OT: I Got Gift Rapped!

I was at the UP Chapel one afternoon attending a mass for a friend. After the mass, I was about to go home and I walked to my brother's car. Then there was a young girl who skippity skipped towards me.

I already expected her to start whining with a glum face and an open palm extended to me ...

Sirrrr ... pahingi po ng baryaaaaaahhhh ... pambili lang po ng pagkaiiiiiiin. Sige na siirrrhhhh .....

But then she surprised me! She wrapped her arms around her chest, covered her mouth with one hand, started swaying left to right while her knees bounced up and down in a rhythm. She started to rap to a beat, saying:

sir, magandang umaga po
ako'y mag-ra-rap para sa inyo

She was later joined by her friends...All three of them started to do a rap ensemble!

One was doing the percussions

toomph toomph tssh! toomph toomph tssh!

The other was doing the record scratching

ooo-ooo, eeee errrr eeee errrr eeee! ooo-ooo, eeee errrr eeee errr eeee!

And finally the third would rap their cause.

Kami po'y mga bata
Taga-Balara
nanghihingi ng pera
kahit konting barya

They would take turns in doing the rap, accompanying with the voice-percussions and the voice-record scratching. And they would dance to the beat like professional rappers do. Andrew E, Slim Shady, make way for these three kids!

They gave me the chance to be their first recording studio through my SmartPhone, Brosia.

Here's what they sounded like...
(Click the "play" button below to hear the kids gift rap!
Filesize=143Kb, length=1min 5seconds of rapping fun!)

Baby Girl

(Heto) nanaman ako, Si baby girl
Kami rito sa UP nanaman
Heto nanaman ako ay bumabalik
nag-ra-rap dito sa simbahan

Nandito kami ni Christina
humihingi po sa inyo!
Penge po ng barya
pambili ng pagkain

Sana naman po, kami'y mabigyan
pambili ng pakain

Christina

Nandito nanaman kami sa UP
Nanghihingi ng barya kahit piso lang
pamili ng kanin, oooo ulam
pwede po makahingi?
pwede po, please naman, nagmamaka-awa.

Jun

Parang may isang anghel sa aking labi
Na nakalutang sa ulap at nangingiliti
(Para ring) tulad ng ulam na hain ni inay
Siguro buong mundo'y magiging mapayapa
at masaya!

They weren't begging, really. It was closer to carolling. They were presenting to me! They were giving me a present, a gift!

It was the first time I encountered such a performance. I was so deeeelighted and I just had to share it with you. They enjoyed posing for the camera too!

They got double of what I would normally give to a street kid. As I drove off, I kept thinking about these kids, jolly and creative. I was thinking this must be a trend all around town. But I haven't heard that kind of performance from other kids yet. These kids were unique. They were entrepreneurs.

With those smiles on their face and their proud performance I thought, "They were enjoying life, weren't they?"

Come to think of it, maybe they were enjoying the moment. But were they enjoying life?

They knew I was delighted with their performance. I reciprocated with the jingle of a handful of baryaaah. I hope they were masayaaaah, even for a sandaliiiih.

Break it down!

- MC Edong

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