Just dropping these videos today! Concert dates below:
June 1, 2019 – San Francisco International Arts Festival at Fort Mason, SF
Tickets: https://bit.ly/2tYxR1A
June 9, 2019 Brava Theater, SF
Tickets: https://bit.ly/2CcWyMh
There is something about this christmas song, Carol of the Bells, that I’ve always found intriguing. It is probably the darkest and most sinister sounding christmas song that I know of. It was pointed out to me by a friend and fellow composer Roman Turovsky (wiki) that it was a Ukrainian melody written by composer Mykola Leontovych in 1914.
Come to think of it, 1914 was the beginning of World War 1.
Ukraine, still part of Russia at the time, was very much in the middle of the ethnic nationalism spreading in that era. So, cheery songs with lyrics like “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire” would seem out of place and doesn’t exactly elicit a warm feeling, with “open fire” having a bad connotation in the context of war.
So, what does a composer like Leontovicych do? He used a descending half-step bass line repeatedly, conjuring an image of steps descending into hell. Subconsciously or not, it is definitely the opposite of cheery. I would love to see a video using this song with images of World War I juxtaposed.
It also has hints of minimalism with its incessant repeated motif. Just interesting to note.
And by the way, that “open fire” song which is titled The Christmas Song was written in 1946. Guess what, that’s the end of World War II. Happy Happy. What could be cheerier than chestnuts roasting. Enjoy!
P.S. In case you’re curious, I’m using a Jam Man Stereo Pedal Looper.
I like goofing around with known classical pieces. I don’t know why I do this but sometimes I hear pieces in my head differently. In my mind, certain pieces work better a certain way based entirely on my personal preference and musical disposition at a given time. Case in point, Erik Satie’s Gnossiennes #1. I actually almost never play or listen to Satie’s music – unless I need something to get me to sleep.
That’s not a knock on Satie. As a composer, I really appreciate Satie’s knack for simple and gorgeous melodies – and the lack of grandiosity and pretensions. He wrote wonderful and memorable little jewels for the piano.
To me, writing beautiful and memorable melodies is much more difficult to write than say, a randomly meandering atonal music, which I sometimes feel is a cop-out. We tend to equate inaccessible music with brilliance. But try setting a goal for yourself and attempt to write melodies that are memorable that you think will stand the test of time. 99.99% of the time, you will fail.
Writing beautiful melodies is super hard! Only a few have this gift. I sometimes think all the good melodies have already been written. The Tchaikovskys and the Schuberts certainly had the monopoly. Definitely, the Beatles took something like 90% of them in the 20th century.
What we are left with are derivatives – an endless variation of regurgitated themes. Yes?
Call me old-fashioned but I think music is meant to be enjoyed viscerally, not so much intellectually. I certainly had that phase in my 20s of playing nothing but avant-garde guitar music (think Luciano Berio and Elliot Carter). There is certainly a time and place for it and I’m thankful and learned so much.
But I do agree whole-heartedly that the cross street of Visceral and Intellectual is the sweet spot in the province of Excellence. Think Beethoven and Stravinsky! To me, Ludwig and Igor’s music is the perfect melding of the intellectually stimulating and the viscerally heart-pounding aspects of this ephemeral art form.
Which brings me back to Erik Satie, the “gymnopedist”. Upon hearing his music, you might regard him as a lightweight. But you would be wrong. Satie was avant-gard at the time (early 20th century) and is often credited as the father of artistic movements such as minimalism, theater of the absurd, and even dada-ism. We just don’t see his brilliance because short melodic songs are common place now. Notice how repetitive pop songs are? Yes, in my mind, he also fathered pop music itself!
So, here is my tribute to this” lightweight” composer Erik Satie. Roll in your grave if you must, Mr. E. but this is my take of your beloved melody.
Florante talks about one of the most reliable technique he uses when writing a song, especially when stuck in a rut. The song is called Ang Tumao, one of the songs for the Aswang Song Cycle.
Here’s a link to listen to the full song:
An ode to my hometown of Kawit, Cavite (formerly known as Cavite el Viejo) the suite consists of 12 movements named after the town’s barrios. The first two movements, Poblacion and Marulas, are barrios I spent a lot of time riding my bike to from our house in Gahak. These were also the streets where Filipinos first raised their flag and defiantly declared independence from Spain in 1898. These areas are now the Aguinaldo Shrine and Park, named after the general who led the independence movement.
