Eco Echo 2013

I remember those times when I was in college (yr2005) where I used to conduct rock events at night which lasts till 4am in the morning so for this year 2013 I wanted to make events again but this time I want it to be for a better cause, So what I did is I created a concept which I named "ECO ECHO" It is to enunciate the need for voicing up by means of art and music the environmental and social need for utilization.

I'm very grateful that Sev's Cafe allowed me to conduct the first event in their place, also for the help of Musiko Imbento c/o Cris Garcimo Co. , Jean Paul Zialcita who had a wonderful drum circle session to open up the event and close it, also for our amazing fire dancer Manashii Sotelo and for all the kind people who was there as I organize this simple event which turned out to be a fund raise for Yolanda Typhoon Victims.

To see more about the events highlights in ECO ECHO you may visit its facebook page here at https://www.facebook.com/pages/ECO-ECHO/1438011043092749?fref=photo If you like its concept please do like and support the cause. Thanks :)

To put highlights on my performances during the event, At the beginning after the drum session by Paul Z, I conducted a zen chanting open jam, where I'm happy my artist friends pagibig and ricardo helped me out with the microphone and chanted close to me and also played instruments. The chant is an Improvisation prayer to ask the spirits to align us close to goodness and may it do the same with the Yolanda Victims.

Here's my Photo during the time I led the improvised chanting...

While some and more of the photos can be viewed here - https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1457681357792384.1073741828.1438011043092749&type=3

The next performance I did was with the band I newly formed a month ago, named: Sentient Waves, they helped me revive my very old compositions.

Sentient Waves Members are Eric Dy: Lead Guitars, Ralph Velayo: Bass, Peter Mamayson: rhythm guitars and Patrick Ramajo:Drums..

Here’s the video of the revival of my old song: Honey, this is basically my song of healing before when I felt like having paranoia.

Power of A Prayer : A Mandala and Ambient set by gentle universe and me as the one setting the mandala and doing the prayer for the Yolanda Typhoon Victims.

Typoon Yolanda/Haiyan is one of the terrifying tropical cyclone ever recorded that hit Leyte (Tacloban city) Philippines, It happened in early-November 2013 and horrifically killed a lot of our fellow filipinos. In times like this our greatest armour is a prayer because as how nature is naturally as it is and God is the only one in control I will always have faith in being spiritually prayerful in every circumstance...

This was the 2nd time that Cris frontman of Gentle Universe invited me to lead a prayer and set up the mandala with his instructions regarding the flowers and candles he prepared for that day :)

I feel honoured to be part of such event and happy to be remembered by such kind family oriented band to be part of their performance :)

Here's a video recorded by my brother ralph, as I conduct the prayer and mandala session. ( Sorry for the poor video quality for I was only using my iphone and theres not enough light as well..)

Before the mandala session, we also played a song collaborated by me and stanley (gentle universe musician) it's entitled Baby Bear, It was a song he once shared to me while I was chatting with him in FB and I reverted it back with my voice recording and some improvised lyrics I inputed, It's a story of a Big baby bear that is exploring the jungle. You can also hear that music via stanley's soundcloud page - https://soundcloud.com/stanley-castelo/baby-bear-voice-and-letters-by

Doodling.

Photos above are few of my doodles which was exhibited many years ago, the one 1st on top entitled: Doodle of my mind was exhibited during our Inwardbound Art Exhibit which happened last year 2010.  The next photo below it is entitled: Staying Still, which was exhibited last year 2011 on our Universe Manifesto Exhibit.

Ever since childhood I already love doodling its a free style approach in understanding my self and communicating to my inner self like " Hi self, what's kept in your subconscious? Is it good for you and others? does it empowers and strengthen you? what's our plan to make things better dear self? "

I have also researched some other techniques in doodling to make it more efficient to the diverse society. this website: http://enchantedmind.com/html/creativity/techniques/art_of_doodling.html is very well detailed in explaining the effectivity of doodling.

I love how it stated few excerpts: (know more as you click on its link)

It is well established that much of our creative expression is birthed in the unconscious mind. To use creative expression and solutions in your everyday life, it is necessary to dip into the unconscious at will. Doodling is one way of doing this.

Doodling allows the unconscious to render in symbolic expression. Symbols have universal as well as personal meaning. When you are stuck for an answer to a problem or looking for creative innovation, the technique of doodling will unleash the hidden symbolic powers of the unconscious mind. Symbols are a universal means of expression. Regardless of culture or geographic location, certain symbols have similar if not exactly the same meaning across the human spectrum. Carl Jung pioneered the investigation of symbols as archetypal attributes of the collective unconscious. He realized that the universe projects itself to our unconscious minds symbolically, utilizing imagery to transmit ideas that language cannot. Symbols are the universal language.

Improvisation Vocals Artist - Amiya...

