CRAYFISH KAMAYAN

CREATING YOUR OWN TRADITIONS

Swilipino is all about finding your place in the world and creating your own seat at the table. Or actually it’s about creating a new table and then inviting everyone else to join you 😂
By now most of you probably know that mixed race people tend to get confused about their cultural identitites. My way of dealing with it has been through food. It’s easy to reclaim lost parts with cooking as it is very accessible and the shared love of food connects you to other people and community. With Swilipino I always wanted to show that you can be proud and create whatever you want for yourself. Take it, run with it and have fun. It doesn’t have to be conventional, it doesn’t have to be free of mistakes, it only has to be authentic to yourself and the whole point is that it’s a learning curve. For me it’s a creative outlet and a language where you don’t have to use words when you find yourself lacking them.

I have spent years and years thinking about these things and it’s been full of shame, anger and resentfulness. But as I progressed, new much more positive feelings started to take over when I realised that I held the power myself. A highlight in my journey has been to see how many people this resonates with and we all share the same story just slightly different versions and there is something comforting in knowing you are not alone. This knowledge has propelled me forward wanting to build not just a table, but a whole universe.

A big part of an identity journey is traditions. We inherit them from older generations and we pass them on to the next one. It’s about gathering, giving thanks and asking for wishes to come true. It’s part of the core of a culture and something I wanted to include in my own universe. Last year I organised the first Crayfish Kamayan, the first Swilipino holiday. Bringing Swedish and Filipino traditions together based on their similarities and how they could blend together, adding some parts of me and I created something deeply personal. I’m not the one to always talk about the deeper meaning in what I do because in the past I have always felt it’s private and reserved for only me. But at this point I actually want to speak about it more and not leave things without a meaning when there’s actually one behind it. Creating this celebration felt like an achievement where I think my vision became very clear. I could embrace both of my cultures and even unite them. I hope it rubs of on every mixed person coming my way that has been struggling, and that they can feel a lightness in relation to their multiple heritages.

An annual Swedish tradition called “Kräftskiva” (crayfish party) paired with the Filipino banana leaf feast aka “Kamayan” (eating with the hands) is the bones of the celebration.
Once a year during the crayfish celebrations Swedish people loose up enough to eat with their hands and partake in communal crayfish sucking accompanied by lots of schnapps and singing. If you think Swedes are a reserved people you will see some real glimpses of playfulness in their celebrations. The pagan hedonism can really shine through if you are lucky enough to celebrate with a fun group of people and you shouldn’t take yourself too serious.
The Filipino Kamayan is a more sofisticated affair full of respect but equally fun. Generosity and communal eating is a much more integrated part in the Filipino culture and I love how close to other people you feel when you share the food straight from the table.

This year the Crayfish Kamayan will take place on Saturday the 21st of September at Palm 2 in Clapton. I have really looked forward to doing this again and I’m dying to celebrate it with you all! Everyone is welcome (except if you’re a racist then you can fuck off) 😬 Follow this link to book tickets.

The fantastic illustration on the flyer is made by my friend Sofia Restorp. I asked her to create a creature based on the swedish word “snuskhummer”. It directly translated means dirty lobster and it’s what you call someone whit a dirty imagination. Adding a re occuring symbol to the Swilipino universe, it’s a reference to the buskis mindset of a Smålänning. Never forget your roots 😂

Please see below for the menu and some sneak peaks of the dishes you can expect.

AND OF COURSE THE MAIN CHARACHTER:

Hugs!
Tintin