Siftings
The Spirit of Filipinoness in the Land of Santa Claus
November 29 was the scheduled showing of the Iloilo Sarswela in Roxas City. I wasn't there to be part of it so I can't report on it. But on that same date, I watched a concert sponsored by the Fil-American owned American College of Nursing held at the Chabot College Performing Arts Center, on Hesperian Blvd., Hayward, California. The show was a blast! My daughter, who wasn't into local concerts when she was back in the Philippines, enjoyed it so much that she vowed to watch every Filipino show that would come within striking distance in the future! That comes, I suppose, from missing everything Pinoy, from the hot weather, the noise, the constant hustle and bustle, the poverty, including the 'kabaduyan' that middle classes of Philippine society looked down upon, because that is sooo Pinoy! Basta, the feeling is, basta Pinoy, atin iyon!
The Filipino-style concert, with a front act by a Filipino band called Crossroads, featured Dessa, Gino Padilla, and the husband-wife team of Dingdong Avanzado and Jessa Zaragoza. These entertainers really know how to play on the heartstrings of Pinoys abroad! For starters, there was Dessa with her small (but more than well-stacked) frame dishing out a medley of Celine Dion songs, breezing through the high notes with the ease of a true songbird. She was a joy to listen to as she interacted with the audience. So was Gino Padilla, a singing heartthrob of the 70's who has long been missed in the Philippine nightclub circuit, interspersing his interactive singing style with an Elvis Presley medley and going down into the audience area to 'make kilig' the ladies with his classic Close-up Song and 'Where the Love Begin', bringing back memories of the 70's and 80's to many a gray-haired lady in the audience. It certainly did in my case, esp. as he came near me when I reached out for a handshake and he made me rise so I had to kiss him! Missed photo op, as my companions were too taken aback to shoot the scene!
Then there's Dingdong, one of two current showbiz celebs with the name that only young boys are saddled with (a term of endearment referring to the little thing that hangs between little boys' legs!) - the other celeb being actor Dingdong Dantes - who tried to make the explanation but stopped short. A name strictly for affection and laughs but stuck, Pinoy style. Dingdong was indeed the 'Kilabot ng mga Kolehiyala' in spite of being in his late thirties now (?) and the different time frame (we remember the first 'Kilabot' was Hajji Alejandro of the 70's). His voice was unerringly true, strong, solid, without the frills that could hide a weakness. He was almost homespun, but pleasantly so, and suited the fresh-faced, goodlooking boy-next-door image that his concert acts used to carry when he was Prince of Pop.
But Jessa was truly the Diva of the night. Clad in a clingy gray jersey dress that accentuated her positive curves (still good despite the childbearing), her flowing auburn hair setting off her mestiza features ('para siyang santa', someone said), she once more proves that her deep, bold and dramatic voice is unique to her alone and that she has what it takes to stay up there on stage which she graces like a goddess. Of course the three other performers gave the audiences guaranteed performances, but Jessa mesmerized the crowd, from her first 'Big Spender' song to 'Bakit' to her duet with Dingdong to her last numbers. The audience wanted more, but there were awards to be handed out .
The show was a 'Pasasalamat', a thanksgiving held in the week of Thanksgiving, undertaken by the American College of Nursing (ACN) for certain people involved in missionary and charity work, Filipinos and foreigners alike, whether here in the US or abroad. Emcee for the night was Dandin Ranillo (of the Ranillo showbiz clan from Cebu, i.e., the late Mat Ranillo and Gloria Sevilla), the show trained the spotlight on the exceptional generosity and 'kawang-gawa' of certain people, which included a missionary couple from Kenya, Africa, who had adopted some 40+ orphaned children and would need funds. The proceeds of the concert would go into a fund for them and similar kind of missionary work.
And this is what Love at this time of the year is all about: Charity, Cheer, Compassion. The true coming of the Christ among us. I am proud to be Filipino whenever I meet this kind of thing, Christmastime or not.
Kudos and many thanks to the ACN for being so Filipino in spite of its American name. What stands out is the Filipino-ness of it all, the Love and Cheer it breathes through this concert.
And whether in the Philippines or elsewhere, A Meaningful Christmas To Us All! Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon sa Ating Lahat.