The COVID-19 pandemic is our time’s greatest equalizer. Even God and the forces of the Universe seem to be just watching us from a distance, and the answers to our prayers are not coming as swiftly as we expect.
Access to places of worship are prohibited, social media has become the source of information, and saving what is left of humanity are inspiration and courage from the stories of ordinary people.
We are also thankful to all the artists who have bonded to give us their gifts of music and poetry, and their influence to raise funds for the frontliners and our countrymen in need.
One of my most favorite performance videos is the UP Symphony Orchestra’s sublime version of Joey Ayala’s “Walang Hanggang Paalam.”
Arranged for a string quartet by Janine Samaniego, members of the quartet who performed one of Ayala’s most loved anthems are Samaniego, who acted as concert master, principal second violin Julienne Bonacua, principal viola Micah James Sanchez, and principal cello Patrick John Espanto.
Hearing the string quartet was an aural experience like no other. Ayala’s iconic ditty became more heart-wrenching, touching your core, making your eyes well with tears.
They may not be as famous as the singing superstars in the “We Heal As One” video and the many concerts featuring the Philippines’ finest and world class singers, in the call for bayanihan sa musikahan initiative, but we can appreciate the vocal styling of Ina Feleo, who played her ukulele and sang “Moon River,” Kelvin Miranda who belted out Bob Dylan’s “Blowing In the Wind” with his acoustic guitar, and Richard Manabat’s interpretation of Carole King’s “You’ve Got A Friend.
Feleo, Miranda and Manabat are three accomplished character actors who are staples in soap operas and movies, always playing the antagonist, or the loyal best friend, and from time as in the case of Feleo who did Endo, and Miranda who was a stand out in Dead Kids.
From the men and women of Actors Playground, an inspirational song by Jose Jeffrey Camanag and music by maestro Jesse Lucas, “Tatawirin Ng Pag-Ibig,” is a song filled with anticipation of a better tomorrow, utilizing the most powerful force of all, love, to help us through this most trying of times.
If you want a more radical kind of expression, then by all means, look for the Music For Peace page on Facebook. The page features young artists whose rap numbers are not for the faint hearted, including those people blinded by the political colors they brag and wear.
For those who are into classical music, Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion’s “The Prayer,” theme song of the animated motion picture “Quest For Camelot,” gets a fresh interpretation from Philippine musical theater prince Arman Ferrer and Nicole Laurel Asensio.
And yes, for those of you who missed Binondo: A Tsinoy Musical, with music by Maestro Von De Guzman, book and lyrics by Ricky Lee, Gershom Chua and Eljay Deldoc, the cast, chorus and musicians of the musical are all featured in a well-edited and rousing opening number video called “Sa Bawat Sulok ng Binondo” with stellar solos from Ferrer, Noel Rayos, and Sheila Valderrama-Martinez.
What I enumerated today is just the tip of the iceberg of world class artists who are doing their share in giving calm, hope, and peace to this mad, mad world of ours.
Yes, we should and must thank all of them for their music!