Filipino choir wows crowd in California
Joekerr
EL CERRITO, California: A visiting Filipino choir from Saudi Arabia
wowed a diverse Bay Area audience at the Saint John the Baptist Church
here on Monday night with a delightfully varied repertoire of Pinoy
folk and love songs, Gospel music and pop hits.
The benefit concert featured the Prime Note Ensemble (PNE), an all-
male, a cappella group, and the first overseas Filipino
workers’ (OFWs) choir ever to perform in the United States.
The 23-man choral group serenaded an enthusiastic crowd with such
immortal songs as “Maala-ala Mo Kaya,” “Eres Tu,” “Nessum Dorma,” and
“Only You.”
“This is one of the best performances by a Filipino choir, and I loved
it,” said Vicky Pearson, a Filipino-American who drove 45 miles with
her friends from Palo Alto to attend the three-hour concert.
Pearson, a homemaker and part-time dressmaker, said the concert showed
the “the richness and beauty” of Filipino music.
“Having a choir like this sing those songs is really a great,
memorable treat for everyone, especially for the Pinoys,” she said.
Pinoy standards
The predominantly Filipino audience sang and danced when PNE belted
out Pinoy ditties like “Paru-Parong Bukid,” “Manila, Manila,” Ewan,”
Pag-Uwi” and “Bumangon Ka, Bayan Ko.”
There was instant rapport between choir and audience, which gave the
Filipino singers eight or nine standing ovations.
“Great music from an excellent choir,” commented Nicholas von
Wettberg, managing editor of the Bay Area’s Fil-Am Star, a leading San
Francisco community newspaper catering to ethnic Filipinos.
Von Wettberg, who is married to a Filipina, said he liked “Paru-Parong
Bukid” and the Apo Society’s hit “Ewan,” even if he does not
understand the lyrics.
Besides the popular Filipino songs, the choir’s song selection also
includes other chorale favorites like “Circle of Life,” “The Warrior
Is a Child,” “Season of Love,” and the unforgettable The Platters’
song “Only You.”
The choir drew even more cheers when it sang Michael Jackson’s hit
song “Man in the Mirror,” which choirmaster Novem Cabios said was the
group’s way of paying tribute the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, who
died a few days ago.
“It’s an honor and a great pleasure for us to be able to perform
before such an appreciative audience,” said Novem Cabios, PNE’s
choirmaster and musical arranger.
Filipino talent
Sharing center stage with PNE were local Filipino American performers
Pilipino Culture Night (PCN), a cultural group composed of students
from the nearby University of California at Berkeley; teenage singer
Arianna Tolentino and violinist TJ Simbulan.
The University of California Berkeley’s PCN showcased a Filipino folk
dance and song number.
Fifteen-year-old voice student Arianna Tolentino showed tremendous
potential as she regaled the audience with powerful renditions of
“Listen” and “I Believe.”
Bay Area violinist TJ Simbulan captured the hearts of the audience
with a medley of Tagalog classics. Jose Maria “JM” Mercado of Korus-
leine Productions, who put together the concert with his wife Marizel,
ably accompanied Sim-bulan on the piano.
Mercado said proceeds from the goodwill concert would benefit
Philippine charities like ABS-CBN Bantay Bata, Adopt a Hometown School
Program, and Missionaries of Charities.
The 23-member choir participated at the Second California
International Choral Festival and Competition, which was held from
June 25 to 28 in San Luis Obispo.
Off to Europe
The first OFW choir to perform in America, the PNE is scheduled to
leave this week to join two international competitions in Europe.
“We are delighted that the PNE is one of the few Filipino choirs that
were able to get invited at the C.A. Seghizzi, one of the most
prestigious of all choral competitions as it a prelude to the European
Grand Prix in choral festival,” said PNE founder Medard Obida of
Tayabas Quezon.
Obida said the choir is also entered in the Festival International de
Musica de Cantonigros in Cataluna, Spain in July.
Since its formation in October 2001, the choir has been quite active
in the eastern provinces of Saudi Arabia and even in the Philippines,
but it was not until July 2006 that PNE entered an international
competition —the World Choir Games in China.
Competing against more than 200 choirs from around the world, PNE won
a gold diploma and a bronze medal for its performance in the Male
Chamber Category, the first OFW choir in the Middle East and possibly
in the world to win in a global competition.