I am honored to have been requested to write a review on “MGA AWIT NI PINA” by Prof. Ena Maria Aldecoa, Chair of the Keyboard Department in the University of the Philippines College of Music. She is an accomplished vocalist specializing in German lieder (art song), and my former instructor in harpsichord. Her new creative project is a series of arrangements for voice and piano of five Filipino folk songs, for “Mga Awit ni Pina”, namely: Bahay Kubo (Tagalog), Sarung Banggi (Bikol), O Naraniag A Bulan (Ilocano), Atin Cu Pung Singsing (Kapampangan), and Pantomina (Bikol). “Mga Awit ni Pina” is a children’s television series, written and directed by TOYM awardee, Kristian Sendon Cordero, produced by the National Council for Children’s Television, Ateneo de Naga University Press and Savage Mind: Arts, Books, Cinema, and broadcast on IBC TV13,
This series follows the folk tale revolving around the spoiled young girl Pina, an only child whose lax upbringing under her mother brought about some unfavorable, though mystical, circumstances. When her mother fell ill one day, she was tasked to do the cooking for the household, but due to her inexperience in chores, she keeps forgetting where the utensils are. After she repeatedly asks her where to find them, her irritated mother makes an exasperated remark that her daughter should perhaps grow many eyes so she could instantly locate the missing items and stop bothering her.
In the original fairy tale, the story ends with the mother’s wish being granted, turning her poor daughter into a pineapple, but which she later regretfully finds in the garden after a lengthy search. But in this version, Pina is given a second chance and is transformed back into a person, but she finds herself lost and must seek the help of the anthropomorphic plants in the garden, various elementals (taong lipud), and the moon to find her way back home and be reunited with her mother, which she eventually succeeds in doing.
Prof. Aldecoa’s compositions culminate each episode’s finale, with each folk song depicting a specific part of the story. “Bahay Kubo” completes Episode 1, as Pina, recently being returned to her human form, talks with the vegetables in the yard. The composition uses a relaxed tempo, with the instrumental accompaniment slowly building up as Pina meets more and more of the plants. This feature of Prof. Aldecoa’s arrangement matches the message of the song’s lyrics, which depicts the modest but abundant pastoral lifestyle of a typical rural household in the Philippines. It is worth noting that in this episode, the plants reveal their places of origin, none of which hails from the Philippines. This serves as a reminder that behind the seemingly simple Filipino culture lies a rich history of much interaction with other peoples, such as the Chinese, Arabs, Indians, Spanish, and Americans who all helped introduce these species to our ecosystem.
“Sarung Banggi” culminates the second, as Pina is lost in the woods at night, frightfully trying to find her way home while encountering various enchanted beings, including the Bakunawa, a massive dragon from Bikol folklore that causes eclipses by swallowing the moon. In contrast to the optimistic tone of the first song, a languid melancholy encapsulates this number. In the densely forested landscape of the Philippine islands, it is very easy for one to get lost through an act of disobedience. Immediately a yearning for home is felt, encapsulated by the sombre character of the song. Anyone who has spent their lives in an urban environment won’t appreciate man’s powerlessness before nature, and this surrender to the elements features as a primordial aspect that permeates classical Filipino music.
The third segment features the Ilocano classic “O Naraniag A Bulan”, describing in musical form the solace Pina finds in the moonlight atop the great darkness of the forest. This arrangement seems to be the tour de force of the set, and it is my personal favorite. It is interpreted in slow kundiman style, with harmonies and textures echoing Impressionist music. Whereas most versions I had found online were – in my opinion – cheaply arranged, this one takes the cake for showcasing Prof. Aldecoa’s prowess as an interpreter of Philippine music. Her deep experience with Western art music is reflected in the re-arranging of this simple folk tune to an art song with the sophistication of an opera aria, particularly in the rising climax brought about in the B section. Opposite this is her natural Filipino and Bikolano heritage, reflected in the simplicity and parallel motions of the initial textures as the music introduces itself. On this I must comment that whereas Impressionist composers of the Western art music tradition such as Debussy and Ravel introduced this style to European music after their encounters with Asian music (such as Javanese gamelan), the use of such a texture, I feel, comes naturally to Prof. Aldecoa as an extension of her nativeness. Sadness and longing, as well as an easy affinity to nature, are emotions simply all too familiar to the Filipino. Thus, both her involvement in Western art music and inborn native identity combine to produce this unique work of art, and with her prolific execution of the work, render both aspects complementary with, and indissoluble from, each other.
