Album Review: Hatankaru - Hatankaru

By Jackie Dosmanos


The legacy of Karl Roy lives on in this excellent debut from Muziklaban 2009 winners who call themselves by their beloved home place of Karuhatan, Valenzuela City. Their odd-sounding name notwithstanding, Hatankaru shines with the many shades of punk-funk that’s as far away from the pedestrian revisionism of the Chili Peppers and their ilk.

The foursome from Karuhatan instead gives a brown twirl to the funky artistry of Rage Against The Machine and cool jazz fusion from the ‘70s. In six songs, they capture the Brownian motion of heady funk rock.

Opening track “Kirot” introduces the band in a funk soul mood but its breakdown is pure P.O.T. In attitude and lyrics, “Bawal” starts as a sideways paean to Ka Freddie’s “Estudyante Blues” then quickly sprints in punk rock mode to the revenge of the exploited on their oppressors. “Lakip” is a five-minute epic that aspires to be a song of pride for the Brown race: “Handa akong sumama sa yo kapatid/At di na hahayaan muli pang masiil/Ito ang tiday ng lahi, Matatag na kayumanggi.”

Finally, a funky album that shakes your ass and stirs your grey matter as well!