Folkerie

Guardians of Tradition (2012, Adarna House) By Mae Astrid Tobias , Rommel E. Joson (Illustrator), Renato S. Rastrollo  (Photographer) Links: Goodreads // Publisher // Adarna Order Form // NCCA Book Info: Who are the indigenous and folk artists of the Philippines? Guardians of Tradition is full of facts about 11 of Philippine master weavers, folk musicians, performing artists, mat weavers and metal smiths whose talents and skills have earned them the title Manlilikha ng Bayan. Designed to help children recognize native Filipino ingenuity and creativity, the book includes fun activities to promote appreciation for culture and arts. Guardians of Tradition has a fun and colorful design that appeals to young readers. Join Banog and Kiko as they discover the Philippines’ National Living Treasures: Wang Ahadas, Hadja Amina Appi, Ginaw Bilog, Federico Caballero, Lang Dulay, Masino Intaray, Salinta Monon, Eduardo Mutuc, Alonzo Saclag, Darhata Sawabi, and Samaon Sulaiman . Read about the...

I feel the need to praise two works of art in this post. Last night I was sent a preview of Irish singer Róisín O’s music video for her upcoming song Hold On . With only a short text to introduce me to this new artist from Dublin, I didn’t have any expectations. So I put on my headphones and watched a moving short film. Yes, you read it right. Ever since outgrowing them, what I miss most about music videos are the stories they tell. This one brought me back to that time when everything felt younger, though what I was seeing on-screen was as old a story can be—about us in our everyday lives, reminiscent of Mike Leigh’s subjects. I couldn’t help that the film itself got my first attention. We see a man with a military haircut wake up at 6:30 in the evening. We suppose he is of Brazilian ancestry because of the flag beside his dining table. There’s something written on his door. He works the night shift… Ahh, the details! Kudos to the director, Simon Eustace , and the cast, Aaron Heffern...

Thought I’d never do a fashion feature, but these three sites, a blog and two shops, just overloaded me with all natural fabric goodness that I have to share them. First up is a crazy fashion blog by Paris and London aka The Mad Twins . They recently did a hippy shoot which I loved. Below are some of the photos. Next, the English lifestyle brand Cabbages & Roses . They sell clothes, home accessories and fabrics. I’ve never been to any of their shops, but they have collaborated with Uniqlo, a Japanese retail company that has branches here in the Philippines, and news is that they’ll be expanding to the provinces. So hopefully soon in Davao, too. Last but not the least, Folk Fibers is a little shop of naturally dyed handmade quilts. It is owned by Maura Grace Ambrose of Austin, Texas. Her “goal is to share the craft and folklore that prevails around natural dyes and quilting.”

I’ve been following Geninne Zlatkis’ art for about three years now and they never stop coming. She blogs here and sells prints on Etsy .

Folksongs & Ballads is an animated short film by Mathieu Vernerie, Pauline Defachelles, and Rémy Paul. Produced in 2011 at Supinfocom as a student project, it gives us 8 minutes of purely beautiful imagery and music, no dialogues. The film is about an old sailor trying to resist inactivity in an isolated port.