BRIDGING THE GAP
The San-Lop Melodiers: Playing music as sweet as sugar
A very famous orchestra in Western Visayas in the 1960s was the San-Lop Melodiers of the Santos-Lopez Sugar Central located in Barangay Salihid, Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo.The head and conductor of the group of musicians was Mayo Lopez Carillo, one of the most progressive business executives in the Philippines at that time.
Mr. Carillo believed in taking time out for music regularly to keep one's inner balance and to make everybody else around happy. He managed one of the biggest sugar centrals in Panay during that time with extensions in Faraon, Negros Occidental and an office in Manila. He kept tab on his enterprises by tele-radio and by commuting by air, piloting his own aircrafts, either the Cessna 172 or the Beechcraft-Baron. He held a pilot's license with ratings for several types of airplanes (Concert Souvenir Program, CPU, January 22, 1966).
The Santos-Lopez Sugar Central was one of the firsts to be established after World War I and owned entirely by one family. It was founded by Francisco Santos and his wife, Rosario Lopez, as a corporation in 1928. It had an initial workforce of 300 and a crop area of 100 hectares (Funtecha 1986). At the peak of its operation, it covered sugar plantations in Anilao, Banate, Barotac Nuevo, Barotac Viejo, Dueñas, Dumangas, Dingle, Janiuay, Passi, Pototan and Zarraga.
Upon the death of Don Francisco and Doña Sayong, as Doña Rosario was fondly called, the sugar central passed into the hands of their heirs - Misses Benita Lopez and Lawaan Lopez, sisters of Doña Rosario, and Mayo Lopez Carillo, their nephew. It should be noted that the couple was childless during their lifetime. Due to some setbacks and minimal production output, it finally ended its operation in the first week of March 1996 (Lopez-Carillo). At the time of its closure, it was considered as the oldest sugar central in the province of Iloilo.
Going back to the San-Lop Melodiers, it is interesting to note that the young men who comprised it were regular employees of the sugar central. They held positions as mechanical engineers, chemists, crop and laboratory analysts, clerks, accountants, and security guards. Most were college graduates and played musical instruments for a hobby. But, playing together as a group proved to be more than a hobby as San-Lop Melodiers had been acclaimed as one of the most outstanding jazz groups in the country. Their performances were not confined to the Visayas alone but had playing engagements in airforce bases in Luzon and were also featured on television in Manila (Concert Souvenir Program, CPU, January 22, 1966).
The San-Lop Melodiers were composed of the following: Mariano Gumban (Band Leader), Cirilo Paciente, Sixto Alvarez, Ciriaco Suyo and Romeo Panizales who all played the saxophone; Jose Saludes, Merlito Balsomo and Francisco Arguinsula for the trumpet; Anselmo Arrollado, Enrique Cantara and Luis Espino handling the trombone; and, Albert Ea, Rubin Panizales and Jaime Cabag playing the bass, guitar and drum, respectively. The vocalists were Bob Rodriguez, Aida Tolentino and Zenaida Dinzon. Marcelo Allado served as the Sound Technician and Raul Biron as PRO and Design Specialist. Of course, as already stated, Mayo Lopez Carillo was the Conductor and Adviser of the group (Ibid).
Among the popular pieces/compositions of the San-Lop Melodiers were : "Manuel Lopez Jump", composed and arranged by Manuel Lopez; "All the Things You Are!" arranged by Angel Peña; "My Friend, My Friend", transcribed by Rubin Salaveria; "Bangud sa Imo", composed by Mayo Lopez Carillo and lyrics by Margie Lopez; “Melodiers Cha-Cha”, words and music by Carillo and arranged by Engr. Mariano Gumban; "Farewell", words and music by Carillo and arranged by Engr. Gumban; "Philippine Medley No. 2", arranged by M. Lopez; "The Enterprise" - Paso Doble, arranged by M. Lopez; and, "Capt. Delfin March", arranged by M. Lopez.
(The writer wishes to thank Nereo Lujan for this article.)