Victor Noriega's Kuyatet + Lino Brocka's Manila in the Claws of Light

To celebrate our spotlight on Filipino director Lino Brocka, we are pairing his best known film with jazz interpretations of Filipino music led by Victor Noriega, with his band Kuyatet (“Kuya” means “Brother” in Tagalog).

Brocka (1939-1991) directed over 50 films until his untimely death, many of them comic book soap operas (in his own words) firmly in the commercial mainstream of the busy local industry. But he interspersed these production line assignments with fiercely political social realist films which found international acclaim, and which irked the Marcos dictatorship. Manila in the Claws of Light (also, confusingly, known as Manila in the Claws of Darkness and Manilla in the Claws of Neon) is regarded as the greatest Philippine movie ever made. It’s the story of a fisherman, Julio, who comes to the big city in the footsteps of his fiancee, who has gone missing. His experiences expose the exploitation and corruption at the heart of the country.

Before the film screens, enjoy an hour long set from Kuyatet comprising folk melodies, classics from Filipino composers and new originals inspired by the genre. A veritable plethora of possibilities for re-imagined and adventurous interpretations. Victor Noriega’s first foray into this concept materialized in his 2006 award-winning piano trio release, “Alay.”

Victor Noriega – Bandleader/Keyboards
Tristan Paxton – Guitar
Dan Howard – Bass
Joe Poole – Drums

About Victor Noriega: Award-winning composer/keyboardist Victor Noriega has been described as having “the sensitivity of Bill Evans, the propulsion of Horace Silver and the experimentation of Thelonious Monk,” while his compositions have been characterized as “layered, complex, interesting and rhythmic,” “introspective at times, energetic and boundary-stretching at others… seamlessly blend[ing] jazz and modern classical inflences.” His most recent recording with studio project Pontius Pilots entitled “Horizons” was released in the Fall of 2020 and features saxophonist Jeremy Udden in an expression of synthesized tones and sonic blends.

Note: Total running time includes a 20-minute intermission between the music and the film

To watch Brocka’s films is to be burned by a flame that never goes out.

Pierre Rissient

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