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 Farewell to Sanctum
By Aslie Aslanian and Triccia David
Yes, for the moment, it’s certainly over folks. Goodbye couches, goodbye babae, goodbye burning hot cheese sticks, goodbye orange toilet bowl, goodbye adobe walls, goodbye hole in the wall, goodbye to Sanctum!- the intimate, cozy, rainbow-inspired ammunition chamber on Puerta Isabel, Intramuros. And what a wonderful experience it was!
Just under four years of operation, Sanctum housed some of the finest local artists from poets, dancers, comedians, musicians, to much much more. Events such as House of Woman, Solo Flight, Spoken Word Slams, and Aural Fixation, were just some of the most frequented and sought out events produced by its owners, Aslie Aslanian and Triccia David.
Sanctum started out with one vision: to give everyone a space for expression. This vision began with numerous poetry readings, open mic sessions, and spoken word events, which eventually evolved into Spoken Word Slams (a performance poetry competition judged by randomly selected members of the audience). With its success, the owners felt the need to incorporate other forms of expression such as stand-up comedy, hypnosis, magic, dance, and of course, music. Almost immediately, Sanctum became one of the most chosen spots for music, evenings they aptly coined as Aural Fixation. With the help of the arched ceilings and padded seating, the acoustics were definitely one to be admired. And satisfying the plight of many inclined ears, different genres of music such as rock, reggae, blues, bossa nova, alternative, r&b, electronica, etc… and most especially jazz, were all featured at Sanctum. The likes of Jun Lopito, Razorback, WPG, Blue Rats, Binky Lampano, Tropical Depression, Guarana, Hairy Dawgs, Drip, Third World Project, The Slave Drum, The Late Isabel, Sound, Bobby Banduria, were just some of the diverse music offered at Sanctum. But without a question, one of the most befitting forms of music to have filled the chamber was jazz. Jazz seemed to belong in the space as clams are to shells. Local jazz  band Majam headed by Joey Valenciano was the first to spark this revelation. Noticing the fluidity and ease of the music, not to mention the close proximity of the musicians, like playing in someone’s living room, the audience was treated to a relaxing evening filled with the essence of jazz. As the months progressed, Buhay, Affinity, and Wdouji would also grace the space with their undeniable skills and talents. The natural acoustics of the stone chamber walls plus the suggestive dim lighting both embraced the emanating sound pouring out of these dedicated musicians.
And almost instantly, every listener would be possessed with the history, the soul, and the ghosts of jazz greats. One date most remembered was May 31, 2002, wherein Sanctum featured Christof Lauer and Jens Thomas, a german jazz duo brought in by the Goethe Institut. The duo was on an Asian tour promoting their recent album, Shadows in the Rain, a collection of Sting songs that the duo brilliantly transformed into a highly progressive and magical jazz experience. Truly one of the most unforgettable moments, the duo "COLOR: red" shook the walls of time with an incredible display of exploding originality. Thomas pounded on the keys with total freedom and total control, while Lauer mesmerized the audience with his passionate and turbulent creativity on the saxophone. And despite the baby grand giving way at the end of the first set, the duo managed to complete a second set, and end the night displaying the love and madness that jazz has filled them with throughout the years.
In line with the vision of expression, younger generations continue to experiment with the playfulness of jazz. Bands such as Radioactive Sago Project, Sidemen, The Brass Munkeys, and Elemento, local talents fusing jazz with their own influences, interpretations, and creativity, have also been featured at Sanctum. Yet despite the ideal look and feel of Sanctum, despite its quiet perfection, despite the enthusiasm of all the musicians, jazz was not one of the more frequented nights by the younger generation. Events such as House of Woman, which featured a variety of female artists and their crafts, proved to be more successful. A collage of poets, singers, fashion designers, musicians, dancers, costume jewelers, were just some of the types of artists eager to share their work. House of Woman is a concept that re-affirmed the beauty of community and individual expression. Though late in its introduction, another popular production was Solo Flight. Solo Flight featured three or four solo musicians a night, each playing a 45 minute set. Artists such as Cowboy, Cynthia Alexander, Cris Dancel, were just some of the few regulars to name. Even comedy with Rex Navarrete, Tim Tayag, Mike Unson, and Al Manalo, improv groups such as Kidlat, Spit, Big Bang Cheery, and Philippine Playhouse, made some of their stages at Sanctum.
 But sadly, and happily, the walls of time would once again overpower the caretakers. Sanctum’s vision could no longer be contained in Intramuros. Realizing this, the proud owners decided that the wonderful iron wrought doors finally had to be closed. On Saturday, July 17, 2004, Sanctum celebrated its final evening with a gratitude party for all of its patrons. Featuring a whole lot of booze, a whole lot of memories, and whole lot of wishful thinking, the night would not have been complete without the music of local acid jazz band Sound. Sound, a favorite amongst most of the venue patrons, played an awe-inspiring three sets, covering songs from their album Bossa Manila, several unreleased songs, and a variety of obscure covers from Gil Scott Heron, Sesame Street, and even the Grateful Dead. Sound took a 6-month break late 2003, and re-emerged back in the music scene for Sanctum’s farewell night. It was and is gratitude never to be forgotten.
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