Rave review for Martin/RP war song in Spanish

As a music critic, I shall rave about Martin Nievera’s recent performance without the least hesitation. For the record, I have never met Martin.

The national anthem is a song. Martin Nievera is no ordinary person; he is an artist. He interpreted the anthem guided by his artistic instincts, sensibilities and patriotic spirit. He gave the song his all — singing it with his soul, with every nerve and fiber of his being.

Interviewed, Martin said the significance of the occasion led him to render the anthem as though it were the last song he would sing in his life.

As I listened to him no less than three times over television, his depth of feeling, his intensity of expression so moved me that I felt proud to be a Filipino, standing ten feet tall! Fired up and inspired as Martin was, he sang the anthem to inspire his countrymen and, not the least, Pacquiao himself who, at that precise moment, was facing the greatest fight of his life. And mind you, it was Pacman who chose Martin to render Lupang Hinirang!

A UP professor of law commented that the rule regarding the anthem did not apply to Martin’s rendition because at that time, Martin was in Las Vegas, adding — and this is the gist of my own argument — that Martin should be given freedom of expression, that is, the artistic license due him as an artist. Had he rendered the anthem as Rock ‘n’ Roll, Hip-Hop or Street Dance music, then, even without any rule, he should have been severely chastised for having taken wanton liberties with the national anthem.

In contrast, Martin conveyed immense respect and reverence toward it, elevating it to the highest standard of excellence while infusing every word with the greatest fervor and conviction he was capable of expressing. Bravo, Martin, Bravo!

As a corollary to the above, The Lord’s Prayer (Our Father) was originally sung at mass in Latin. Now it is sung, during mass or outside it, in English or Tagalog, in a variety of ways. Who is complaining? Not even the Church, with its rigorous do’s and dont’s, has raised her voice in protest, mindful of the inherent, intrinsic and basic freedom of the individual.

Instituto Cervantes Director Jose R. Rodriguez should be warmly commended for the highly successful Book Fair which instilled into hundreds a greater love for reading.

Filipino songs in Spanish, which reflected our Spanish heritage, were also presented. Raul Sunico’s most enlightening lecture was on the origin of the songs, two of which told of Spanish soldiers falling in love with Filipino maidens and ruefully leaving them to answer the army’s call.

Pianist Sunico himself accompanied several pieces, with tenor Lemuel de la Cruz, sopranos Nenen Espina and Naomi Sison, and guitarist Ruben Reyes spiritedly interpreting the arrangements by Sunico and Reyes. One of the songs, Birola, Birola, Birola, was a revolutionary march (in fractured Spanish) which I had learned from my late mother, Dr. Severina Luna-Orosa. As a young girl, she and the rest of the family fled to the mountains to escape the Phil-Spanish War. From their mountain lair, my mother heard, over and over again, Filipino soldiers singing the march. With her musicality and rententive memory, she learned it, passing it on to me years later.

Herewith is the song with translation supplied: Birola, Birola, Birola/Los Castilas subieron montes / The Spaniards climbed mountains / Birola, birola, birola, Los Castilas siguieron atras. The Spaniards retreated. Se marcharon los cazadores, Se marcharon guardias civiles, Mandaluyong y Sta. Ana, Gritaron guardia a formar. Marching huntsmen and civil guards shouted form guard. Makati y Guadalupe, Se armaron bayoneta, Y al toque de la corneta, ninguno se escapó. / They armed themselves with bayonets, and at the sound of the trumpet, no one escaped. Que tiroteo pacbong, Que canonazó, bungbong. What shots, what cannon balls./Los Hispanos no ganaran, no ganaran, Y al fin de estos, se marcharán, se marcharán. The Spaniards won’t win and at the end of all these, they will leave. / Viva Emilio y Pio del Pilar. Vivan los soldados, valor singular. / Long live the valiant soldiers. Y ella Pio donde atacó, Fuego derecha e izquierda, Castilay nagtacbo. And there where Pio attacked, firing right and left, the Spaniards fled.

http://www.philstar.com:8080/opinion/466742/rave-review-martinrp-war-song-spanish

Test Cases

The “patriotic” congressman from Cavite who’s contemplating on filing a “test case” against singer Martin Nievera for his rendition of the National Anthem during the Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton bout in Las Vegas said that he’s filing it in behalf of the Caviteños who were incensed at how the singer departed from the musical arrangement of their fellow Caviteño, Julian Felipe.

The congressman is basing his case on Section 37 of Republic Act 8491, also known as the 1998 Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines, which states that “the rendition of the National Anthem, whether played or sung, shall be in accordance with the musical arrangement and composition of Felipe, in 2/4 beat when played; and within the range of 100 to 120 metronome in 4/4 beat when sang.”

Felipe is the original music arranger of Lupang Hinirang in 1898. It has tune of march and the lyrics was adapted from the Spanish poem “Filipinas” written by Jose Palma only in 1899.

When the national anthem is played, the public is required to sing and do so "with fervor."

They are expected to sing while the right palm is placed over the left chest. Uniformed personnel, meanwhile, are to salute the flag as prescribed by their respective regulations.

