‘Bakwit Boys’—a romantic musical with a heart
“BAKWIT BOYS” — a romantic musical written and directed by Jason Paul Laxamana and produced by T-Rex Entertainment— dares to break new ground with a heartwarming story and original songs set to capture the hearts and minds of viewers.
Opening in cinemas on August 15 as an entry to the 2nd Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino (PPP), Bakwit Boys tells the journey of the cash-strapped Datul Brothers: Elias, Sonny, Joey and Philip toward their dream of becoming genuine recording stars.
The story begins when a supertyphoon ravages their hometown and puts their lives on hold. Forced to move from Isabela all the way to Pampanga, they stay with their grandfather where they decide to call themselves the “Bakwit Boys” (a Filipino for evacuate) and start making music again to earn a living.
“The term bakwit became popular when Mt. Pinatubo eruption occurred in 1991. My family and I were also bakwit because we evacuated from our hometown in Pampanga that time. It became popular anew when the Marawi Siege happened last year,” Laxamana explains.
The eldest among the brother, Elias ( Vance Larena), is the band vocalist together with the youngest, Sonny (Mackie Empuerto), while Joey (Ryle Santiago) plays the guitar and Philip (Nikko Natividad) composes their songs.
Their first gig to help out their grandfather with the finances is singing at a town fiesta. Their original song impresses Rose (Devon Seron), a rich city girl who is passionate about music. She offers to help the boys record their songs and have them played on the radio. Individual interests and personal conflicts test the unity of the band, as they struggle to make sense of life’s ironies and tragedies.
According to the director, he came up with the movie idea inspired by independent bands back in their province. Laxamana worked for a few years as a
radio DJ in Pampanga and used his program to play songs from indie artists.
“Besides making films, being involved in music production has always been one of my interests. I have collaborated with several musicians and singers from different parts of the country, from Pampanga to Iloilo. We’d compose original songs, which we release online and submit to local radio stations for possible airplay. Because local radio stations mostly prefer to play songs by Manila-based celebrities, sharing the music we create to a wider audience has always been a challenge,” he said.
“This aspect of my life was what inspired me to make Bakwit Boys. It’s a story about moving on and rising from the wreckage brought about by catastrophes, both natural and manmade,” Laxamana continued.
The film features six original songs by Tarlac-based singer-songwriter Jhaye Cura, a good friend of Laxamana whom the director had previously collaborated with on a number of Kapampangan songs.
“She’s got a ‘gift of melody,’” Lamaxamana says of Cura. “That’s why I wanted
to give her songs a chance to be heard through this film.”
These tunes, which comprise Bakwit Boys’ Original Sound Track, can be described as “full of
‘ hugot’” and “very sing-able.” The genres range from pop rock to mellow, to ballad. Moreover, they speak of topics that are close to the hearts of young dreamers: hope, heartbreak, first love, unrequited feelings, and the pursuit of success.
Besides the original versions sung by the cast members in the movie, the songs in the soundtrack come in pop versions performed by mainstream recording artists. Four of them include Mark Oblea who sings the heart-wrenching melody about longing for a lost love titled, “Fiona;” Jay R who brings to life the enthralling tune about having a secret crush in “Patibong;” rising talent Sean Oliver who performs the Bakwit Boys’ anthem about overcoming your struggles for your dreams, “Ligtas Ka Na;” and platinum recording star Ice Seguerra who sings about being blissfully in love in “Tayong Dalawa.”
“Music is very important [in life] because it has a healing factor, and that’s what we are also doing in this movie,” Laxamana ended.