These areas are now unrecognizable from what I remember in the seventies. It is surrounded by major highways, quite congested and no longer feels like a province. Not a conducive place to bike for an 11-year-old that’s for sure. Kawit being a coastal town, I remember rows upon rows of stalls where fresh oysters were sold in buckets made of sawali, caught from the water just behind them. Manileños were known to drive to Cavite just for these stalls. Sadly, these areas are now esteros – polluted and undrained standing water. This is just one of the many changes that highlighted the dissonance between what I remember and what is now the reality.
So, yes Cavite el Viejo is a dreamy ode to what’s no longer there. An area that exist only in my mind. And I hope to post more of these discordant scenarios when I post the other movements in the next few weeks/months. Some are unfinished and I’m continually working on. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the music.
It’s a powerful experience when a song you wrote is sung by two of the best singers you know. Thank you Arwen Lawrence and Charmaine Clamor for such a privilege! And Jorge Liceaga for joining me on the guitar.
This song is an ode to the traditional Philippine harana but written from the perspective of those behind the window – the serenaded. Performed live at the Fandango-Pandanggo concert in SF May 2016.
NAGHIHINTAY (Waiting)
Words & Music by Florante Aguilar
Kay lambing ng harana
Ako’y naghihintay
Taginting ng kutyapi
Maluwalhati.
Sa gitna ng karimlan
Aking naramdaman
Ang tinig na kay lamig
Na sa panaginip ko’y naririnig.
Ang tala sa hilaga’y kusang nagniningning
Ang himig ng harana’y tila dumarating
Kailan? O kailan ba?
My attempt at translation below. It’s not quite the same in Tagalog.
How tender is the serenade
I am waiting
The tinkling of the lute
Glorious.
In the midst of darkness
I feel
The pleasant voice
I hear only in my dreams.
The star in the north brightly shines
Melody of harana I hear coming
When? O When?
This blog post is republished from Kularts website. Click here for the original post.
This week we sit down with the man behind the music, Florante Aguilar.
Maybe you know him from his original score for Jay Loyola’s 2014 dance theater work Maség Typhoon, or his music for Alleluia Panis’ 2015 production of She, Who Can See, or even as the partner of the amazing Fides Enriquez of New Art Media Studio….or possibly as the subject of the award-winning documentary, Harana: The Search for the Lost Art of Serenade.
Check out Florante’s Q&A below and enjoy his newest original score for the world premiere of Ba-e Makiling!
Listen to the original score:
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1) When did your first musical experience begin and what inspires you to continue with your musical background?
I see myself more as a composer whose instrument happens to be the guitar. I don’t need inspiration to continue doing music. It is part of my DNA so I can’t help it. I will be doing music regardless whether somebody is listening or not.
2) Having worked with Jay Loyola in his previous production, Maseg, you had an understanding of what he was looking for in terms of musical accompaniment. What became your inspiration in creating the soundtrack to Ba-e Makiling? How was the process different from creating the music for Maseg?
Well, the way I see it, Jay’s dance is the accompaniment to my music. Just don’t tell Jay I said that ha-ha 🙂
But seriously, I don’t see my compositions for Ba-e Makiling and Maség necessarily as musical accompaniment to dance.
Alleluia and Jay are actually hands off on the direction of the music. They give me 100% freedom on the musical choices I make. That’s how much we trust each other. All I need from them is the narrative script and time stamp and I just run with that.
3) What was the most challenging part for you in composing the soundtrack for Ba-e Makiling? Did you learn any lessons in creating this piece?
Alleluia and Jay didn’t want to just buy some pre-recorded CD to dance to as is commonly done. So, it’s really a wonderful collaborative process. Just like in food, it tastes better when all the ingredients are made from scratch.
And that is where the challenge lies. Building from scratch. I write, play, and record all the instruments and that is always labor intensive. You wouldn’t believe the time and energy necessary to compose and record a 5-minute piece. And the Ba-e production clocks in at more than 60 minutes of music.
But you know what? I wouldn’t have it any other way.
The following post appears as part of an article on Dialogue on Philippine Dance and Culture event in San Francisco, and published by Inquirer.net. The interview was conducted by Wilfred Galila and is presented in its complete unedited version.
WG: How do you feel about being recognized as one of the outstanding artistic leaders who have significantly contributed and influenced Philippine dance and culture in the U.S. and the diaspora?
