Pinoy guitar champ performs from the Netherlands
Adrian ‘Adrik’ Cristobal — grandson of the eminent writer Adrian E. Cristobal — admits he has ADHD: I am programmed to have a lot of energy and thoughts
Adrian “Adrik” O. Cristobal, guitarist and first prize winner of the 2020 National Music Competition for Young Artists (Senior Guitar category), goes on virtual “center stage” today from Maastricht, Netherlands where he currently stays.
This evening, at 7:30 p.m., he performs in a show dubbed “The New Adventure Begins: The Opening Act by Adrik Cristobal.”
If his surname sounds not only familiar but famous, yes, Adrik is the grandson of the late Adrian Cristobal Sr. — man of letters, columnist, author of the most anthologized “I Sulayman,” labor activist, government technocrat, founding chair of the Unyon ng mga Manunulat ng Pilipinas (Writers Union of the Philippines) and the University of the Philippines Regent who initiated the establishment of the UP Institute of Creative Writing.
Adrik’s online concert, thus, comes into the consciousness of the culture vulture crowd as doubly significant — only yesterday, the 2021 Adrian Cristobal Lecture, an annual event that aims to honor the intellectual legacy of the first Adrian Sr., was held, with multi-awarded author and feminist Ninotchka Rosca delivering the lecture.
Adrik is the son of Adrian Cristobal Jr., former Secretary of the Department of Trade where he also served as the Director General of its Intellectual Property Office.
Tribune 100 Most Promising Men
The man of the hour, of course, is Adrik, the Russian version of Adrian, so named by his mother, outstanding educator Dina Ocampo, “so I don’t get mixed up with my dad and grandfather,” he said in an online interview when he was named by the Social Set section of the Daily Tribune as one of the Promising Young Men
(and Women) of the current decade (Daily Tribune 100).
As it turned out, he was preparing for his next online show at the time of his inclusion in the Tribune 100.
“The concept is that each show needs to have a unique theme and possibly a guest artist,” said Adrik. “The concept is quite new since I came up with it the during the lockdown. Currently, I’m testing the waters and seeing how far I can take this concept. So far, three shows in 2020 were fairly successful.”
He talked about “releasing a solo episode next month so keep your eyes open for that one,” meaning the show tonight.
The show, he said, would “feature a certain charity related to the theme of each episode as a beneficiary.”
Part of the proceeds of ticket sales from tonight’s show will benefit “15 young guitarists, residents of Payatas, Quezon City, training with the Sparrow Music’s teaching/ empowerment program. They will receive a combination of financial aid and guitar accessories for their studies.”
Three professors
Other than being a dream come true, tonight’s show is part of his journey of mastering the guitar that has so far seen him training with three main professors: Lester Demetillo of the University of the Philippines College of Music; Francisco Bernier of the Conservatorio Superior de Musica in Seville, Spain; and Carlo Marchione of the Conservatorium Maastrict in Netherlands.
“On a professional level, all three of them have their own unique ways of teaching,” said Adrik. “I’ve had good relationships with them in and out of the classroom. However, I spent more time with Lester and Francisco because I was under their wings longer during my undergrad years.”
While admitting “it’s hard to name a sole mentor,” Adrik cited his “parents who have been by my side and have supported me through all my endeavors in music, sports, and challenges in life. I’ve learned a lot from them and still do. Too many stories to share in one sitting about having parents that have made impact on society as much as they did in my life.”
His heroes, he enumerated, are “my parents, my grandfather Adrian E. Cristobal, and my little brother, Alonzo, especially my mother. Both of us happen to be dyslexic.”
The show, he said, would feature a certain charity related to the theme of each episode as a beneficiary.
But outside of his kin, he identified “Vince McMahon (World Wrestling Entertainment CEO) as my personal hero. He is the dyslexic genius behind his company’s global success.”
‘Man in the mirror’
“Being a person with an ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), Adrik said, “I am programmed to have a lot of energy and thoughts. ADHD manifests differently in childhood and adulthood. It’s good to have a professional deal with you from time to time.”