The fourth and fifth segments feature the Kapampangan song “Atin Cu Pung Singsing” and Bikolano dance song “Pantomina”, respectively. These present two contrasting moods of typical rural life in the country – the phlegmatic tranquility of day-to-day life, and the liveliness of the seasonal festivities. It is a type of balance that makes one’s existence bearable in the Bicol provinces to such an extent that most individuals, except some youths, looking for excitement in the cities. This is certainly an attribute I have observed in my exposure to my ancestral land, and in some ways, it is an improvement over the convoluted Manila scene. The occasional fiestas and drinking sprees serve as the antidotes to the relative uneventfulness of Bicolano rural living. As exemplified by the song “Bahay Kubo”, why move out of the barrio when one’s basic needs grow for free in his backyard? It is a way of life true in real practical terms – apart from the frequent typhoons that plague the area every now and then – to the teachings of the Greek philosopher Epicurus, that which rules out all unecessary inconveniences while maximizing the pleasures that are easiest to attain. But perhaps to some, it is a life worth living. As a quote from the movie Braveheart dictates – “every man dies, but not every man truly lives.”
I have faith that this new collection of folk song arrangements, if successfully disseminated alongside the film, would pave the way for a new generation of artistic minds. Just as my passion for classical music rose out of the valiant marching rhythms, I would hear in the opening screen of the classic flight simulator video game “Red Baron II”, Prof. Aldecoa’s fine and expansive melodies should spring forth streams of creative inspiration from the souls of those blessed to take them in, especially the very young, whose beings are still at the peak of receptivity.
All in all, these were really good, stunning opuses. I wish more Filipinos aimed to reach the level of artistic integrity and competence Prof. Aldecoa has aspired for. Talent is already inherent in our culture, but corruption, colonialism, jealousy, and laziness prevent ourselves from showing the world where great art really exists.
View Ena Maria Aldecoa’s Songs on Facebook Watch (IBC TV13)
EPISODE 1: BAHAY KUBO (Tagalog)
EPISODE 2: SARUNG BANGGI (Bikol)
EPISODE 3: O NARANIAG A BULAN (Kapampangan)
EPISODE 4: ATIN CU PUNG SINGSING (Ilocano)
EPISODE 5: PANTOMINA (Bikol)
EDITORS’ NOTE: Videos and image captures from MGA AWIT NI PINA are featured with permission. Written and directed by Kristian Sendon Cordero. Produced by the National Council for Children’s Television, Ateneo de Naga University Press and Savage Mind: Arts, Books, Cinema, and broadcast on IBC TV13. Cinematographer and Art Director – Guillermo Abrenica; Editor – Jerick Pulad; Character Designers – Rustom Pujado and Albert Bisenio; Animators – Albert Bisenio and Jerick Pulad; Host – Elijah Leigh Labordo; Narrator – Delia Enverga Volante; Piano, Voice and Arrangements – Ena Maria Aldecoa. Featured images screen grabbed from the video clips.
About the author: JOSE JUAN FRANCISCO MARCO RAGRAGIO VALENCIANO is a pianist and graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Music, where he finished with a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance, Magna cum Laude. He credits his parents for nurturing his love for music which began from childhood. – his mother Daisy and late father Joey, both musicians and professors at the UP College of Music. His father, a sitarist and jazz drummer, introduced him to Indian classical music and jazz, while his mother, a former Madrigal singer and professor of Music Education, cultivated in him the love for European classical music. He was mentored by UP Professors Ces Pitogo, Nita Quinto, and Pia Balasico. Marco believes in following the path of the European composers of the Romantic period, who incorporated the folk music and native traditions of their countries to spearhead the burgeoning nationalism at the time, by applying what they did to a Philippine context. He feels that his interest in the Bikol music scene is one significant step to fulfilling this paradigm.