Sociocultural Context

FEMINIST

The song "Magda" by Gloc 9 and Rico Blanco focuses on the story of a woman named Magdalena. Gloc 9 sings as Ernesto, Magdalena's lover, whom she refuses to be with because of the kind of woman she thinks she is.

"Bakit ang nais natin ay, malaman ang baho ng iba?" These lyrics of the song captured the attention of many listeners as it addresses the way people feed off the stories of others to make themselves feel good. This situation is common for women in society.

"Magdalena, ano'ng problema?

Bakit 'di ka makawala sa kadena?

At sa gabi-gabi, ikaw ay nasa selda

Na hanapbuhay mo ngayon"

The song says that Magda was once a young woman whose smile lit up everyone around her. However, everything changed when a man took her and brought her a life she never wanted. This part of the song talks about how society sees young women as the embodiment of innocence. And how they take advantage of this by putting them in places they do not want to be in; by turning them into what they are not. In this a case, a prostitute.

Magda worked in the dark of the night as she did not have a choice. She found herself trapped in a world that's now hers. This situation is the case for a lot of women in society. The mere fact of being a woman becomes a reason for being looked down on. Magda's case is an example of a woman who is a victim of society's cruelty; Reducing her into an object, looking at her as if she's dirty, just because of her job.

"Kung mabaho sabunin, kung makati gamutin

Kung hindi na masikmura ay ibaling ang tingin

Kahit ako ay bayaran at kaladkaring babaeng

Alam ang amoy ng laway ng iba't ibang babae

Isa lang ang kaya kong sa 'yo'y maipagmalaki

Ikaw lang ang bukod-tanging hinalikan ko sa labi"

This part of the song shows how Magda believes she is not worthy of love. Magda herself thinks she does not deserve to be valued. Magda sees herself as a hopeless case. She looks at herself as if she is garbage. As sad as it seems, this is what happens in society. Society imprints in the mind of women that they are all the things stated when they aren't what the people want them to be. Women are dirty when they are not the embodiment of innocence. Women are dirty when they oppose what society wants.

The question is, is Magda the kind of woman she thinks she is? Is the problem her job? Or is it the way society paints the picture?

The song addresses a lot of issues regarding feminism. It speaks about the discrimination against women with jobs not accepted by society. It speaks up about the problems women face in society and tries to make a difference. "This song reminds us that there are no judgements, as there are questions. There is no right and wrong, as there is need and love. If not hope." (Bongolan, 2013).

The song told a story many are afraid to hear and say. There are stories out there similar to this one. And this song wants everyone to look at them from a perspective different from what society entails. This song asks people to open their eyes and see the world differently.

MARXIST

The song wants people to see the real world. Magda is an example of a person who did not have a chance to choose how to live her life.

The song also shows how people enjoy such a system in our society.

Magda indicates that one of the causes poeple are lead to a life like this is poverty. The are left with no choice to accept the life they have. As if there won't be away to change their lives.

For me it’s also one of the things the song wants to convey, we shouldn’t be judging people anymore, that even if they drag, let’s find out the reason first. The song wants us to see that despite our judgment, we can’t help them get out of their place. They are human and they need to be respected. People tend to take advantage of the desperate, the poor, and the innocent. The song speaks up about this issue that we face in society.