Pinoy Pod 21

FilAms embrace Reggae Spirit

Skateboarding brought Chris Cortez and Jose Pangan together, but the two Filipino Americans have become more well know for their music. Cortez is the drummer and Pangan is the lead vocalist for the reggae band Native Elements.

For more than a decade, Native Elements have been thriving on the Bay Area reggae scene, performing at musical festivals such as Reggae on the River and the Monterey Bay Reggaefest and packing them in at local clubs such as Pier 23 in San Francisco and the Shattuck Down Low in Berkeley.

And their song "World People'' was featured in The Debut the independent movie by Filipino American director Gene Cajayon.

In this interview with The Chronicle's Shelah Moody, Cortez and Pangan discuss their origins as a garage band in Daly City, Native Elements' eclectic sound, their spiritual connection to reggae music and the similarities between Filipino and Jamaican cultures.

This podcast includes the songs "World People'' and "Why'' from the band's Native Elements album.

LISTEN/PAKINGGAN

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