Latin Soul King Joe Bataan in the land of his father

On the second night of the Malasimbo Music and Arts Festival, Joe Bataan, the Latin Soul King from Spanish Harlem, bounded onstage with the energy of a man much younger than his 69 years.   “I’m so proud to be here,” he said, his cool voice rising above the wave of cheers of the 4,000+ people who braved the cold night air and endured the considerable trek to the foot of Mt. Malasimbo near Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro to hear the man play.   In front of this restless, clamoring crowd, beneath a star-and-treetop canopy—undeniably a world a way from the urban atmosphere of New York City—Joe Bataan triumphantly declared that he had finally come home.

  While it may not be evident in his American accent, African-American looks, and Latin-American sound, Joe Bataan is Filipino through his father, and despite being born and raised in Spanish Harlem, he embraced the Philippines immediately, calling it home without trepidation.   “It took me 69 years to come back home,” he said onstage, revealing with just a hint of sadness that his father never had the chance to come back to the Philippines.   Later, he told GMA News Online that he felt blessed to have had the opportunity to realize his father’s dream for him.   “It is great to be back where my roots started,” Bataan shared. “The Lord has allowed me to see this land of my father before my calling is complete.” He recalled the struggle of growing up Afro-Filipino in a predominantly Latin-American community, saying that he did not know which group to identify with.   He shared, “It was quite a lonely ride at first growing up in a different culture and not knowing my roots.”   But support from fellow Filipinos eventually gave him a sense of belonging: “It wasn't until other Filipinos started to support me in California that I finally began to believe I fit in with other Filipinos.”   Soon enough, this sense of identity made its way into his music.   “My background—without knowing—influenced me in my environment and helped me isolate my sound and style from other artists…I recorded ‘Ordinary Guy (Afro-Filipino)’ in 1973 when it wasn't natural to boast of your nationality. I am quite proud of this,” he recalled.   After settling into his unique identity and heritage, Bataan went on to have a long and successful career in the music industry, founding Salsoul Records, the label that would merge and shape Latin and Soul music. He also recorded “Rap-O, Clap-O” which is recognized as the first rap song in Europe.   Eventually, finally, he was able to come to the Philippines.   Short as his stay was, Bataan was able to see Batangas and Puerto Galera, of course, but also Makati and Manila.   “I am sure there are a lot of things to do in the Philippines—my time [here was] short and it’s almost impossible to see all the islands. But the music is great and [there is] so much talent from artists here.”   He shared that someday he would love to jam with fellow international Filipino musicians Bruno Mars and Lea Salonga, a step in the direction of uniting Filipinos from all over the world.   Of course, now that he’s been home, he said that he would love to come back.   But as for when that will be, he said “Only God knows for sure…I hope to come back next year for Jazz or any other festival in Manila so everyone can see me perform.” — KG/ELR, GMA News The Malasimbo Music and Arts Festival was held in the foothills of Mt. Malasimbo, Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro last March 2-4.