All-Filipino idol group SB19 went viral on Twitter this week but for the wrong reason.
After tweeting ‘Hello Negros’ on December 21,2019, some people on Twitter reacted negatively, calling the group ‘racist’.
The group’s official fanbase A’TIN corrected the misconception, stating that Negros is a place in the Philippines.
Hello everyone! We, A’TIN (SB19’s official fandom), would like to clarify that Negros is a place here in the Philippines. This post is not in anyway racist. We hope that we can clear this misunderstanding. Thank you and good day!
— ☆ 𝓫𝓪𝓷𝓭𝔀𝓪𝓰𝓸𝓷𝓮ℝℝℝℝℝ ☆ (@LOVERSng_) December 23, 2019
There’s really nothing racist about SB19’s tweet because they’re actually referring to Negros Island in the Visayas in central Philippines.
Negros Island is the fourth largest island in the Philippines and divided into two provinces namely, Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental. It was originally named Buglas but when the Spaniards came to the Island in 1565, they called it La Isla de Negros because of the black people or negritos who inhabit the island.
The group had a concert in Silay City, Negros Occidental last December 22, 2019 for their ‘Get in the Zone’ nationwide concert tour which explains the tweet from the group.
Americans often confused with the word ‘Negros’
This is actually not the first time that Americans get confused with the word ‘Negros’ when used by non-Americans. Negro is the Spanish word for black and it became a common word for previous Spanish colonies including the Philippines. The Philippines was a colony of Spain for more 333 years so there are Spanish words which became part of the local language.
in 2012, American actor Jamie Foxx also made a post on Facebook in reference to a local restaurant called ‘Flavors of Negros’ which serves dishes from Negros Occidental where the owner hails from. A lot of people who are not familiar with Negros Island also reacted negatively.
Read about it here: Flavors of Negros Sparked Furor at Jamie Foxx Facebook Page
Incidents such as these are opportunities for people to learn more about Negros Island. I also hope those Americans who were offended by the post would learn that not all happenings around the world should be seen from an American perspective. And that they should also learn to Google first before reacting.
For Negrenses, just beware of this when you visit the United States. Never ever wear a shirt that says ‘Negros Slashers’ (Basketball Team) or even Ceres-Negros (Football Team). But when you’re in the Philippines, be proud of our beautiful island and wear your shirt that says ‘Negros’.
Who are SB19?
Another positive result of the confusion is that Filipinos who are not into P-Pop got to know that we have a talented boyband which is starting to get known internationally.
If you’re a really busy Tita like me, chances are you’ve heard about SB19 but didn’t have the time to really check out the group. I have to ask my niece who’s a certified A’TIN about SB19 and I did a little Googling.
SB19 is composed of Sejun (leader, rapper and lead vocalist), Josh (lead rapper and dancer), Stell (vocalist and lead dancer), Ken (main dancer and vocalist) and Justin– (vocalist and visuals). They are the first all-Filipino boy group to be trained under a Korean entertainment company.
They debuted in 2018 with “Tilaluha,” and soon gained more followers when they released in July 2019 a music video of the catchy “Go Up” which has a really nice choreography
SB19 recently released another sure hit, a very catchy and danceable single ‘Alab’ under Sony Music Philippines and is available for streaming worldwide.
Here’s what SB19 has accomplished this 2019.
- 2019 Most Googled Personalities in the Philippines (#1)
- First Filipino group to enter Billboard Next Big Sound Chart (#6)
- Go Up – longest stay at #1 spot on MYX Chart in 2019
- Go Up – SBS PopAsia 100 Best Asian Songs of 2019 (#62)
- First Filipino act to earn a spot on Billboard Social 50 (#28)