Individuals whose faith prohibit them from singing "Lupang Hinirang" must still show full respect.

The national anthem, however, would not be allowed to be played preceding "events of recreation, amusement, or entertainment purposes."

But the anthem may be played during the following: international competitions where the Philippines is the host or has a representative, national or local sports competitions, during the “signing on” or “signing off” of radio and television broadcasting stations, before the opening and after the closing of work in government and private offices, before the initial and last screening of films and before the opening of theater performances; Provided, that the owners and management of the establishments shall be mandated to enforce proper decorum and implement the pertinent provisions of this act; and other occasions as may be allowed by the NHI.

The Oath of Patriotism (Panatang Makabayan) must be recited after the singing of the national anthem in basic education institutions. The Pledge of Allegiance (Panunumpa ng Katapatan sa Watawat ng Pilipinas) may be recited as well, though the law did not specify who is required to do so.

Even the chairperson of the National Historical Institute (NHI) got into the act by saying that the anthem was “not an ordinary piece of music open to free interpretation.”

If these two public servants are really disposed to crucify the singer out of respect for the law and in behalf of their “incensed” constituents, then that’s well and good. But given the proximity of the 2010 Elections, many are doubtful of their intentions. Even boxing champ Manny Pacquiao opined that the people who blasted Nievera’s rendition just wanted to be in the limelight, especially with the popularity of the bout and the popularity of the singer. I purposely deleted the name of the congressman and NHI chairperson just to “incense” their PR people who must be counting the press releases their bosses are getting for making a mountain out of a molehill.

In Section 20 of the law also states: “The observance of the flag ceremony in official or civic gatherings shall be simple and dignified and shall include the playing or singing of the anthem in its original Filipino lyrics and march tempo.”

When Nievera belted out Lupang Hinirang, it started slowly, took on a martial beat in the middle, then finally ended on a sustained high note.

Under Section 48 of RA 8491, “failure or refusal to observe the provisions of this Act and any violation of the corresponding rules and regulations issued by the Institute, after proper notice and hearing, shall be penalized by public censure which shall be published at least once in a newspaper of general circulation.”

Further, Section 50 states that “any person or juridical entity which violates any of the provisions of this Act shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not less than P5,000 nor more than P20,000, or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or both such fine and imprisonment, at the discretion of the court.”

Even moviegoers who do not stand up when the National Anthem is being played in cinemas will be sanctioned, as it empowers the security personnel and ushers in movie houses to arrest a violator and summon law enforcement officers to assist in conducting citizens' arrest.

But if the Cavite congressman is serious in making a name, then he should file other “test cases” that seriously violate existing laws. For starters, he could file a “test case” against “presidentiables” MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay for violating the Omnibus Election Code, specifically the section on campaign periods. Both men have been busy campaigning this early, in violation of the Election Code – BF with his “BAYANI” banners on MMDA vehicles and his road safety and environment radio commercials ending with “brought to you by Chairman Bayani Fernando” instead of just “bought to you by the MMDA”; and Binay with his full-page newspaper ads extolling the achievements of the Makati government under his tenure that ends with the line “Ganito sana sa buong bansa (It should be like this for the whole country)”. If that’s not subtle electioneering, then I don’t know what is. The Cavite solon can also file “test cases” against Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, Sen. Panfilo Lacson and other presidentiables for early politicking when his cases against BF and Binay prosper in court.

The Cavite congressman would win our respect if he filed a “test case” against BF for violating international road safety and traffic standards to which the Philippines is a signatory to. To paraphrase the statement of the NHI chairperson, the international road safety and traffic standards are “not an ordinary set of rules open to free interpretation” and BF’s continued use of pink traffic signs and his team’s continuous ignorance of traffic flow management, especially with those EDSA bus lanes and those C5-Kalayaan elevated U-turns that clog traffic, are obvious signs of the hard-headed MMDA chairman’s “free interpretation”. Perhaps filing a “test case” might burst the plastic bubble that BF is living in.

The congressional representative from Cavite will further win the respect of many responsible road users if he will file a “test case” against public transport groups for “economic sabotage” by wasting the time and money of millions of commuters, motorcyclists, motorists and even of their own members. These public transport groups are guilty of not disciplining their ranks, allowing their members to drive with wanton disregard for road safety and of traffic rules, which creates traffic chaos that wastes the valuable time and resources of affected road users. Since the drivers of buses, jeepneys, FXs, taxis, tricycles and other forms of public transportation are considered “professional drivers” or people who drive as a profession or occupation, these drivers earn their living from their assigned routes. Many transport groups have neglected to monitor the efficiency of their routes resulting in long queues that leave the drivers waiting in their vehicles wasting valuable time and money. Moreover, the long queues of PUVs result in illegal terminals on public roads that further cause traffic and waste even more precious time and resources that sabotage our country’s economic growth. Judging by what you see on the road, I believe that our esteemed congressman will have a field day with this “test case” that causes losses measured in billions of pesos per year. Heck, he might even be credited for bringing back traffic discipline among PUV drivers if this “test case” prospers.

