Meet the “Princess of Spoken Word”

Describing herself as a simple student, daughter and friend, Maimai Cantillano recently invaded the internet through her viral video performing a “hugotful” poem entitled “Sa Pagitan Ka Natagpuan”. Accumulating hundreds of thousands of views on its first day of upload in Facebook and Youtube, to date it has already garnered more than a million views and still counting!

This lass who turned 21 a couple of days ago, January 17, is a 5^th year BS Architecture student of Bataan Peninsula State University (BPSU) Main Campus resides in Brgy. Cupang Proper, City of Balanga, with parents Celso and Emily Cantillano.

A writer and a thespian way back in highschool, she also had a short stint with The Guilds, the official student publication of BPSU- Main because she had to concentrate on her duties as president of their architecture organization. She considers these as a big factor to her inclination now to writing poems.

Maimai feels honored and privileged to introduce spoken word poetry, which is not a familiar art form yet trending to a wide range of audience most especially to her fellow Bataeṅos. Other fellow artists perform materials written by others, but Maimai prefers to use her own pieces. She believes that the sincerity of the message of the poem will naturally come out.

Often referred to as “Hugot” poetry, millennials always associate “spoken word poetry” with being broken-hearted from a relationship, from unrequited love, and/or one-sided love, but according to Maimai, it has a wide scope, in fact it can cover any topic under the sun as long as it elicits human interest. Furthermore, conventional language is rarely used; it must have depth to be classified as such. Though spoken word is free verse, she sees to it that she writes poems that have 3-6 minutes duration when performed.

Spoken word poetry already took her places for she had performed in several provinces and cities nationwide. One of the biggest projects she accepted is the Yamaha Mio Campus Tour with DJ Nina Saputil, TJ Monterde and Ella Cruz. She was also part of the official music video of Monterde’s “Dating Tayo” that already garnered more than a million views and still counting. She also had a stint at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran-Bataan’s KANTARRIBA: U-POP 2016 where she sang “Malaya Ka Na”, an original composition of  Rae Andrea Jersey Trinidad, a student of Letran. Numerous blessings came her way when she performed at the Philippine Educational Theater Association during the anniversary of Ampalaya Monologues and did a front act during the concerts of Tawag ng Tanghalan’s Jenny Gabriel and ASAPS Daryl Ong respectively. Major networks already offered to help her enter the Philippine entertainment but she turned them down because she wants to prioritize and finish her studies.

On being dubbed as the Philippines’ Princess of Spoken Word Poetry, she has this to say:  “One who wears the crown must bear its weight.” Though she is clueless as to where it came from, she is thankful for the recognition. She encourages people to support other outstanding and amazing spoken word artists. “Napakarami pang mas magagaling na artists at yun din po siguro yung gusto kong mapansin ng iba”, pure talent fueled by passion and determination, she stressed.