Fight to be Free!

Musicians should be concerned with issues regarding the freedom to be creative and the freedom to express. At dahil isang paraan para magpaabot ng mensahe ang musika, heto po ang isang kontribusyon sa pagpapalakas sa boses ng ating pakikibaka.

Fight to be free! Junk RA 10175!*

RA 10175 (The Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012) poses serious threats to Internet freedom, the right to privacy and other essential civil liberties including the freedom of speech, expression, and the press. Read more and sign the petition chn.ge/QJZyzv

(This version of FREE is a track in the upcoming SULONG! album. You can download a copy at bit.ly/UHoZTa)

Tulog na Bunso (Rendition)

Recently, I had the opportunity to do a rendition of the song “Tulog na Bunso”, a popular lullaby in a protest song anthology album (Kung tama ang pagkakapanood ko, nasa pelikulang Ka Oryang ni Sari Dalena din ang awitin). Kailan lang ay naikwento sa akin na ang awitin pala ay orihinal na isinulat noong 1979, nirecord sa cassette tape at unang dinala at lumaganap sa Cordillera.

Music and lyrics composed by Gerry Verzola in 1979.

For this arrangement, I used the same configuration and set of instruments in recording song Elian a year ago. Happy listening!

Barikada, a song and musical score project

Barikada is a song and musical score project in progress. Watch out for Tudla Productions’ short film where the title of this song came from. This one’s rendered with an acoustic and orchestral accompaniment. You can download this one free at www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_10546151 and you can support it by re-tweeting, re-posting, sharing, and downloading. Thanks!

Makibaka Music Video Trailer

This music video was produced as a trailer of the limited copy Makibaka CD (with the cover art below painted by Jay Jamoralin). Maraming salamat sa lahat! At yang pasasalamat na yan ay nakasulat dito haha!

Maligayang Kaarawan Ka Satur!

Just in time! Makabayan, Palaban was re-recorded yesterday and here it is, a tribute to Ka Satur, a patriot, defender of human rights and press freedom. Maligayang kaarawan ulit Ka Satur!

Mananatili Ka: An ode to labor leader Crispin “Ka Bel” Beltran

Mananatili Ka is the original sound track of Mayday’s documentary film about the life of labor leader Crispin “Ka Bel” Beltran. The song was written by Empiel Palma which I arranged and performed for Mayday Productions. Check out the song here.

Ka Bel will be shown at Cine Adarna (Main Theater), Film Institute, University of the Philippines, Diliman on March 14, 2011. Screening at 5:30 PM and 7 PM. The documentary is a production of the Mayday Multimedia Collection in cooperation with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Crispin B. Beltran Resource Center, Sine Patriyotiko, and Kilusang Mayo Uno.

Electro-Acoustic Makibaka for Higante’t Tutubi, animated feature on environment

I arranged an electronika-acoustic remake of Makibaka for Higante’t Tutubi, a short animated feature about the Philippine environment produced by the Center for Environmental Concerns – Philippines. Animation by Audrey Ang and Karlene Co, with story written by Lisa Ito and Mykel Andrada. Check it out!

Oyayi

Long live and farewell Alex Remollino! A true journalist of the people, a passionate poet, and a devoted activist.

Oyayi (Lullaby)

• Lyrics by Leoncio Bagani
• Music by Dream Worker Too
• Arranged and performed by Karl Ramirez

Photo by Jo Abaya-Santos. Lyrics after the jump.

Change

Here’s my cover of Taylor Swift’s song Change. Cover arranged and performed by yours truly. Enjoy! You can download the MP3 by clicking here.

Lyrics used in the cover version after the jump.

Blues for the 43

Free the 43 is a song for the 43 health workers illegally arrested and detained by the military.

Music and Lyrics by Carl Lopez / Arrangement by Renato Reyes and Aki Merced / Sung by Aki Merced / Guitars and Harmocia performed by Renato Reyes / Sound Engineering and Mixing by Karl Ramirez / Recorded at Kodao Productions

Download the MP3 by saving this link

Lyrics after the jump.

Portfolio

We’ve setup a tumblr to chronicle the decade long multimedia work me and Marion were involved with. Check out our online portfolio at creativepixels.tumblr.com. And if you’re interested with our creative multimedia services, drop us an email at creativepixelsph@gmail.com. Thanks!

Ka Satur at ang Magsasakang Pilipino

Coming from a peasant family in Sta. Rita, Pampanga, Makabayan senatoriable Satur Ocampo brings with him to the Senate the Filipino farmers’ aspiration for an abundant harvest, genuine agrarian reform, and social justice.

Kodao News Music

Music I’ve arranged for Kodao‘s online news program.

Bulatlat.com News Music

News music I’ve arranged for Bulatlat, an independent, critical, and progressive media organization.

Pagbabago sa Senado: A Song for Makabayan Senatoriable Ka Satur Ocampo

Our big boy Elian, Marion, and me in a pose with Makabayan senatoriable and Bayan Muna Partylist Rep. Ka Satur Ocampo.

Here’s an original song I’ve written, arranged, and performed for Ka Satur Ocampo’s campaign for change in the Senate. Hope you guys like it.

Pagbabago sa Senado | MP3 | Music and Lyrics: Karl Ramirez

You can download the MP3 by right-clicking THIS LINK and clicking “Save As”.

This May 2010 Elections, we will be voting for Elian and his generation’s prosperous and progressive future! We’re putting a hundred percent of our trust to the Makabayan senatoriables. We will be voting for them, voting for change in the Senate, voting for our son’s future.

\m/ Rakenrol Liza Maza and Ka Satur Ocampo! Makabayan sa Senado!

Google Music Search

Google has officially launched “Google Music Search” in partnership with Lala.com, MySpace, and a couple other music-related companies and record labels. Try it out at www.google.com/music. Read the rest of the details in a post at Google’s official blog.

iBand

Using only the music apps on the iPhone, these four young musicians from Penang, Malaysia perform ABBA’s “Mama Mia” in an iPhone exhibit at a mall in Malaysia.

Vi An Diep

While doing research for a documentary project, I stumbled on the following video by Vi An Diep at her own YouTube channel. It’s nice to hear and watch her performance especially with the monotony of pop music nowadays.

Nina Simone’s Protest Anthology

Protest Anthology is a collection of never before seen interviews and live tracks of Nina Simone, Grammy Award-nominated American singer, songwriter, pianist, and staunch civil rights activist. Nina Simone lived from February 21, 1933 to April 21, 2003 and is considered an important icon in the blues and jazz genre.

The Jerks will be rockin’ vs VFA today

I am and will always be a fan of The Jerks, one of the original Filipino bands in the rock and blues genre.

Though they have been around since 1979, the Jerks have recorded only two albums since then. The first was a live performance record which was released under Backdoor Records in 1994, and the second (and the last so far) was a self-titled studio album recorded under Star Records in 1997. The second album received the “Best Album” award at the 1998 NU Rock Awards, while the song “Reklamo ng Reklamo” received the “Best Rock Song” award at the 1998 Katha Awards.