NAMCYA: Music with meaning
According to Dr. Ramon Santos, National Artist for Music, Filipino music is a fusion of all the sounds in the world, with a diverse musical heritage that our ancestors incorporated in Filipino music throughout history
Music brings words to life — a perfect art that establishes a nation’s culture and sound; a sound that makes humans, human. It is a universal language that connects people all over the globe and it’s impossible to imagine a world without it.
It’s also important to know the value and importance of the music that identifies us as Filipinos and expand its reach towards other culture and break boundaries. This is the intent of the National Music Competition for Young Artists (NAMCYA), empowering the youth to know and enrich the identity of Filipinos through our local music.
“Our music isn’t a mix of the sounds of the world without meaning. When we (Filipinos) appropriated all these practices, ideas and traditions, that’s how rich we are. We aren’t without meaning,” the president of NAMCYA, Dr. Renato Lucas, said.
According to Dr. Ramon Santos, National Artist for Music, Filipino music is a fusion of all the sounds in the world, with a diverse musical heritage that our ancestors incorporated in Filipino music throughout history.
“It (music) is part of our life, of our existence as human beings. So, we are to be discriminating in the kind of music that is good for us,” Dr. Santos added.
He also encourages the media to disseminate the importance of NAMCYA and our musical heritage to the Filipino nation.
NAMCYA presents not just the Philippines’ diverse musical heritage, but also showcases homegrown Filipino talent through their training and competitions.
Artists, professional or non-professional, aged seven to 30, undergo NAMCYA to develop their skills and broaden their knowledge and perspective in music education.
For more than four decades, the competition has witnessed the birth of musical geniuses and produce accomplished musicians of traditional and classical music.
Its competitions are composed of solo and group performances that seek to discover potential music legends. Group performances include choir, rondalla, symphonic band, chamber music (wings and strings) and traditional music ensembles. Solo performances include voice, strings and winds instrument, percussion, piano and traditional instruments.
Musical lighthouse
In its quest to further promote Filipino music, NAMCYA presents the “NAMCYA @ 46 Concert of Winners, Alab ng Musika: Wagi #galingNAMCYA,” at Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (Main Theater) of the Cultural Center of the Philippines this Friday, 23 August.
Previous winners of NAMCYA are set to perform for this cause. They are Giancarlo Castrillo Gonzales, a two-time cellist winner; DYCI Dagalak, who has won Choir Champion multiple times in different local competitions; Nelson de la Cruz, who won the Most Outstanding Conductor in a competition in Singapore; and Pundaquit Virtuosi, a Youth Orchestra who has won multiple times and toured all over the world.
They will be joined by one of the Philippines’ greatest musicians, Alfonso Bolipata and the resident performing group of CCP reorganized by the National Artist Antonio Buenaventura and Dr. Renato Lucas, principal cellist of the Philharmonic Orchestra for three decades and presently the president of NAMCYA. “The CCP concert is our lighthouse. It is our visual and positive façade to the masses. From the macro to the micro,” Dr. Renato Lucas said.
Aside from the said concert, there are other shows and activities to look forward to including the “NAMCYA @ ALABANG 400: The Cellist and The Apprentice” mini-concert at the Alabang 400 Village Clubhouse, presenting Dr. Renato Lucas and Joshua Ethan Dakanay with Denzel Abarquez at the piano, on 24 August, 5:30 p.m.
Actual competitions will start on 31 August at different parts of the Philippines for the semi-final round. NAMCYA finals will take place in CCP from 26 November to 1 December.
For ticket inquiries, contact the NAMCYA Secretariat at (02) 836 4928, (02) 836 4929 or 0949 993 2592.
NAMCYA presents not just the Philippines’ diverse musical heritage, but also showcases homegrown Filipino talent through their training and competitions.
For more than four decades, the competition has witnessed the birth of musical geniuses and produce accomplished musicians of traditional and classical music.