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Serenade Down Memory Lane
Philippine News, Dec. 6-12, 2006 by Allen Gaborro |
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In the ambient semidarkness of San Francisco State University’s (SFSU) Knuth Hall on November 18, 2006, the sounds of the traditional Philippine harana were brought back to life by the musicians and singers performing in the “Mostly Harana, A Tribute To Philippine Song” event. The tribute was sponsored by the Philippine American Writers’ Association (PAWA) as part of a cooperative venture with SFSU’s Pilipino American Collegiate Endeavor (PACE).
For much of the musical retrospective, a great deal of attention was focused on the person of Florante Aguilar, guitarist, composer, and arranger extraordinaire. Aguilar’s beautifully- cadenced and mellifluous instrumentals filled the theatre with charm, nostalgia, and an emotionally- warm atmosphere. In his more extraordinary moments, Aguilar demonstrated his musical virtuosity and versatility with the guitar by harnessing a style that intermingles traditional and contemporary sounds into one harmonious melody.
Similar accolades are to be given for Aguilar’s guitar/vocal doublets with guitarist Michael Walsh, harana crooner Danny Harana, and singer Lori Abucayan. With Danny Harana, Aguilar reprised moving harana pieces such as Aking Bituin (O Ilaw), Dungawin Mo Hirang, and Mutya Nyaring Puso. Danny Harana possesses a flowing, baritone voice that carries with it the romantic spirit of the harana. His divine vocals captivated his audience to no end. Indeed, Harana’s heartfelt recital transported us back to a bygone era when one could still see and hear first-hand a harana being sung to a beautiful Filipina as a form of courtship.
Aguilar and fellow guitarist Michael Walsh struck the perfect chords when they played Ryan Cayabyab’s catchy Nais Ko and Radyo Tipanan, an original composition of Aguilar’s. The musical chemistry between Aguilar and Walsh was plainly evident as they impressed everyone in the hall with their textbook consonance and nuanced precision.
In Mostly Harana’s”final segment, FilAm folk singer Lori Abucayan joined Aguilar on stage to produce another winning musical/vocal combination. The talented Abucayan graciously invited the people in attendance to listen to her performance of popular Filipino songs. As Aguilar strummed his guitar strings in accompaniment, Abucayan demonstrated the considerable range of both her voice and her singing styles, from the traditional Bahay Kubo to the lullaby Sa Ugoy Ng Duyan to Asin’s Balita. She topped off her appearance by singing Ryan Cayabyab’s upbeat Limang-Dipang Tao.
PAWA president Edwin Lozada did a yeoman’s job in not only organizing the event, but in also playing the piano as up-and-coming teenaged singer Tracy Sarmiento sung some classical kundiman and Philippine arias. Gifted with a strong and resonant voice, Sarmiento’s previous training in classical arias has evidently paid off as many who heard her will testify. Her vocals were augmented by the profound depth and haunting passion of Lozada’s evocative piano notes.
Among the many highpoints of the evening was the appearance of the Fil-Am Vets Rondalla, a Philippine string instrument company made up of former Filipino U.S. servicemen and based in San Jose , California . The group consolidated their rondalla tunes into seamless exhibitions of music. Emanating from the Fil-Am Vets Rondalla’s dexterously- played guitars were the titles Walang Kamatyan, O Naraniag A Bulan, and Maalaala Mo Kaya. Their version of these traditional tunes harkened back wistful memories of the old country.
The lively and enchanting art of Philippine folk dance was well-represented by the nonprofit Likha Pilipino Folk Ensemble. The ensemble began their portion of the evening with Filipino variations of the jota, a type of dance that originated in southern Spain . Here, a two-man duo danced as a companion piece to a single female performer with all three clapping away with castanets amidst music that sounded similar to the cadence of the tango. The performer’s carefully-choreogra phed steps were complemented by their dress which was indicative of the Spanish influence on Filipino culture.
Likha concluded with the Pandaggo Sa Ilaw dance, an indigenous form that has its geographical and cultural roots in the Philippines ’ Visayas region. Elegant and merry, the Pandaggo Sa Ilaw was executed flawlessly, not an easy task for the dancers who had to balance lighted candles in small glasses on their heads and on their hands while they moved rhythmically across the stage floor. In addition, the dancers’ colorful attire caught everyone’s eye as the Pandaggo Sa Ilaw’s waltz-like music filtered throughout Knuth Hall.
It is good to know that the FilAm community has culturally stimulating events like the Mostly Harana tribute concert to appreciate so that FilAms can, for the moment at least, set themselves apart from the modern rat race and take pride in their cultural and historical heritage. That sense of cultural pride is undoubtedly shared by the concert’s performers. This overarching sentiment was clearly reflected in the skill, dynamism, and enthusiasm of their unforgettable performances. |
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