‘Paraiso’
The bird of paradise flower — also known as the crane flower or by its Zulu name, isigude — is known for its vibrant, bright orange and blue petals or sculptural blooms that resemble a bird in flight or a crane’s head, hence the name. It is native to South Africa but also grows in my hometown, the Philippines often found as ornamental or household plants. Soon, the original painting will also make its way home to the motherland.
Paradise in my native tongue, Cebuano, equates to paraiso, hence its name. While it’s clear as to why it’s named ‘Paraiso’ given the subject, it holds a double meaning, albeit a stark contrast from what one would describe as paradise.
It’s a nod to the classic OPM song, Paraiso by Smokey Mountains. The song ironically juxtaposed the literal meaning of ‘paradise’ with a degrading environment filled with garbage and burning of waste, aka the ‘Smokey Mountains’ in 1950s Metro Manila. A place where not a single isigude would thrive. While it is no longer there, the Philippines continues to face challenges in handling waste due to a lack of infrastructure, weak enforcement, and the entry of foreign waste often mislabelled as recyclable materials, exacerbating existing waste management challenges.
To this end, “Paraiso” is a commentary on the ecological state of many parts of the planet, not just the Philippines. The speaker of the song is one of lamentation and urgency, a poignant reminder of the environmental and social challenges faced by communities where one day may see the isigude fully bloom.
“return to a land called “Paraiso”,
a place where a dying river ends.
No birds dare fly over Paraiso,
no space allows them to endure—
the smoke that screens the air,
the grass that’s never there.”