The Fusion of Jazz and Entwined Voices
The 'big band' UP Jazz Ensemble.
Savoring the pleasure of listening to opera songs and the upbeat of jazz music, parents, graduates and guests were jazzed up and entirely enthralled with the soulful performances of the UP Jazz Ensemble and the Entwined Voices, April 27.
It was a commencement concert presented on the UPV Parangal 2009, in honor of the graduate and their parents for surpassing the hurdles of college life.
The night was splendid as the Entwined Voices first hit the notes with their thrilling renditions of theatrical songs including ‘Light of a Million Mornings’, ‘The Phantom of the Opera’, ‘Bituing Walang Ningning’ and others.
There were also special performances from the group that gathered series of applause. Among those were the doll song ‘Les Oiseaux Dans la Charmille’ from Les Contes d’Hoffman, ‘I Dream a Dream’, ‘When You Say You Love Me’ performed in solos, and ‘The Flower Duet’ (from Lakme).
Entwined Voices performing the Flower
Duet.
The Entwined Voices are composed of Agripino Jonaf Del Fierro, June Gonzaga, Ervin Lumauag, Michelle Nicolasora, Aizel Izza Prietos and Feona Tuvalde, all from UP Diliman.
Jazz Ensemble then kept the crowd swinging on their seats. The group masterfully entertained and at the same time educated the audience about jazz music in their performance along with their affable chic narrator and vocalist Lara Maigue.
The ensemble starts with a bang of Jazz Story playing different types of jazz music that evolves within the centuries until the modern jazz of today. The story was followed by the music of different Jazz composers and arrangers that became popular.
The 22 men of Jazz Ensemble played classics like Victor Young’s ‘When I Fall in Love’, George Gershwin’s ‘Someone to Watch Over Me’ and ‘Pink Panther’ and others.
Prof. Rayben R. Maigue, musical director
and conductor of the UP Jazz Ensemble.
To note, it was the first time of Entwined Voices and UP Jazz Ensemble to perform in Iloilo.
“We are very happy to be here in Iloilo, marami pala ang mahilig sa jazz dito. I really hope that all the audience, the graduates, the parents, and all the benefactors, as well as the sponsors, the UP staff or the UP community had a great time appreciating and listening to UP Jazz.”, said Lara Maigue.
Yearly, the UP Visayas invites different groups to perform during their Parangal.
“What motivates us is that we believe in cultural exchange with UP Diliman and UP Visayas. Like last February we brought the Sarsuela Group from Iloilo and in exchange for that, we brought UP Jazz Ensemble and Entwined Voices here in Iloilo”, said Prof. Vicente Tan, chairman of the Parangal 2009.
UP students along with the some
members of the UP Jazz Ensemble.
“Primarily, this show is for the graduates and their parents or their families. This year, through the office of Initiative for Culture and the Arts, we were able to tap and to select these two groups as a gift for our graduates”, he added.
The Chancellor of UPV Dr. Minda Formacion, Officials from UP Diliman and UP Visayas were some of the spectators in the show.