Music matters
MUSIC has been part of my life as far as I can remember. It keeps my sanity intact whenever there are moments that interrupt my longings for inner peace and composure especially during troubled times. I grew up in Santa Maria, Bulacan, where Francisco Santiago was born and where Jose Corazon de Jesus (Huseng Batute) also grew up. Santiago was the composer of “Anak
Dalita” while Huseng Batute translated into Tagalog the protest song “BayanKo.”
My birthplace probably intoxicated me to hum and stomp my feet to keep up with the beat of any music that I hear. During my stint as the director of “Hoy! Gising,” I wrote the lyrics of the program’s theme music, which I remember up to now.
I am not really familiar with how music started. After research, some experts claim that it was born out of nature’s occurring sounds and rhythms. We can probably take the clue from the history of early musical instruments.
Historians say the earliest forms of music were probably drum-based, percussion instruments available at the time from rocks or sticks. Religious ceremonies could be the platforms using these crude tools. These rites could also be sacred rituals of African natives and early South American Indians.
These percussion instruments developed into more advanced ones and classified as string, wind, brass and keyboard. Their evolution was slow and steady. It is known that the Egyptians invented harps and flutes, followed by double-reeded clarinets.
Denmark is credited for the development of “valveless” trumpets that depend completely on using the lips to change pitch. The Hittites developed forerunners of the guitar. This was a great step as the use of frets to change the pitch of a vibrating string would lead to later instruments such as the violin and harpsichord.
Let us now deal with classical music composers. Most notables were Antonio Vivaldi (Italian), Johann Sebastian Bach (German), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (AustrianI, Ludwig van Beethoven (German), Frederick Chopin (PolishI, Franz Liszt (HungarianI, Johannes Brahms (German), Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (RussianI and Richard Strauss (GermanI.
My two favorites are Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven.
Mozart was a child prodigy from the start. He began composing on the violin and keyboard when he was just five. In his lifetime, he composed more than 600 pieces, many of which are considered to this day to be great works of musical genius.
Beethoven is famous for being one of the greatest composers of all time. He was very talented from a young age and gained a reputation as an incredibly gifted pianist. He achieved this success despite going nearly entirely deaf during some of his more creative years.
Not on the list, Sergei Rachmaninoff, a Russian composer, is an all-time favorite especially with his Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.
Among the vocalists, there are only four that I have in mind: Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, The Beatles and Michael Jackson. These four made their marks that span decades of dominance.
Frank Sinatra: Born Francis Albert Sinatra, he had various nicknames — “The Voice,” “Chairman of the Board,” “Ol’ Blue Eyes,” “Swoonatra” and “The Sultan of Swoon.”
Elvis Presley: Undoubtedly “The King of Rock and Roll.” From 1956 through 1958, he completely dominated the best-seller charts and ushered in the age of rock and roll.
The Beatles: The names John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr are regarded as the most influential group of all time. They were integral to the development of 1960s music culture as an art form.
Michael Jackson: Dubbed as “The King of Pop,” he set and broke records, challenged racial boundaries and revolutionized the music industry. His music and groundbreaking creativity changed the very infrastructure of the way music is produced and promoted.
On the local scene, I will always treasure that golden decade we call as “Original Pilipino Music” or OPM. If my memory serves me right, the popular groups then were New
Minstrels, Circus Band, Sangkatutak, Boyfriends, VST & Co, Batucada, Birth of the Cool and After Birth, among others.
The singers from these bands went separate ways and made a name for themselves. Tillie Moreno, Basil Valdez, Celeste Legaspi, Kuh Ledesma, richard Tan, Pabs Dadivas, Florante, APO, Heber Bartolome, rico J. Puno, Louie Reyes, Freddie Aguilar, AnthonyCastelo, Nonoy Zuniga, Hajji Alejandro, Bong Peñera, Didith reyes, Imelda Papin, Boy Camara, ric Segreto, Joey Albert, Jose Mari Chan, Leo Valdez, Ray Ann Fuentes and Rey Valera were unforgettable music icons.
Very few people know the story behind the song “American Pie.” This was sung and written by Don MacLean and part of the lyrics “the day the music died” refers to the 1959 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and ritchie Valens.
The crash was not known by that name until after MacLean’s song became a hit. The meaning of the other lyrics has long been debated, and for decades, MacLean declined to explain the symbolism behind the many characters and events mentioned. The overall theme of the song, however, is the loss of innocence of the early rock and roll generation as symbolized by the plane crash that claimed the lives of three of its heroes. By the way, another popular song composed by MacLean is “Vincent.”
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Good work, good deeds and good faith to all.