Liwanag Podcast

Rich Likong conducts a one-on-one interview with legendary Filipino artist, Alex Nino. Alex has done artwork American publishers, DC Comics,  Marvel Comics, Warren Publishing, and Heavy Metal magazine. 

Oliva and Fred Competente share stories of the Mabuhay Gardens, the legendary San Francisco nightclub that helped usher in the Punk scene in the west coast. The Mabuhay Gardens hosted legendary punk bands including the Ramones, Blondie, the Dead Kennedys at the height of that scene. We also discuss the life and times of Ness Aquino, who co promoted those punk shows at the famed Mabuhay Gardens. 

This is the second part of our discussion with Prof. Dan Gonzales. We discuss the various music genres that influence the Filipino American community including the Fillmore jazz scene, the rise of punk music in the Mabuhay Gardens and the resurgence of hip hop.

In this episode, we are joined by Professor Dan Gonzales, who teaches at San Francisco State University for nearly 50 years. He participated in the 1968 student strike on campus which led to the creation of the Ethnic Studies department. In pt. one of this episode, he discusses identity and race issues that reflected the times of the 50s and 60s that would eventually inspire the publication of the first Liwanag book.

The crew speaks with Don Marcos, Executive Director for the San Francisco Filipino Cultural Center. We discuss the trials and tribulations that lead to the creation of the center and the impact of the Filipino American community in the SOMA district of San Francisco.

The Liwanag Crew discuses how we came together to create a podcast for Filipino Americans focusing on art and culture.