Neighing Through the Competition

This one will be short...I was kinda wiped out by that Villar entry. Researching is not fun on a slow connection.

Anyshoes, you know that thing about that contestant in Pilipinas Got Talent? The transvestite who sang Banal na Aso, Santong Kabayo? Watch it here.

There have been many posts about this guy, and frankly, it's because they don't understand the song. I think the horse sounds are pretty spot on. For starters, Banal na Aso (Holy Dog) and Santong Kabayo (Saintly Horse) are terms in Filipino that denote religious plastic-ness. It is a story of a man who met two people, a woman praying a rosary in a bus who cursed the driver when he missed her stop and a man who's praying in church but refused to give a street child spare change. I'll translate it line per line.


Kaharap ko sa dyip ang isang ale
(In front of me in the jeep [a mini-bus in the Philippines] is a woman)
Nagrorosaryo mata niya'y nakapikit
(Praying, her eyes closed)
Pumara sa may kumbento
(Her stop is a convent)
Sa babaan lang po sabi ng tsuper kase me naghuhuli
(You can only get off at the bus stop, the driver said, or we'll get caught)
Mura pa rin nang mura ang ale
(the woman won't stop cussing)

Refrain:
Banal na aso, santong kabayo
(Holy Dog, Saintly Horse)
Natatawa ako hihihihi
(You make me laugh, hahahahaha)

*Note that the Pilipinas Got Talent inserted the horse sounds in place of "hahahahaha." It was pretty funny, and as I said, appropriate. It was mocking and funny. Drives home the concept of religious plastic-ness (I know there is no such word, get over it.)

Nangangaral sa kalye ang isang lalake
(A man is preaching in the streets)
Hiningan ng pera ng batang pulubi
(A street kid asked for some spare change)
Pasensya na para daw sa templo
(He said sorry but the money the passersby gave is for the church)
Pangkain lang po sabi ng paslit
(Please? I'm really hungry, said the street kid)
Talagang di ba pupwede?
(Can't you really give me any?)
Lumipat ng pwesto ang lalake
(The man moved to a different area)


Anuman ang iyong ginagawa sa iyong kapatid
(Whatever you do to the least of your brothers)
Ay siya ring ginagawa mo sa akin
(You do to me)

Refrain

So you see, aside from the notes that performer was hitting, he was singing this far better than the original band. Yeah, I the clothes are funny, and the face is...horse-ish and bony, but the performance was quirky, different, amusing and amazing. Can you make a horse sound in perfect C#?

I sort of resent that some people are PM-ing me that I should see the video and that it's weird and laughable. This isn't even about Filipino pride. The performance was good. Yeah, not Susan Boyle, but the Got Talent franchise is not about Susan Boyle-type talents.

I personally dedicate this to you, B. And your sometimes elitist views. Being American, you obviously didn't understand the song. I'm not saying this is how we should sing, or that he's the best, but you got it all wrong. He wasn't just doing the neighing because he felt like it. It was a well thought-of performance, I think.

And by the way, I know for a fact that you're tone deaf.