ABOUT

The creators behind LUMPIA and THE APL SONG music video team up once again with the Black Eyed Peas to visualize their current Filipino-themed song, BEBOT, off the multi-platinum album "Monkey Business". Prepare for the biggest party yet as BEBOT (which is Filipino slang for "pretty woman","hot chick", "hottie", "shorty") has been translated into TWO separate music videos entitled GENERATION ONE and GENERATION TWO.

GENERATION ONE

This music video is a historical trip back to 1936, Stockton, California. Apl.de.Ap is one of many Filipino farmers working in the asparagus fields. After work, all they look forward to is putting on their best suits and heading towards the Little Manila section of downtown Stockton. What they find there is a party for the ages at the Rizal Social Club. Yet Apl has other ideas as he sneaks out to another "party" next door. The Black Eyed Peas all appear with significant cameos from the Filipino American community.

GENERATION TWO

This modern version has the Black Eyed Peas picking up Apl.de.Ap to hit up one of the biggest Filipino American parties in town. The only problem is that Apl also has to bring his baby sister (Jasmine Trias) along for the ride. It's a celebration of everything HOT from hot cars, hot ladies, tasty BBQ, hype dances, to the hottest house party around. Featuring cameos galore from the Filipino American community.

DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
Like the APL SONG video, I did not want to miss yet another opportunity to showcase our culture, our pride, and our unity. To understand the struggle of making these videos, you have to understand the struggle of an under-represented community in the industry. After a challenging year in the making, it's a huge relief to finally see these completed videos out in the public. There was a time when I thought I was never going to see my treatments for BEBOT come to life. And yet here we are with TWO DIFFERENT VERSIONS of the music video fully realized.

GENERATION TWO:
This was a video pushed heavily by the group and yet, I wanted to avoid making a typical "booty-shakin'" video. In a nutshell, this is the Filipino American version of Snoop's and Dr. Dre's classic music video "Aint Nothing But A G Thang". Structurally, it's the same plot. They pick up Apl at his "crib", go to the BBQ picnic, and end their night at the house party. Aside from the hot ladies and hot cars that are attached to the scene, I felt it was important to showcase different dimensions of Apl.de.Ap: dope emcee, ladies man, dancer, and "Kuya" (big brother). Being able to sprinkle the video with cameos from other independent artists was a MUST on my end, instead of casting regular background talent. (Can you spot all the cameos and inside jokes?) Creating a fictional Filipino family and throwing the Black Eyed Peas in that situation was the fun part. The best scene, however, is the backyard scene in which the crowd throws their fists in the air "Sige!" It was a storyboard image come to life. Filled with so much energy, it made EVERYONE proud.

GENERATION ONE:
This concept has long been a passion project since I met Dillon Delvo, Dawn Mabalon, and the Little Manila Foundation back in 2001 during THE DEBUT tour. Their struggle to preserve what little was left of the Little Manila district in downtown Stockton was uplifting. Reading about the history of Filipinos in that district alone was inspiring. Why didn't I read about this in my own history books in school? From the moment I heard "BEBOT" in the studio, this concept stuck to my head. It made sense in taking Apl's origin as a Filipino farmer and transplanting him to the asparagus fields in 1930's Stockton. Their story back then is not as different as our story now. After our 9 to 5 job, most of us look forward to looking our best and hitting the clubs at night. That same sense of partying was the same back then in Stockton, where Filipinos went out to party in more accepted circles. While you can notice that not all elements of the final version are historically accurate, it was important to capture the spirit of the period as well as the distinction between the family atmosphere of the Rizal Social Club with that of the rowdy next door gambling and taxi dance hall. In a time where most music videos use the 1930's scene as a platform to show off the style and visuals of that period, it was a mandate for me to showcase a historical background that not many know about.

Although the videos are completed, as of now, there are no plans to release these videos internationally. If you enjoy them, please help us out by spreading the word. Let the "powers that be" know that YOU want these videos aired and experienced the way they were meant to be seen! It would be very close-minded for anyone to think that this song and these videos are just for Filipinos. It should be in everyone's interest to learn about the contributions our community has made here in the U.S. Music is universal and we live now in a place where Latin songs are even accepted in the mainstream. As depicted in Generation One, there were signs like "POSITIVELY NO FILIPINOS ALLOWED" posted on doors and storefronts in the 1930's. Those physical signs may be gone now, but ask youself, how much has really changed?

Should BEBOT be accepted as well? Does it anger you that this video may not even air on TV? The debate is now raging in our video comment board. Join in and air out your thoughts!

Got a question about these videos? You can email me at info@kidheroes.net. I will post my answers to some of these questions on my blog at http://blog.myspace.com/pginelsa

Peace,
Patricio Ginelsa
www.kidheroes.net