PASKO, PASKO NA NAMAN

Feliz Navidad poster designed by Pigeon Post made                                                                                               by Zazzle Art in San Jose, California 

Yesterday, I sang Christmas songs together with a karaoke. Then a child stood in front of me, wanting to sing also. So I held her hands and beat with the song. She learned the beat but not the melody. Off-key, I found out. 

How many children are off-key nowadays? I think we can blame that on the music subject in the grade school. There are not many competent music teachers in the grades. The teachers are saddled with so many subjects that they do not have time to hone their skills in music teaching.  I think that every summer, all teachers of music should undergo a seminar to learn the basics of music. 

I remember my teacher in my grade four class at the University of the East. She was the one who egged me on to study piano further. Actually I have had piano lessons in Bacolod City under Ms. Eva Llorca a very dutiful and excellent teacher. But on my fourth grade, my teacher, so sorry I forget her name now, gave me a piano piece, Glow Wurmchen or Glow Worm in English. I loved the melody so much that I even memorized it so that it could be my recital piece. And I have played that ever since, even at private gatherings. 

Why I never became a full-time music student and professional musician is because the call of political activism has been stronger in me ever since college. I am a product of the sixties] a hot era -- full of questions -- whether democracy was good or not amid too many student demonstrations, and scrambling for political power -- and then the rise to power of the dictator. So I had chosen the path of knowing what was really going on, and analyzing how I could have a meaningful life as well. 

What songs did I learn then? Nationalistic songs and the Internationale translated into Pilipino. But on the side, I also memorized two pieces of Bach's two-part inventions which until now I can still play. I am prouder of being able to play the latter. The nationalistic songs are too sad. The society is sad already and so why should I sing them at all?

I also learned composing music from Tita King, before she became the National Artist for Music. By the way,  I hope she is happy with what has happened to her alma mater, the Philippine Women's University as it continues to exist despite the financial breakdown. A new company is now running it. 

Come to think of it, I shall compose Christmas songs. Actually, I wanted to Tagalize the Christmas songs like Jingle Bells, and We Wish You a Merry Christmas but somebody beat me to it. They are now sung on air. But the latter has words of its own  sang to promote a creamer for salads. Merry Merry Kremas. 

Adultish Christmas song
There is another song, the 12 Days of Christmas sang by a group of singers:

Sa unang araw ng Pasko, binigay sa ‘kin ng nobya ko
Isang basketbol na bago

Sa pangalawang araw ng Pasko, binigay sa ‘kin ng nobya ko
Dalawang payong at isang basketbol na bago

Sa pangatlong araw ng Pasko, binigay sa ‘kin ng nobya ko
Tatlong sakong bigas, dalawang payong at isang basketbol na bago

Pang-apat na araw ng Pasko, binigay sa ‘kin ng nobya ko
Apat na pagong, tatlong sakong bigas
Dalawang payong at isang basketbol na bago

Ika-limang araw ng Pasko, binigay sa ‘kin ng nobya ko
Limang pulang lobo, apat na pagong, tatlong sakong bigas
Dalawang payong at isang basketbol na bago

INTERLUDE

Ika-anim araw ng Pasko, binigay sa ‘kin ng nobya ko
Anim na sofa, limang pulang lobo, apat na pagong
Tatlong sakong bigas, dalawang payong at isang basketbol na bago

Ika-pitong araw ng Pasko, binigay sa ‘kin ng nobya ko
Pitong berdeng unan, anim na sofa, limang pulang lobo, apat na pagong
Tatlong sakong bigas, dalawang payong at isang basketbol na bago

Ika-walong araw ng Pasko, binigay sa ‘kin ng nobya ko
Walong lechong baboy, pitong berdeng unan, anim na sofa
Limang pulang lobo, apat na pagong, tatlong sakong bigas
Dalawang payong at isang basketbol na bago

Ika-siyam na araw ng Pasko, binigay sa ‘kin ng nobya ko
Siyam na case ng beer, walong lechong baboy, pitong berdeng unan
Anim na sofa, limang pulang lobo, apat na pagong
Tatlong sakong bigas, dalawang payong at isang basketbol na bago

Ika-sampung araw ng Pasko, binigay sa ‘kin ng nobya ko
Sampung inaanak (mano, po ninong), siyam na case ng beer
Walong lechong baboy, pitong berdeng unan
Anim na sofa, limang pulang lobo, apat na pagong
Tatlong sakong bigas, dalawang payong at isang basketbol na bago

Ika-labing-isang araw ng Pasko, binigay sa ‘kin ng nobya ko
Labing-isang tuta (aw! aw!), sampung inaanak (mano, po ninong)
Siyam na case ng beer, walong lechong baboy, pitong berdeng unan
Anim na sofa, limang pulang lobo, apat na pagong
Tatlong sakong bigas, dalawang payong at isang basketbol na bago

It sounds nice but I don't really like lechon and beer. It makes the song too adultish. Children should not sing that at all. They will grow up not knowing that lechon or pork is a terrible source of bad cholesterol, and they could develop heart condition from it. Also beer is a drink for adults. 

Hence, I think that the singing group should have watched out for the target audience of their song. 

Tribal groups descend to MetroManila
By the way, the tribal groups from Zamboanga have come and are hitching up and down the jeepneys with their milk tin can drums. Their beat is very hard to follow but it is great music they create with them. Instead of rounding them up, the authorities should think of nurturing their music skills here in MetroManila and make us learn and observe them. 

I talked to one tribal guy at the corner of Lerma and I encouraged him to gather his friends and relatives. First, they should dress up well -- in their native costumes. Second, they should sing only at one part of the city, or a street. So that every time, the people on the jeep or any vehicle shall ready their donations before reaching that point. Third, they should have one person with a cup ready to receive the donations, or even to approach every vehicle and ask for donations while they are singing. In this way, they retain their dignity as performers. 

This style of  street performance should be allowed during the Christmas season so that our kababayan shall be able to enjoy it also, and not appear as mendicants. Maybe the NCCA, the CCP, and the DSWD could come together and plan this whole thing all together. 

Too long a vacation
Christmas in the Philippines is truly something memorable. All our kababayan abroad want to come home and experience it. However, I find it too long a vacation. I think that government offices, especially government hospitals, clinics and libraries  should not close down at all but have a skeletal force that will be left behind to run them.

Not everyone are Catholic and so our fellow citizens who do not fancy observing Christmas should be allowed to walk about and do their business. Also, libraries are a nice source of information especially if they have wi-fi. Hence, they could be a good place for gatherings of the youth who are so eager to tinker with the computer. 

Happy Holidays Folks and may the coming year give us the best of times.