FA: I am, of course, honored. To be honest, most of the time I was merely following some very strong artistic itch that needed to be scratched. But I am honored just the same.
WG: Considering that you could have practiced any musical style or form, was the practice and craft of Filipino music a particular choice, other than the fact that you are Filipino? Has it always been that way when you first started or was there a switch in your artistic path along the way?
FA: I definitely did not set out to be playing Filipino music as my artistic calling. In fact, when I was growing up in the Philippines, I viewed traditional Filipino music as lowly and not meriting the attention of any serious musician. I was training to be a classical musician, performing works by European composers on the recital platform. I came to the US to study with the best of the best in that pursuit.
But many things had to happen and converge along the way. Having studied music at the conservatory, as well as traveled the world investigating music of other cultures, gave me a new perspective on Filipino music. That it is not lowly, that it is beautiful and traditionally rich. That my chosen instrument – the classical guitar lends itself so naturally as its delivery agent. But probably the most powerful catalyst was when my father died and I had to go back home. That’s when I truly rediscovered how much the music I grew up with was now resonating in a very deep way. That I am now in a unique position to present traditional Filipino music in a different light, in my own personal way.
WG: What is your opinion about the state of Philippine dance and culture here in the U.S. and the diaspora?
FA: Generally speaking, I think that Filipino immigrants bring a very unique perspective. Whereas Fil-Ams tend to have issues of identity growing up and assimilating in the US, first time immigrants like myself came to the US with our identities fully formed, and always the outsider looking in.
We bring with us first hand knowledge of the culture. Now that we are outside of the Philippines, it actually gives us a better appreciation of its beauty and traditions in a different filter. And here in the US, you have all the resources, tools and support to perfect your vision. And yes I am implying that you would not get this level of support and resources if we’re living in the Philippines. I mean that is the reason we all left the country, the reason for the country’s ongoing brain drain, sadly. So, I am saying that Filipino artists are doing some very interesting and progressive things in the US in a way that our Philippine counterparts cannot. The Philippine arts in the US and diaspora is thriving and in good hands.
WG: As an artistic leader and champion of Filipino music, how do you envision the future of Philippine arts and culture in the diaspora? And what are the steps to realize this vision?
FA: The Philipine culture is a jar full of inspiration that can be infinitely tapped. But you can’t do it from an armchair. If one truly were to champion Philipine arts, you have to have either grown up there or significantly visited the motherland in order to bring the knowledge. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of firsthand knowledge in order to bring traditional art in a respectful light. You can’t be deriving your art based on someone else’s interpretation. It has to come from you.
WG: Any advise on aspiring Filipino artists on being and creating, for them to be able to get to where you are now with your art?
FA: I think that being true to yourself as an artist is important. Don’t make choices based on what you think will please people. If you feel different about something, embrace that difference. If you think no one’s going to care about what your vision is, do it anyway. If you think there is no market for it, do it anyway. The important thing is that it is coming from an honest place deep within you. If you end up being recognized for it, that is secondary, even tertiary. The important thing is that you followed and executed a unique vision that only you could have.
Working on Cavite el Viejo – a suite I’m composing to premiere at Fandango-Pandanggo show on May 21, 2016 in San Francisco. Cavite el Viejo is the archaic name for my hometown of Kawit, Cavite in the Philippines. Each of the 12 movements are named after the barrios of Kawit. This piece is called Panamitan. When I was 11, I had a huge crush on this girl from that barrio who played guitar in her rondalla ensemble, same instrument I played in my rondalla. I used to bike to Panamitan hoping to run into her. But alas, I never saw her again.
When I was growing up in Cavite province in the Philippines, I was exposed to many different types of Filipino traditional music.
When I was nine years old, I had the experience of playing music with our neighbor’s gardener Ti Ikong with his band of masterful rondalla players. I played guitar and octavina with them during the town’s fiesta playing jotas and fandangos. I was also fortunate to have met Mr. Trinidad, also a rondalla teacher, who taught me fingerstyle guitar renditions of classic haranas such as Hatinggabi and kundimans like Madaling Araw.
Only later in my adult life did I realize that those moments were indeed privileges. That these elderfolk kept me in their musical circle was indeed a profound experience that influenced many of the musical career choices I made later in life.