As a simple girl who loves to explore music of different genre, and for being a child who loves making voices and sings in her own style in different sounds she can hear, autistic as it may look, I found a way to really experiment, vocalize and be creative in the path of honing my style. My influence in meditation made me sensitive and intuitive in expressing my vocals during an improvisation jam without any preparation, rehearsal or school education in music I can jive with mostly any sound specially electronic and synth sounds. Though I've been Independent in composing my songs with my minimal music knowledge and materials, I can also Improvise my self each time I do underground folk indie performances which started after My college ska post punk/experimental rock (Rainy Lullaby) - college band disbanded.
Back to Improvisation vocals, I'm grateful for some improvisation collaboration jam with bands such as Gentle Universe, Cosmopolitan Smoke Stabs and Firefly logic.

The Videos below are some of my early takes in vocals improvisation collaboration jam.

Birth - Art Exhibit - Universe Manifesto - September 11. 2011

As I flash back to our event last September 11, 2011 - Universe Manifesto - I suddenly remembered my special loved artwork entitled BIRTH - It's the photo 1st on top, third from left, showing a moustached lady looking face expressing union of male and female to come up with the baby or birth of life. this artwork came to kind peoples attention, it was Toni Bernardo and her Mom who talked with me about it, then I shared my exhibit diary to show the story of each art work and they are very nice and bought the artwork after a few days. I never knew much about Toni Bernardo aside from her humble, sweet and kind energy when we met up in Quantum Cafe then after a few weeks when I went to watch Earth Dance in The Fort I saw her, her mom and other family members then there I found out that She is the director of Escola De Samba De Manila, She leads the drumming and does strong vibrant vocals, They also travelled outside the country to show their music and performance. She's really a role model leader, I really feel a bit shy when i think of her kindness and cool performance in Earthdance and for giving time to check my humble artwork that time. She's really great! 

Photos below is my Universe Manifesto Exhibit Private Diary, another photo is the excerpt of the painting Birth. 

Memories of Soul Liberation - an artwork.

Way back year 2007, I stayed in a didis quarter in laspinas. it's a house where lady monks stay, I've learnt so many things from them. My Acharya Didi Rainjita who's a yogini monk from malaysia taught me some lessons about meditation. I can recall the time when it was just the 2 of us inside the room and she explained that meditation is universal and should be a universal practice, even an atheist, agnostic or any deity or God worshiper from any sect or religion should/can be given the chance to experience it. Belief and Experience are very different, An example could be to hear from someone that one band is good and get its buy in yet experience is attending the bands concert watch, hear and feel them live. It's the same from spirituality it can be written down in kazillion of scriptures yet no words nor scriptures can fully describe it for it's meant to be experienced by our God given gift of human senses. The painting on top is an oil painting i did while I was staying in a yoga house. The title is Liberation of the soul.

PaintBrush Pens

Few days ago when I went to the art supplies shop to buy a watercolor pad, cause I want to explore my senses in a new medium that I haven't tried yet which is water color, then I saw this paintbrush pens, it only has 5 colors in it, it looks handy, fun and an instant back packing art stuff to put out for instant coloring. It's fun to use cause I can just squeeze its middle to excrete some more inks. I gave it a quick try and i came up with an instant art (photo shown) It's a fetus inside a root like embryo below the tree. I was not mindful when i came up with this idea, it suddenly just came out while i play with the brushes, Suddenly i wonder what if there is really some unborn creatures below some trees.. And if we keep on cutting trees to manufacture it, these creatures won't come to birth. and if nobody will dig each soil to check if there's a baby below it how can they even know if they had already cut a precious creature of life.

BLIGHT Exhibit : my artwork contribution.

Thanks to Mdm Alice Guillermo a renowned writer, researcher, art critic and professor had a wonderful speech about the realities of life as an artist in our country as she mentioned that most of this passionate individuals are working class young ones who as usual are struggling to handle their responsibilities and at the same time are building their characters and identity in doing the work that they love. She Highlighted that Creative individuals has a great role in our society cause they are visionaries and creators (which ofcourse is not as simple as just expressing ones thought as a detox yet a warrior that can brave to destroy the old rotten system of whichever is it that is creating this infectious disease as mentioned with our group exhibit concept/theme - BLIGHT), and to understand that progressive art has a process and needs a community to unify in voicing out ones human and spiritual purpose.

LIFE IN A BALL OF YARN - The Artwork I shared during the exhibit.