He can likewise file a “test case” against tow truck operators for highway robbery and negligence of duty. Instead of helping motorists with their car problems, these vultures on the road roam the busy traffic-snarled streets of Metro Manila with the approval of the MMDA, wasting fuel while looking for supposedly illegally-parked cars and stalled vehicles. They demand insidious amounts of money from the owners of the cars they tow yet they don’t spend for the maintenance and the upkeep of their dilapidated tow trucks. It was reported that a motorcyclist, Allan Capinpin, died when the Honda CBR1000RR that he was riding bumped into the back of a tow truck that didn’t have tail lights. The emotional and economic devastation that the accident caused on the deceased motorcyclist’s family should be compelling enough to make the Cavite congressman file a “test case” in their behalf.

With the May 2010 elections just around the corner, he should file a “test case” that will compel politicians and their supporters to submit a complete list of resources, especially motor vehicles that they will use for the elections. This list of motor vehicles will be forwarded to the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) for verification and any candidate who possesses a stolen vehicle and uses it for the campaign will automatically and permanently be disqualified from running for public office. There has been a reported increase in “carnap” cases during the past few months, specifically with pickup trucks and SUVs, which are popular among politicians as vehicles for campaign sorties. Last May 2, a member of the Road Runners motorcycle club was shot to death in Angeles City when a ski-masked car thief forcibly took his brand new Toyota Hi-Lux 4X2 G diesel M/T pickup with conduction sticker AW-1849, motor number 2KD-7766731 and chassis number MR0ER39G-908700518. Armed with this information, the Cavite representative should ask his fellow congressmen to refrain from buying this vehicle and to immediately report to the police if this particular vehicle or any of its components are offered to them for use during the campaigns. Of course, this “test case” will be the most difficult of all since he will be going against corrupt politicians who may be guilty of practicing the 3Gs – guns, goons and gold – and who may be involved in more murders, car thefts and bank heists to fund their election campaigns. But if he will file this “test case” in behalf of the Filipino people, he will not only get our support but the respect of the nation as well.

We just hope that the congressman from Cavite can see that there are more serious violations of existing laws that require his immediate attention and the use of the taxpayer’s money than a “test case” against Martin Nievera’s soulful rendition of the National Anthem.

On a different note, DOTC Assistant Secretary Reynaldo Berroya made a “test case” during the recently concluded 15th Annual Motorcycle Convention of the National Federation of Motorcycle Clubs of the Philippines (NFMCPI) by inviting non-Federation members to join the Unity Ride for the Environment (URE) and the convention proper held at the Baguio Convention Center in Baguio City. Despite the triple threat of the global financial crisis, the swine flu pandemic and typhoon Emong, the bike convention was a huge success, thanks to the perseverance and tenacity of the retired police general who’s an avid motorcyclist and the president of Lawin Motorcyclists Riding Club (LAWIN) and the Luzon Motorcyclists Federation, Inc. (LMFI). Using the theme “One Philippines”, Berroya wanted a joint activity to foster camaraderie among the big bike riders who belong to clubs under the umbrella of the NFMCPI and the small bike riders who belong to clubs under the Motorcycle Philippines Federation (MCPF) headed by MCPF directors Atoy Sta. Cruz and Jojo Medina. Berroya’s “test case” can prove to be the stimulus that can unite motorcycle riders around the country, who are now more than 4 million strong. A cruiser enthusiast from Baguio, Jhoon Zimah, was so inspired by the call for unity and camaraderie that he rushed the construction of his Biker’s Den bar along Marcos Highway and opened it to offer free coffee to all the motorcyclists riding down from the convention.

Come to think of it, the number of motorcycle clubs and riders are large enough to make a congressional party-list which can propel club officers like Berroya, Sta. Cruz and Medina to capture a couple of seats in Congress and file “test cases” in behalf of Filipino bikers. God knows we need more beneficial “test cases” to finally get our country in tune, personal renditions of the National Anthem included.

Due to space constraints, we’ll have to limit the number of text and blog comments from last week. Suffice it to say we had quite a number of long and interesting reactions from you. Here’s one that pretty much serves as the best example of the kind of comments we got about James Deakin’s The Road to Nowhere…

Nice article. I think the DPWH also has to share in the blame for the “roads to nowhere”. Take for example Katipunan Avenue leading to the Old Balara area. Oh yeah, great, they’ve widened the road at the UPIS area and the MWSS area. But where is this 6 or 8 lane highway leading to? You guessed it – a 2 lane bottleneck road that stretches from the MWSS area to Commonwealth Avenue! I’m sorry to even call it a road! I think the roads leading up to Mt. Pinatubo are better! Not to mention the unruly tricycles and jeeps that ply that road who wantonly stop where they want to pick up/drop off passengers while stalling the already turtle-paced traffic! Can they at least inform us where that road leads to? Another is the C6 road in Taguig. When is that going to be completed? It seems to have been abandoned already! – biboy1219

We have a new service provider for your text comments. To register, text philstar <space> name, gender, birthdate, address and send to 2256 (all networks). Once registered, you can post your text comments to Backseat Driver by texting philstar <space> motoring <space> your message, and send to 2256 (all networks. Of course, you may still log on to www.philstar.com and blog your comments.