Dolphy and Panchito

The Best of Dolphy & Panchito



The Best of Dolphy & Panchito a series of classic re-releases that Alpha Music has issued lately. This is no doubt good news to those who are big fans of Pinoy absurdist humor (think Porkchop, the Reycards Duet, and Tito, Vic and Joey). Finally, they must exclaim, this nostalgic trip is now available in CD format. To the younger set, who don't buy CDs anymore, this album must at least come off as an ancient novelty material that has the potential to blow one's mind. A word of warning to the uninitiated, though, whether young or old (does it matter at all anyway): The material is not for everyone's taste. The jokes can get off-color. But if any listeners are what you might call "truly Pinoy," this album will speak to them so well.

I'm very much familiar with this album, by sheer association with extremely crazy officemates in the past. But personally, I'm still amazed at how Dolphy and Panchito in their heyday, reminiscent of zarzuela shows, could find funny things to say in just about everything they'd care to consider, not only Third World life's absurd ironies, but even the most unfortunate, socially relevant stuff that must have hounded them at the prime of their comic careers.

With undeniable wit, even pitch, perfect timing, uniquely weird melodies, and gender-bending role-playing games, the comic duo trade barbs that are at once head-shaking and rib-tickling.

Situations that challenge one's incredulity rule in "Magulong Pamilya," which is Shakespearian in its subject of mistaken identities, incest, infidelity, and the darkest family secrets in general, subjects even Borat Sagdiyev would perhaps never venture into otherwise. The same thing roughly goes for "Utos ni Mayor," which is about the lengths one would go to win in the game of unrequited love. "Manananso" is a tale of double deception: the story of Procopia, a househelp pretending to be a rich girl who gets her well-deserved comeuppance.These songs are cautionary tales that stand out for their smart narrative twists.

The other songs can be really preachy, though, as in "Tsismis" and "Manghuhothot," which are respectively about the self-destructiveness of gossip and that fecal feeling of being loved purely for one's money.

Or the songs can be really uncharitable - which can mean being deliberately insensitive for comic effect in these politically correct times - as in "Tuksuan" and "Puro Peklat." I'd call this brand of comedy gray humor, which can be truly hilarious if you are either cruel to others or self-deprecating enough. This uniquely Filipino type of humor (or so it seems) has the power of humiliating and humbling the target subject at the same time. (Too bad, in real life, those who have great self-confidence are sometimes those who don't deserve to have it.) Further, the deliberately cruel jokes, hilarious in their meanness, are also saved by their candor - except perhaps for those with issues in self-esteem for which it’s better to be kind than be truthful. But who doesn't love and admire honesty, however which place it might come from?

Sidebar: I am reminded of the related concept of our elders called "carino brutal," a similar moral gray area, where terms of endearment or endearing gestures are used to wrap and deliver a merciless truth to anyone we care so much about as to be upfront honest with them.

To continue on with the review.... "Bomba Lang, Artista Na" pokes low-brow fun at the bomba stars of yore. "Over-Acting" bashes the 'feeling movie star' character who turns out to be a total fraud. "Wais" exposes the genius/geek/nerd as an ever-gullible fellow.

One of the weirdest numbers is "Gloria," which is bluesy and features Dolphy's hilarious vocal distortion, which should remind oldies, especially viewers of those wonderfully ancient black and white movies of his Facifica Falayfay days of gay impersonation. I must hazard to say that this song about the illogical realities of a husband-and-wife's life is inventive.

Three equally preachy numbers are saved by their strange relevance, which proves that some things in these islands are indeed curses that must be exorcised with finality. You can't believe how things haven't changed for centuries! As evidenced by "Family Planning," this country was already overpopulated circa 1950s! And how curious it must be for Dolphy who has fathered a thousand kids would ever sing such a song. The duo, though, raise the valid issue of resultant poverty and malnutrition, but thank goodness I must give them credit for actually blaming the right people: the owners of the wayward gonads and sex drives implicated in the crime. In "Walang Masakyan," shamelessly selective PUJ drivers receive a well-deserved bashing. The enigma of taxi supply and demand is summed up very neatly, too: "Ba't wala/Kung kelan mo kailangan?" You wonder whether jeepneys and taxis, for example, ought to be scrapped altogether. "Walang Tubig" is, well, about the scarcity of basic needs like NAWASA scarcity, although honestly I was expecting something funnier from them for this topic. They certainly could have done far, far better than this lazy, anemic take.

Tracklist

01 Magulong Pamilya
02 Tsismis
03 Utos Ni Mayor
04 Bomba Lang Artista Na
05 Tuksuhan
06 Family Planning
07 Walang Masakyan
08 Over-Acting
09 Gloria
10 Wais
11 Puro Peklat
12 Walang Tubig
13 Manananso
14 Manghuhothot