J is for Jailhouse Rock, A-Z of Filipino Cultural Exports
‘I have put the true meaning in the real sense of the term jailhouse rock’
The letter J is dedicated to Filipino Prison Governor Bryan F Garcia, for his curatorial vision, in utilising the arts as an instrument to social rehabilitation . In doing so, Governor Garcia uploaded a 4 minute video to Youtube of 1,500 inmates, with matching orange jump suits, dancing choreographed sequences from Michael Jackson’s 1982 music video ‘Thriller’. ‘Philippine Prison Thriller’ became viral with over 51 million hits worldwide, since it was uploaded in 2007.
‘I wanted something to thrill the world. I just found it so hilarious, so melodious. What an irony. They’re right here in this jail, considered the rejects of society, and yet these rejects are now making our province and our country proud.’
Philippine Prison Thriller’ has captured a post internet generation – followed by consequential views and criticisms broadcast alongside documentaries which tell a bigger story about the current political system in the Philippines. One such view includes – ‘Murderers on the Dance Floor’ (2008) – a 23 minute TV documentary for Channel 4, directed by Australian born, award-winning, film maker Sarah McCarthy.
Text taken from IMDB – ‘Murderers on the Dance Floor’ tells the story behind a YouTube clip that has now been viewed by over 9 million people. In this incredible clip 1500 inmates of a Filipino prison dance to Michael Jackson’s Thriller. But Thriller isn’t the only dance the inmates perform; their dazzling repertoire includes Giorgio Moroder’s Electric Dreams, a rock version of Canon in D and numbers from Sister Act. Director Sarah McCarthy went to the Philippines to discover why on earth a prison full of murderers, rapists and drug dealers were dancing to 80s pop. The dance spectaculars are the brainchild of Byron Garcia. Byron was appointed Head of the Prison in 2004 by his sister Gwendolyn, who is governor of the province. When Gwendolyn requests a special performance by the prisoners as part of her birthday celebrations, Byron adds one more dance to the programme – Vanilla Ice’s Ice Ice Baby. Murderers on the Dance Floor follows the creation of the newest dance in a jailhouse that seriously rocks’.
#OFW more than a country of good looking, half-wit, opportunistic terrorists
