Episode #3: Hella Filipino

December 15, 2018

Stories about art, commerce, and being unapologetically Filipino American. Featuring Ruby Ibarra, Genever bar in Los Angeles’ Historic Filipinotown, and H.P. Mendoza’s Bitter Melon. With a quick field trip to The Oinkster.

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Ruby Ibarra in concert at the Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles’ Historic Filipinotown in January 2018. Photo by Paola Mardo.

Ruby Ibarra in concert at the Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles’ Historic Filipinotown in January 2018. Photo by Patrick Epino.

Ruby Ibarra in concert at the Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles’ Historic Filipinotown in January 2018. Photo by Paola Mardo.

Genever bar in Los Angeles’ Historic Filipinotown. Photo by Wonho Frank Lee.

A bitter melon gin cocktail at Genever bar in Los Angeles’ Historic Filipinotown. Photo by Paola Mardo.

Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell presents the City Certificate of Recognition to Genever owners Christine “Tinette” Sumiller, Patricia “Tricia” Perez, and Roselma Samala. Photo by Paola Mardo.

Patrick Epino, Esperanza Catubig, Jonathan Enerva, Theresa Navarro, and Josephine de Jesus star in H.P. Mendoza's Bitter Melon. Photo by Susie Heyden. Courtesy Ersatz Film.

Director H.P. Mendoza (left) with cast and crew on the set of Bitter Melon. Photo by Susie Heyden. Courtesy Ersatz Film.

Theresa Navarro, L.A. Renigen, Jon Norman Schneider, Brian Rivera, and Josephine de Jesus star in a scene from H.P. Mendoza’s Bitter Melon. Photo by Susie Heyden. Courtesy Ersatz Film.

Theresa Navarro and Patrick Epino in a scene from H.P. Mendoza’s Bitter Melon. Photo by Susie Heyden. Courtesy Ersatz Film.

Show Notes

Radio
The stories in this episode were originally produced for the following public radio programs:

KPCC The Frame: Meet the Filipina American rapper making music about bi-culturalism and empowerment

KCRW Good Food: Serving Cocktails and Culture in LA’s Historic Filipinotown (made possibly by the KCRW Independent Producer Project)

KPCC The Frame / LAist: Bitter Melon Thrills by Showing Filipino Americans Not Sweeping Things Under the Rug (A text version of this story was published on LAist)

Media
This episode mentions the following works and features clips from some of them. The works are shared below and are as follows: “Us” music video from Ruby Ibarra with Rocky Rivera, Klassy, and Faith Santilla; “Taking Names” music video from Ruby Ibarra with Bambu and Nump; Bitter Melon trailer; Videos by Jo Koy, Eater, Tastemade, and the Food Network; a video from Francis Magalona’s performance of “Man from Manila”; a video of film critic Roger Ebert at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival screening of Justin Lin’s Better Luck Tomorrow. Also included is the trailer for H.P. Mendoza’s Bitter Melon, from which clips as well as music like the Tinikling song were used.

Sources
Research and interviews were conducted by Paola Mardo. Food taste testing performed by Patrick Epino and Paola Mardo at The Oinkster.

Credits
Long Distance is hosted and produced by Paola Mardo.
Co-producer is Patrick Epino.

Art
Cover art is by Celina Calma.
Title design by Paola Mardo.

Music
Theme Song is “Comin’ Along” by C. Light and the Prisms. Most music is sourced through royalty-free music libraries. For the Bitter Melon story, clips were used from the trailer for Justin Lin’s Better Luck Tomorrow and from a videotaped clip of Roger Ebert at the Sundance Film Festival screening of the film in 2002. Excerpts from the following songs were used in throughout the episode:
What’s Behind the Door - Lee Rosevere
Ghost - Rosie Plaza
Can’t Judge a Book - SZA with Ruby Ibarra, The Tracks, Radkey, Victoria Canal, William Prince, Noe Socha
Mga Kababayan - Francis M
Us - Ruby Ibarra
Crazy Filipinos - Ruby Ibarra
7000 Miles - Ruby Ibarra
The Otherside - Ruby Ibarra
Brown Out - Ruby Ibarra
Playbills - Ruby Ibarra
Great Balls of Fire - Dinah Dominguez
Tinikling provided by H.P. Mendoza from the movie Bitter Melon
Assembly Line Work - Dee Yan Key
Colma Stays - H.P. Mendoza from the movie Colma: The Musical
Slow Lights - Lee Rosevere
Happy Place - H.P. Mendoza from the movie Colma: The Musical

Episode #3: Hella Filipino

Show Notes

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