BAMBU — THE PARAMOUNT 10/10/25
Artist: Bambu; Klassy; DJ WenLuv; DJ Phattrick
Venue: The Paramount (L.A.).
Date: Oct. 10, 2025
Bambu sold out The Paramount in Boyle Heights for his last US show of 2025. The Filipino-American hip-hop veteran had dropped his new EP the night before, "Their Burning the Boats." The EP's title comes from Spanish conquistadors burning their ships upon arrival in Mexico, forcing conquest through blood. That web of colonialism connects Mexico, the Philippines, and Los Angeles. Bambu traces those lines, the Black and Brown solidarity and resistance against empire, in every bar.
Keffiyehs in the crowd. DJ WenLuv opened with a set that had the room bumping early, then DJ Phattrick took over the 1s and 2s for Klassy. Halfway through Bambu's set, Faith Santilla stepped up. She spoke about the Community Self-Defense Coalition, the work being done to resist ICE, blessed us with sharp prose, gave a lesson in anti-imperialist solidarity that drew the line from Palestine to East LA. When Bambu came back out, the energy was different: sharper, heavier, the crowd locked in.
Shooting this night was special. Watching mga kasama, fellow Filipino artists and cultural workers creating for the culture, here in Boyle Heights, reminded me why Kilig exists. Music for the culture, serving the people. Unapologetically militant, alive, and loud.
