Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada/Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance
Media release

Countdown to the 'Cultural Storm'

May 17, 2005

Vancouver, B.C. - On Saturday, May 21, 2005, at Vancouver's own Western Front Artist-Run Centre, /Roots, Rhymes and Resistance/ (RRR), the Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance's (FCYA) annual cultural show will stir up a 'cultural storm' of poetry, spoken word, theatre, song, dance and multi-media presentations.

Under the theme of /Ipagpatuloy: Living the Storm/, FCYA's seventh annual show will continue to feature the dynamic talent of Filipino youth across the lower mainland while celebrating the Philippine tradition for social change through the use of art and cultural exploration.

"The Philippines' has a stormy history", explains Niki Silva of FCYA. "There is not a period of our history where there wasn't something happening, or when things weren't changing. Filipino youth have always played a huge part of trying to make society a better place for everybody. And the Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance is a part of this tradition", said Silva.

Since 1999, RRR has been a venue for singing, dancing, reciting poetry and hip hop, as well as a platform for education and political discussion. FCYA hopes that this year's theme will continue to make an impact on the loyal followers of the show and to new faces.

"This year's theme, 'Ipagpatuloy: Living the Storm' will commemorate the era of the First Quarter Storm," said Charlene Sayo of FCYA. "It is also the theme of our current campaign which marks FCYA's 10-year anniversary", said Sayo. During the first quarter of 1970, thousands of Filipino youth and students in the Philippines held daily marches and rallies to protest, amongst other issues, the Vietnam War, US Foreign Policy in the Philippines and the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos.

35 years later, the First Quarter Storm continues to be a source of inspiration for Filipino-Canadian youth as it re-defined the role of youth and students in the movement for social transformation.

In 1995, the Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance was organized in the tradition of the FQS as the founding members envisioned a youth organization that would not only gather Filipino youth around their issues of systemic racism and identity, but would gather youth to cater to the needs of the overall community which is now presently composed of domestic workers and their families.

"We are continuing the cultural storm that Filipino youth began almost forty years ago," said Silva. "Our community is severely underdeveloped, but at the same time, is loaded with talent and energy. As Filipino youth we're using our talents advance our community's development," said Silva.

Roots, Rhymes and Resistance will feature violinist Kytami, R&B singer Warren Flandez and members of the Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance.

Roots, Rhymes and Resistance 7: Ipagpatuloy, Living the Storm
Saturday, May 21, 2005
The Western Front, 303 East 8th (off Scotia) Doors at 6:30pm, show starts at 7:00pm $10 entry, kids under 7 are free. For tickets and information, please contact 604-215-1103 or e-mail ukpc_fcya@kalayaancentre.net-30-