ASINGAN SOUND SYSTEMS

As a  a kid, I accompanied the Sampaga Sound System for a couple of times..I guess that is how I got hooked with stereo sound systems a hobby which I am still doing in my retirement. ( Now I learned how to digitize vinyl records and audio tapes and do loops and weird stuff with the audio files)

I loved it for a while especially . when you  work for a wedding event. They served you the newly cooked pinapaitan with steaming rice  at  midnight after the cooks were already done with some menus. But this culinary perk did  not happen always.

Then I remember in the 50s, we assisted a New Year's Eve program in the Dupac Elementary School. It was the Sampaga Sound System with another Asingan sound system ( Gee I wish I could remember whose it was ! ) Anyway we played our music for 15 mins. then he played his music for about the same time. Our sound system sounded like crap ( it was my brother in law's FIRST sound system ) and the other guy had this powerful and smooth sounding amplifier. It was not really a competition but each time the other guy played his stuff, he really blew us out of the water.

But my brother in law never gave up.He updated his equipment.Years later he became the most sought after Sound System in Asingan and he serviced weddings, town dances, funerals (!) and other events..He never run out of work and that was his bread-and-butter for a long time.Plus he also took pictures. In fact the Sampaga family were the pioneer photographers in Asingan. 

Going back to the sound system business,  Lilo ( my brod in law's nickname ) used a calesa to transport his gizmos. I remember one of his transport helpers was Marcelo Abobo ( see article STORY OF TWO KINGS )..Thus Marcelo also moonlighted as a Disc Jockey for my brother in law..They would leave at 5:00 pm and come back home at around 4:00 am the next day. We could tell when they come home because as Marcelo's carromata pulled in inside our front yard, all of the the fricking dogs ( about 5 of them , ours and Sampaga's) would start barking like hell waking us all up and the whole neighbourhood for that matter.

Now a days, the Sampaga System is still very much alive. It is now run by my nephew, Teofilo's  son and he uses modern lights and speakers and high powered amps..And co incidentally, his nameis Teofilo Sampaga Jr. A chip off the old block you might say.---#