Having been educated at a conservatory, I became more fascinated with studying musical forms and I started placing more value on traditional Filipino music. I began to acknowledge influences and musical interconnectivity between the Spain, Mexico and the Philippines. Of course, this is not to say that traditional Philippine music is unoriginal. On the contrary, exchanges of ideas that result in adaptation by natives as their own has been the defacto evolutionary mechanism. As an example, the folk music of Spain owes great deal to the highly sophisticated music of the Moors who dominated parts of Spain for VIII centuries. Spanish music in turn influenced Argentina’s tangos, Mexico’s mariachi, Cuba’s son and Philippines’ harana.
Two years ago, when Chus Alonso proposed that we collaborate for his brainchild Fandango-Pandanggo – a music, dance and multimedia performance exploring musical interactions between the Philippines, Mexico, Cuba – I wholeheartedly agreed. Chus who hails from Spain is one of the best Latin music practitioners and teacher in the Bay Area. Chus and I have collaborated on previous occasions and have a shared passion for our respective country’s traditional music. It is a natural partnership and I very much look forward to performing with other wonderful artists in the show.
I am also premiering my new composition Cavite el Viejo (archaic name for my hometown of Kawit, Cavite – sample above). Written for my ensemble Fandangueros, it is a suite in 12 movements of which 5 will be performed and titled after the barrios of Poblacion, Marulas, Aplaya, Panamitan and Tabon.
On April 17, 2016, I will be running the Napa Valley Silverado Trail 10k Marathon as a means to supplement funding for the successful fruition of Fandango-Pandanggo. I have always been an avid runner and I see the marathon as a wonderful opportunity and an extension of a passion.
I am writing to ask for your sponsorship of my 10Krun, with all the proceeds directly benefiting Fandango-Pandanggo and KulArts. Your donation can be as low as $1 per kilometer or as great as $100 per kilometer.
All sponsorship/donations will receive a tax-deductible donation letter directly from KulArts, all donors/sponsors will be listed on the KulArts website. I am looking forward to being powered by your generosity and spirit on the actual race day. If you’d like to follow my training journey, feel free to visit or follow me on Instagram (@FloranteA).
Please help me reach my final goal of $2,500 by April 16, 2016 —a mere $250 per km (or $10 for every year that KulArts has existed).
Last but not the least, I would like to thank KulArts which has supported and nurtured many of my projects and in my view is the single most influential artistic organization in the Filipino community and the Bay Area. Thank you KulArts for giving voice and recognition to the visions of talented artists.
You can find out the details of the upcoming Fandango-Pandanggo performance here: http://www.sfiaf.org/potaje_fandangueros_cascada_de_flores
Check out the impressive list of musicians, dancers and multimedia artists.
artistic director, musical co-director, composer, flutist and “”laud”” player: Chus Alonso
musical co-director, composer and guitarist: Florante Aguilar
creative director: Alelluia Panis
multimedia artist: Wilfred Galila
singers: Charmaine Clamor, Arwen Lawrence
musicians: Jorge Liceaga, Kyla Danysh, Paula Dreyer, Greg Kehret, Sage Baggott and Robert Borrell
dancers: Roberto Borrell, Melissa Cruz, Ana Liceaga, Jay Loyola, Fides Enriquez
WAYS TO SUPPORT:
1. ONLINE: SPONSOR VIA PAYPAL HERE
*IN THE MEMO INCLUDE: CHUS FP or FLORANTE FP
2. SEND CHECK TO: Kularts 474 Faxon Avenue San Francisco, CA 94112
All sponsorship/donations will receive a tax-deductible donation letter directly from KulArts, all donors/sponsors will be listed on the KulArts website.
Your humble haranista,
Florante Aguilar
Music, Film and Theater! What more can you ask for?
I’m very excited to compose the music for a multimedia dance theater piece She, Who Can See with my fellow collaborators Alleluia Panis (creator) and Wilfred Gallila (video artist). Premieres this May 15, 16 and 17, 2015 in San Francisco. Details below. Enjoy!
She, Who Can See tells the story of a 4th generation Filipina American, and her struggles with her shamanic inheritance. Her world is turned upside down, disrupting her life and sanity when ancestral entities appear in her dreams and just about everywhere else.
Just a couple more pieces to write and record to complete the work and we’re off to the races! The track used in the preview is titled Fire and uses guitar, cajon, bass, kubing and Balinese gamelan.
Details at: http://www.maartesfestival.com/eventsdb/2015/5/15/maartes-festival-she-who-can-see
Co-presented by API Cultural Center
Free Admission
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