While his typical challenges include the need for new equipment and space for his creative career, he said that travel in Europe has been much stricter since the second lockdown in October 2020, “especially as certain musicians I would have wanted to have on my show are not able to collaborate with me because of travel measures.”
The greatest challenge to him, though, “is the man in the mirror. The guitar world is so small and is mainly connected online. Its confines revolve around festivals and competitions. I’ve had a hard time dealing with things I couldn’t control such as competition juries and politics, practicing in order to please judges, examiners, or certain people, and over-practicing pieces. Perfection doesn’t exist, so I sometimes feel that I strive too hard.”
As he was winding up the interview and getting ready to rehearse, he concluded, “Overcoming these hurdles will work with the right mindset. I’ve won five awards and have two first prizes. As much as I’d like to win more, the mindset of desperation and hunger is what makes productivity suffer. I’ll still be competing in the future but with a healthy mindset maybe. In short, the mindset of thinking that one world (the guitar world ), was the only avenue for fulfillment was the greatest challenge that I faced.
“The right mindset for now would be to discover other ways of getting my music out there and not to obsess over a circle of people that try to define the classical guitar.”
Adrik will perform the composition of Francisco Tarrega (Spain), “The Fantasia” by the Englishman John Dowland, “Nahan” by Ernani Cuenco (Philippines), the Bahay Kubo variations “Kanayonan” by Filipino guitarist Jose Valdez, among others.
Special guest is dancer Jobelle Nuñez who will perform with Adrik a guitar masterpiece by Joaquin Turina. Video is by guitarist/video maker Roneil Santos.
For concert tickets: bit.ly/
Session1withAdrik; Facebook
@SessionWithAdrik1993;
@sessionswithadrik;
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LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Kawhi Leonard returned from a leg injury to score 29 points as the revitalized Los Angeles Clippers beat the National Basketball Association (NBA)-leading Utah Jazz in the second of a two-game set on Friday in Los Angeles.
With both Leonard and Paul George back in the lineup after sitting out with injuries, the Clippers held on to beat the Utah Jazz, 116-112, to snap the their nine-game winning streak.
My teammates found me. I am pretty happy about what we did.
Leonard returned after a three-game absence due to a bruised leg, George missed seven-games with a sore toe. Both couldn’t play in the Clippers’ 114-96 home loss on Wednesday to the red-hot Jazz.
The Jazz’s trademark during their win streak has been finding different ways to get the job done, but that didn’t matter as they were outrebounded by the Clippers, 45-38.
The Clippers had five players in double figures, including both Leonard and George, who scored 15 as they beat the Jazz for the first time this season.
Lou Williams added 19 points, Patrick Beverley had 17 and Marcus Morris chipped in 17 off the bench for the Clippers.
Donovan Mitchell scored 35 points, Bojan Bogdanovic added 23 points, and reserve Jordan Clarkson contributed 19.
Mike Conley scored 16 points for the Jazz, who lost for just the second time in 22 contests.
In other games, Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid and Denver’s Jamal Murray each scored a career high 50 points with Murray becoming the first ever to reach the mark without attempting a free throw and Embiid also grabbing a whopping 17 rebounds.
All-Star Embiid led the 76ers to a 112-105 victory over the Chicago Bulls.
He added 17 rebounds, five assists, four blocks and two steals in a dynamic game in Philadelphia.
Embiid was 17 of 26 from the field and 15 of
17 from the free-throw line as he eclipsed the 49 points he scored against the Atlanta Hawks one year ago.
“My teammates found me. I am pretty happy about what we did,” Embiid said.
“I have got to get the job done. That’s my job, that’s why they pay me.”
Tobias Harris contributed 22 points, 12 rebounds in the win. Danny Green scored 13 points and reserve Dwight Howard had 10 rebounds.
It was Philadelphia’s second consecutive win without Ben Simmons, who skipped the game with a stomach illness.