is no dichotomy between who he is and what he writes,” Maglipon tells Rolling Stone Philippines.
She adds that there’s a running line that if you were to judge writers based on how they were as a person, you would have to decimate half of literature. Such is not the case with Lacaba, though, as his integrity as a person is as valuable as his body of work, she says.
That body of work stretches across some of the most turbulent periods in Philippine history.
Lacaba worked with the Philippine Free Press and Asia-Philippines Leader; both magazines were staples of the community, recording political, social, and cultural events weekly, as Maglipon describes. And even when martial law was declared in 1972, Lacaba went underground to continue serving the people and wrote for the anti-dictatorship newspaper Taliba ng Bayan.
He was eventually arrested and subjected to torture, yet he never gave up the locations of their safe houses or their units, not even the names of their comrades. “He never got anyone into trouble,” Maglipon, who was also imprisoned during the martial law era, recalls.
Lacaba later immortalized his account of the First Quarter Storm and the martial law period in his 1982 book, Days of Disquiet, Nights of Rage, which Maglipon says is still used as a bible by anyone wanting to know what happened at the time.
Lacaba’s life after martial law was no less complicated. Maglipon shares that finding work in mainstream media was difficult as a political detainee. No one wanted to risk their organization, and thus it was easy for media owners to push people like them away.
PETE LACABA’S WORK GOES ON
Lacaba eventually established Midweek Magazine, and despite having a smaller following compared to the previous magazines he worked for, he kept going. “He was the editor there. Then he also did translation work because he could translate English to Spanish, Filipino to Spanish, and Filipino to English. He was a really talented man,” Maglipon says.
He later worked as executive editor for YES! Magazine under Maglipon. The former editor-in-chief shared that she gave Lacaba a job whose function was simply to copyedit works, which suited his preference for working in the background rather than deciding what should be published or serving as its public face. Maglipon adds that he rarely rewrote writers’ work unless necessary, which she said was very different from how she was as an editor at the time. Instead, Lacaba helped writers see how their own writing could become clearer and stronger.
She also remembers his generosity. When Maglipon was preparing a book for publication but had run out of money for a copy editor, Lacaba offered to help for free. He had his own family to support, she notes, but volunteered his time anyway. “I never forgot that goodwill, that kindness, because he didn’t have to,” Maglipon says. “He really did not have to.”
That memory is part of why Maglipon wanted to organize the October 10 gathering in the first place. “I want this for him,” she says, adding that she spent a lifetime being grateful to Lacaba.
What to Expect at ‘Salinawit ni Pete Lacaba‘
“Salinawit ni Pete Lacaba” seeks to reflect the prolific artist’s range by bringing together performances and readings that represent the many facets of his career. Maglipon once again pointed to Lacaba’s Salinawit translations as an example of what makes his work enduring. For her, these translations carry not just elegance and humor, but also “bawdiness” and “sassiness” that a particular song calls for.
As Maglipon shares, the night will be built around all of Lacaba’s talents. Maglipon invited various artists to perform and sing of Lacaba’s translations, as well as a journalist to read excerpts from the coveted artist’s book, Days of Disquiet, Nights of Rage, to represent Lacaba’s journalism. Some actors and actresses were asked to read lines from his screenwriting for the political film Sister Stella L. (which starred Vilma Santos), as well as lines from his poetry collections.
But more than just a showcase of Lacaba’s work, it’s a gathering of people who have worked with, learned from, and admired Lacaba throughout his career. The celebrated man himself, Lacaba, will also be present during the event.
As for what she hopes people will get from the tribute, Maglipon says, “I hope it is a fun night. I always find that music elevates friendships and evenings of feasting. A takeaway from all this should be that we’re in this together, all of us. We’re in this together.”
“Salinawit ni Pete Lacaba” is ultimately an invitation to enjoy those pleasures together and to celebrate a writer whose work has given people plenty to gather around. “If we can enjoy all of these pleasures together, why not?” says Maglipon.
Tickets for the event are priced at P1,000 for general seats and P1,500 for seats closer to the stage. Maglipon invites music enthusiasts or anyone who simply appreciates good music and enjoys a congenial atmosphere with artists, writers, singers, and musicians to join the night.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Pete Lacaba is a multi-awarded Filipino journalist, screenwriter, editor, activist, poet, and translator. He was a former political prisoner and was known for his works, such as Days of Disquiet, Nights of Rage and Sister Stella L.
Salinawit, a portmanteau blending salin (translate) and awit (song), is the art of translating classic English songs into Filipino lyrics, a craft that Lacaba popularized.
“Salinawit ni Pete Lacaba” is a tribute organized by veteran journalist Jo Ann Maglipon for her longtime friend and colleague, Pete Lacaba. The event will celebrate the prolific artist’s many talents.
The event will be held on October 10 at My Brother’s Mustache Folk Bar in Quezon City from 5 to 9 p.m., and will gather poets, activists, singers, and artists.
Joey Ayala, Bayang Barrios, Noel Cabangon, Cooky Chua, and Leah Navarro, among others. Some journalists, actors, and actresses are also invited to perform but have yet to be finalized.
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