I chose Yarn and acrylic as my medium, because the yarn itself with its soft texture gives a feeling of warmth and simplicity. and during this time, I just got back in Philippines from singapore where I left my baby photographer job, so many things happened in my personal life that I felt like being psychologically conflicted and all I ever wanted is a feeling of home and warmth and my boyfriend who is a dear vegan artist sid is the one who comforts me during that time, my world revolved around him during those times that’s why two of my mini paintings represents a couple, the pirate man unified by heart to a sleepy headed woman and another one in a cemetery a punk skeleton with a ghost which he fetches from a cemetery and brought with him and the and the big art showing a tree of yarn breaking a wall and having 2 cats play with the yarn fruits, symbolised my union with him cause we used to lock ourselves in our own world yet the tree of yarn has to break the wall to see the other side of light, we used to nurse a kitten we found on the street together yet the kitten died of health issues and it was a heart breaking memory from us… Sid’s character is like a mix of punk, bones and pirate and he likes taking me by the hand to be wherever he may be and I was attracted to the secured feeling he gave me…

So what’s the connection of my personal art with blight exhibit? it’s simple it’s being human seeking warmth, seeking the breakage of boundaries for the sake of truth, needing partnership and affection, the society has to see through that simple matters so that they can build empathy to the poor people, we are all the same in humanity, no divisions on that matter…

The photos of all the artists contribution can be viewed here in my fb page - https://www.facebook.com/amiya.velayo/media_set?set=a.282036878605049.1073741828.100003962183194&type=1

I performed some noise improvisation session with my newly founded band sentient waves together with guitarists: Eric Dy and Peter Mamayson, Here's the video of the Noise expressionist session.

The moment of F O C U S starts...

First and foremost I'd like to give thanks to all my friends and relatives who've supported me to usually remember what I really love to do, this will be my first time to start a blog as a solo independent artist who is more than grateful that life connected me to artists that i also admire. I'd say I'm also like any ordinary girl who loves to dream, sleep and find value in simple joys of life. Aside from my life connected to my earphones in listening many sounds and music to inspire me to breath in harmony, I'd also say that people who helped me are the ones who influenced me more to be happy in my journey. 

As I retrospect to understand my present, I'd say I'm not a perfect person and who's not anyway, I can be very transparent and punk direct when I'm angry and I know I have also offended some people in the past though I've never dwelled upon or kept hate inside me I'd like to be thankful for such clash experiences that made me grow and realise many things in life, hating is a waste of time it burns non other but our own self.  In my current life time I'd like to focus in the glowing warmth of love, gratitude and harmony and as a human specie residing in planet earth, it's my usual direction to be in a space and environment that I belong and where my passion will light brighter in my every natural motion.
All my life experiences just brought and molded me as an Independent Artist. Sound and vocals composition / vocalisation became a big part of my personal expression/therapy/devotion. 

I love to utilize and use my mind in thinking and imagining ideas for the good mission. Introversion converted to extroversion is my usual personal process. I remember that time when i was only 7 years old and i heard my mom talking to my teacher asking if I'm interacting properly with other kids cause she kept on saying I'm a loner who loves to just sketch. that loner part of me embraced my love for singing, music and composing, each time I'm alone, singing, chanting, playing music I feel so very connected to such mystical force with such bliss it can sometimes put me to tears. that internal joy gave me satisfaction but then I realized just as like what Christopher McCandless said Happiness is only real when shared, that's why every now and then i should regain strength and confidence to share this inner bliss to people through music and arts. Sharing my voice is not possible without the channels that helped me made it. 

Thanks to my bandmates, collaborators, mentors long time ago, special thanks to Cosmopolitan Smoke stabs and Gentle Universe who are kind to help me hone my improvisation vocals by allowing me to take part with most of their gigs. (You may also check their updates at http://gentleuniverse.blogspot.com ) "Gentle Universe" is a nature and children-inspired ambient sound performance group from the Philippines. Inspired by the birth of his son, it was founded by ambient musician and sound designer Cris Garcimo in 2011. together with other artists Stanley, Erich and Valerie they create music and sounds using vintage synths, computers, toys and field recordings. 

When it comes to visual freehand illustration I'd like to give special thanks to Arjun Marapon who's a great artist, yoga instructor, and child art therapist. cause he inspired me in P.R. Sarkar's teaching about progressive art and using it as a medium to reflect society. we used to have a group before named "Inward bound - http://inwardboundartists.blogspot.com" our group had an art therapy session by Dr. Marian Alonzo and also an exhibit at Ananda Marga Yoga Centre last August, 2010. 

I also worked as a graphic designer last year 2010, then year 2011 I went to Singapore and I became a baby photographer, It honed my portrait photography skills and my baby handling techniques. :)

I greatly admire the monks lifestyle like vegetarian diet to be more personally beneficial to the environment and animals. I'm also a vegetarian and yoga meditation practitioner, I'm a very open minded person in listening and understanding to different philosophy, belief and stories though I'm also human that needs to harmonise my sanity as well haha! (you ( may also check my vegan blog - http://veganeasyway.blogspot.com)

Pro Active - Direct Action towards the environment, I would like to utilise and share my energy for the progress of our environment, culture and spirit. 

I'm offering my art, photography and music as a solo artist for my advocacy to contribute in helping my SELF at the same time helping people who FEELS resonated in my soul, be part of my journey towards the endless campaign for life evolution …

You may join me in my continuos musical adventure in my sound cloud site -

https://soundcloud.com/amiya-velayo

This will be my first open blog to express my art, though I've been writing many private blogs, and tiny baby steps,  diary to figure things out and I'm very happy I just made a big step this time to fully focus on it… 

At your service - Amiya :)