Adios Siñot Kin

 

Earlier this month, Siñot Kin "JC" Concepcion, who was an inspirational elder to me, but also a good friend passed away. I have spent the days since his passing reflecting on his impact on me and on the wider Chamoru/Guam community over the course of his life.

The first time I really remember meeting and talking to Siñot Kin "JC" Concepcion was in 2014 when his family was pushing for the legalization of medical marijuana on Guam in honor of his son, the singer Savage K. The family had asked if I could sponsor a film screening at the University of Guam as part of their community campaign and I was very happy to do so. The love and loss he felt for his son who had died the year prior was powerful and manifest then and it remained so in all the time I knew him.

For the next few years, I would regularly see Siñot Kin at KUAM, where he was sometimes interviewing me and sometimes producing others. I was thankful for what he was doing in terms of continuing to promote Chamoru music and Chamoru language. He was thankful of what I was doing in terms of educating the community about the language and history of the Chamoru people. He also took every chance he could to say thank you to me and others who were standing up for the rights of the Chamoru people. 

 

During the pandemic Siñot Kin was let go from KUAM and I invited him to record dikike' na podcast episodes for the Fanachu podcast under the title of "Kuentos Guåhan." In all he recorded 46 episodes ranging anywhere from 10 - 25 minutes, where he would speak in Chamoru about an issue of interest to him, such as elections, cockfighting, Chamoru language revitalization, even the rising cost of living. For my language students these dikike' na podcasts have been a helpful tool in their learning, especially for those in the diaspora who have no living Chamoru speakers in their families.

When we held the adult Chamoru language immersion camp earlier this year in July sponsored by the Guam Museum, several of the cohort members were active listeners to Siñot Kin's Kuentos Guåhan series, and remembered his News Gi Fino' Chamoru segmets that he would record for KUAM. He was touched, even to the point of tears to hear them say "Siñot hågu iyo-ku celebrity para Fino' Chamoru" or "You are my Chamoru language celebrity."

In the past three years, Siñot Kin had helped me collect the oral histories of several dozen Chamoru musicians through Fanachu, including Danny Orlino, Joe Taimanglo, Tom Bejado, Bobbie DeGracia, Ike Charfauros and so many more. After so many requests from Fanachu Patrons on Patreon that there be more Chamoru language content, Siñot Kin helped me create a monthly Fino' Chamoru episode, sometimes appearing as guest and other times helping connect me to other guests. I believe at this point he may have been the most frequent guest on the podcast, appearing more than half a dozen times since 2020. 

Siñot Kin was a musician for almost six decades, primarily with his group the Radiants. Like most of his generation he got his start covering English language, popular American songs. It never occurred to them that you should or could write and perform in Chamoru. Yet his eyes shone with youthful amazement when he spoke about the pioneers of Chamoru music. When we spent the day with Ike Charfauro in his home in Chalan Pågo, where the Charfauros Brothers once had a recording studio, Siñot Kin spoke in reverent tones about the likes of the Charfauros Brothers, Johnny Sablan, J.D. Crutch and others who in a time when English was dominating so much of Chamoru life and consciousness, just said to hell with it, and recorded and performed in Chamoru. Siñot Kin found inspiration and strength in our language and in our music, which is why he had such passion for them both.

In January, I had Siñot Kin as guest on the Fanachu podcast to share his own reflections on his lifetime making music. So much of what he shared has stayed with me, but this quote more than anything sums up so much about him and his joy for music. "Este i dåndan, para todudu magåhet. Maseha para un ekungok ha', para un bailåyi, pat hågu ni danderu para un presenta mo'na ni tiningo'-mu, i mana'i-mu na klasen talente. Ti siña hu tufong esta, I lost count, ni' kuånto biahi hu pega i gitåla gi apagå-hu ya dumåndan hu. Ni' ngai'an u fåtto i tiempo na bai o'sun chumo'gue ayu, para bei na'fanmagof i mane'ekungok ha'."

Para Guahu, Siñot Kin exemplified the best in an elder. He advised, he supported based on his experience, his wisdom. But he also felt inspired by the potential of future generations. This mix of grounded hopefulness is one many reasons that I already miss him. Esta gof mahåhalang yu' nu guiya.

U såga gi minahgong yan minatatnga.