In Filipino culture, "burol" or "lamay" is a traditional ritual conducted as an expression of sympathy and respect for the deceased individual and their family. It is usually held for several days before the actual burial.
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| Photo courtesy: Facebook/Mhyre Conde |
The wake or vigil is typically held at the home of the deceased individual or at a location close to the family. During this time, relatives, friends, and acquaintances gather to offer their condolences to the bereaved family. It is an important part of the mourning process in Filipino culture. It provides those close to the deceased with an opportunity to express their emotions and show respect to the departed individual before the actual burial.
During the wake or vigil, guests pay their respects to the deceased individual through prayers, sharing of memories, and interacting with the family of the deceased. Food is often prepared for the guests as well.
But what if the typically solemn wake turns into what seems like a mini-concert?
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Posted by Zahuji Kaitamo on Wednesday, March 27, 2024
The reactions of netizens are mixed regarding the viral video of a wake. This is because the deceased's family organized a mini-concert right at the wake! In the viral video of "Nehl Soriano," one can see a woman's performance at the wake that hyped up the mourners due to its concert-like atmosphere. However, the deceased's relatives explained that this was based on the last request and wish of the departed "Aldrew” or commonly known as “Buknoy.”
According to Franz Angelo Dizon, a relative of the deceased, in an interview with GMA News, it was his cousin's wish. He was the one who rented the sound system and invited the performers. Aldrew was said to be a hip-hop music lover and a former rapper known as "ScapeDoz." When Aldrew passed away, he looked for artists who sang on Aldrew's playlist, including "Mhyre Conde."
“KUZZ Aldrew Bkny Werdla Mdrgl Adacnomtrending burol mo!!! Hahaha. Alam kong masaya ka sa ganitong set-up kaya ginawa ko to. Masyado lang talagang madaming makitid utak. Hip-Hop/Rapper yung namatay alangan namang Clown yung pagperformin ko 🤦♂️At syempre kay Mhyre Conde maraming salamat sayo tol! Kahit papano nabawasan ang lungkot ng pamilya ng naiwan. Dedma tayo sa mga tolonggis na walang alam,” he said in his Facebook post.
Mhyre reportedly appealed to the public to please respect their artistic tribute to the deceased, as this was what the family wanted, which obviously deviates from the usual wake customs. In fact, there didn't seem to be any issues or complaints from those who attended the wake because they appreciated the unique approach taken by Aldrew's family.
“Kumalma kayo guys… Respeto sa family ni Skype dos at sympre sa Yumao nating kapatid din sa industriya, request po niya yan bago daw siya mawala sinabi niya sa family nya na magkaroon daw nang events at happy lang.”
“PS: Naimbitahan lang po ako dun at Ginawa ko lang po yung trabaho ko para magpasaya lang rin sila. At di lang po ako yung nandun na artist marami po kami ❤️ Patawad po kung sa mga mata niyo may nagawa akong masama,” she said in a post.
There's also a Facebook post from Aldrew's own brother, “Mezmile Seymour,” where he expresses gratitude to everyone who supported and paid respects during his brother's wake.
“TALAGANG NAG-IISA KA KUYA BUKNOY!🔥”
“SA MGA NAGCOCOMMENT NG DI MAGANDA DAHIL SA EVENT SA HULING LAMAY NG KAPATID NAMIN, REQUEST NYA YAN GUSTO NYA PARANG BIRTHDAY NYA LANG. GUSTO NYA CHILL LANG AT MAY OPEN MIC. AYAW NYA NG MALUNGKOT!”
“YAN HILIG NYA ANG KUMANTA AT MAG RAP, KAYA YAN ANG GINAWA NAMIN PARA SA KANYA, PARA KAHIT PANO MAPASAYA NAMAN NAMIN SYA SA HULING SANDALI NYA DITO SA LUPA.🙏🏻”
Here are the netizens’ comments:
“Kung ‘yan ang habilin bakit hindi gawin at least sinunod ang kagustuhan n’ya kaysa intindihin n’yo pa ang iba…”
“Di na uso ngayon ang mag-mourns sa lamay. May kaniya-kaniya ng paraan ang mga tao sa lamay.”
“Ang punto lang ng netizens, nagawa na niya ang bagay na iyan sa lupa. Ngayong wala na siya, sana naman ipagdasal na lang ang kaluluwa niya.”
“Hindi mo naman kailangan magluksa at mag-iiyak kasi naman kasama naman na niya ang Lumikha.”
“Nagugulat lng talaga aq sa tradisyon ng mga Tagalog. First time ko din nakakita ng lamay noon na may videoke.”
“Well, nag-iiba-iba na talaga ang panahon ngayon, sana nga kagustuhan talaga ng namatay, hindi dahil sa gusto lang magpa-viral at mapansin…”
“Sa probinsya nga namin live band, videoke at combo kung tawagin ang meron tuwing last night ng lamay, let them grieve and remember their departed loved ones with their own way, stop hatred.”
What are your thoughts about this?
— Noel Ed Richards, The Summit Express
