Backgrounder: The blues has been lurking around in the Philippines ever since the major 1970’s blues-rock explosion.  It experienced a major resurgence from 1995-2002, before returning to its usual quiet niche.  Since 2010, the blues has been once again surging forward:  more bands, more venues, more concerts, more fans.  A major uniting factor for Blue aficionados is the purity of the music and the emotions it encompasses.  The music of Blues highlights the beauty of the human voice and the instruments, rather than relying on digital means to create music or entertainment.

The Philippine Blues Society has, for many years now, been an informal grouping of blues enthusiasts, and it has an active presence on Facebook.  In July 2011, a core group of musicians and fans met to discuss establishing a formally organized society, recognized and registered with various government agencies as a not-for-profit organization.  Officers were nominated and announced on the Philippine Blues Society group page on Facebook and were officially elected on 6 August.

The elected officers are:  Eddieboy “Capt. Eddie” Santos, President; Tom Colvin, Vice-President; Rafael “The Penguin” Perez de Tagle, Treasurer; Allan Magturo, Corporate Secretary; Miguel Romero, Chairman, PR Committee; Wally Gonzalez, Board of Advisors.  Active volunteers are Glenn Valdez, our webmaster; Dennis Gargantiel, writer and editor; and Dudee Alfonso, event management.

The first order of business was to establish a Mission Statement that encompasses all fans and musicians who understand that the blues is the foundation of almost all modern-day music genres.  A major purpose of the Society is to explore those blues roots and how they are translated across the musical landscape.  The Society will also hold regular events, foster communication among all blues lovers, sponsor workshops and cooperate in promoting blues events throughout the Philippines.

The Society is already establishing linkages with other blues associations across the region, such as the Indonesian Blues Association, the Blues Club of India and the Blues Society on Taiwan.  Moreover, the Society is an officially recognized affiliate member of the Blues Foundation, based in Memphis, Tennessee.

Misson Statement: The Philippine Blues Society dedicates itself to several core beliefs and objectives:

The Universality of “Roots” Music:
•    To provide a common meeting ground for all musicians and music fans who acknowledge that the blues is the root of most contemporary music
•    To encourage spontaneity, honesty, humor, and communal sharing as core ingredients in a music that reaches across cultural, national, racial and class lines, bringing people together for the benefit of all
•    To underscore the commonality of all improvisational music that springs from the people

Objectives:
•    To increase the awareness of live blues and roots music, and to increase understanding of the blues, its evolution and its impact on modern music
•    To encourage young people and non-professional musicians to participate in blues performance
•    To play a supportive role in major blues events around the country
•    To forge alliances with blues communities across Asia and throughout the world.