MANILA, PHILIPPINES– Filipino authors have created countless beautiful, moving works of literature, but these have always faced challenges in distribution. To address this, Linya-Linya has created “Tula Somebody: Pagbasa sa Panitikang Pilipino,” a new series on The Linya-Linya Show.
In each podcast episode, a piece by a Filipino author will be read to the listeners by a celebrity guest. In the first episode coming September 21, hip-hop artist BLKD will read poems by Jose F. Lacaba, popularly known as Pete Lacaba.
“Maraming magagandang akda ang mga Pilipinong makata. Iyon nga lang, masasabing limitado ang access ng publiko para mabasa o mapakinggan ang mga ito.” says Ali Sangalang, Linya-Linya co-owner and host of The Linya-Linya Show podcast. “At sa panahong nakatutok ang kabataan sa new media, paano nga ba natin makukuha ang atensyon nila paharap sa panitikan?”
(There are plenty of notable works written by Filipino authors. Unfortunately, these works are not easily accessible to the public. In this age of new media, the question that comes to mind is how to catch their attention towards literature.)
“Susubukin nating mas ilapit ang panitikan sa kabataang Pilipino. Bibigyan natin ng ibang atake ang mga classic o kahit mga bagong akda, na sana, makasabay sa interes ng henerasyong ito,” says Sangalang. Each reading will be followed by a short interview and reflection on the text, encouraging the audience to have a deeper appreciation of our homegrown literature.
(This is an attempt to bridge Filipino literature to the youth. We will give a different treatment to classic new works as well in hopes to spring interest from the current generation.)
Creating an immersive audio experience in the midst of the lockdown was no simple feat. To make “Tula Somebody” a reality, Linya-Linya partnered with PumaPodcast, the Philippines’ first podcast network and an industry leader in podcast production.
“When you listen to podcasts, it becomes personal. It’s something you keep in your back pocket while you go through your day. As podcasting continues to grow in the Philippines, we hope our partnership with Linya-Linya will help fellow Filipinos discover the joy, power and value there is in listening to homegrown literature,” says PumaPodcast founder and CEO Roby Alampay.
“Sana maging simula ito ng higit na pagpapahalaga ng mas maraming Pilipino sa panitikan, at sa pagiging Pilipino,” adds Sangalang.
(I hope that this is just the beginning of giving importance to Filipino literature and identity)
The “Tula Somebody” series begins on The Linya-Linya Show starting September 21.
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.
