JERRY OLEA:
Nakaramdam ng anxiety si Gerald Santos sa first day ng rehearsal ng Anywhere We Sing Is Home: The CCP’s 54th Anniversary Gala noong Setyembre 5, 2023, Martes, sa CCP Annex, Pasay City.
Read: Gerald Santos, naubos ang ipon sa panonood ng Broadway plays
E, kasi naman, nag-rehearse na rin doon ang world-class singers ding sina Joanna Ampil, Aicelle Santos-Zambrano, Arman Ferrer, Sheila Francisco, Gab Pangilinan, at Reb Atadero.
Ang musical direktor nila ay ang National Artist na si Maestro Ryan Cayabyab aka Mr. C.
“Actually, hindi ko alam. Sinabi ba ni Gerald sa inyo? They’re all good in their own niches, e,” sambit ni Maestro Ryan nang mainterbyu namin after the rehearsal. “
Kasi, hindi naman sila puwedeng sumikat nang hindi sila marunong. It’s so interesting.
“Kasi now, makikita nila kung papaano magtrabaho yung Joanna Ampil. So it’s very inspiring.
“Kasi, kahit naman hindi niya ituturo — just observing her, how she learns her songs, walang kaarte-arte. Diretso trabaho, yung ganun.
“It’s good because they will become more adept… at saka mas ano sila, conscious sila na, ‘Ah ito, be professional.’
“But don’t get me wrong. Actually, lahat naman sila, professional. Pero ang sarap to work with people in theater.
“Kasi, ang sisipag nila at saka very receptive. Kunyari sabi ko, ‘O, dapat dito ganito, ganito.’ Bibigyan ako ng katakut-takot na mga interpretation nila dun sa sinabi ko.
“That is one of the best parts of live performance, and rehearsing with professional artists. Sobrang ang saya, ang sarap!
“Pati ako, sasabihin ko sa inyo, I learn a lot from the young people. Kasi, nakikita ko kung bakit sila ganun yung attack nila.
“Pero nakikita ko naman na alam niyo, naaabot nila yung mataas na level ng professionalism. Nararamdaman ko.”
Read: Ryan Cayabyab still uncomfortable with National Artist title
May mga nakatrabaho ba siyang artists lately na unprofessional? Sa TV industry halimbawa?
“Siguro, walang ihahain sa akin nang ganun,” napangiting saad ni Mr. C.
Walang horror story?
Natawa si Mr. C at napailing nang bahagya, “Wala. Wala pa akong nakikita na sasabihin ko, ‘Ano ang ginagawa nito sa industriya?’
“I guess, nakikita ko lang yung disiplina ng mga taga-teatro. Sa telebisyon din, ganun din naman, makikita mo, e.
“Even yung mga bagong salta lang, very eager. Makikita mo naman na aabot sila dun, yung sa first palapag.
“Dahil meron sila. Kasi kung wala sila, hindi sila aabot. So… yeah, happy ako, kasi wala pa naman akong nakikilalang nag-waste ng time ko. Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!
“Ay, sorry! Kasi, hindi naman ako ganun. I work talaga with people na kahit nag-uumpisa pa lang.
“Lagi kong sinasabi, ‘I will meet you where you are, and bring you a step higher kung hanggang saan ka receptive.’
“That’s how I work. Even in teaching, writing… hindi marunong magsulat, hindi marunong magbasa ng nota — tatanggapin kita.
“Gusto kong makita kung anong meron ka. Tapos, I’ll meet you where you are, and bring you up at least a notch higher. Maybe you’ll learn something from this.
“That’s how I approach everything. Teaching is really… I don’t even say noble thing because I really think it’s a most enjoyable thing to teach.”
Itatanghal ang Anywhere We Sing Is Home: The CCP’s 54th Anniversary Gala sa Setyembre 9, Sabado ng 8:00 p.m., at Setyembre 10, Linggo ng 3:00 p.m., sa Samsung Performing Arts Center sa Circuit Makati.
GORGY RULA:
Katrabaho ni Mr. C ang grupong Ryan Cayabyab Singers, at sanay siya sa kahusayan at professionalism ng mga ito.
“I don’t know if you know Poppert Bernadas. Grabe yun!” bulalas ni Mr. C.
“I’ve never met anybody like him na kahit na ensayo, yung mga kasama niya, they have to be in their toes.
“Kasi pag kumanta siya, talagang bigay na bigay! E, hindi puwede, yung mga katabi mo, hindi magbibigay. Kasi, mahiya kayo nang konti. At saka laging prepared.
“Ahhh anyway, I work with Ryan Cayabyab Singers and I’ve known them isa-isa, and I know their worths. And the reason why I got them is magagaling sila.
“Pero iba yung Poppert. I mean, iba talaga yung Poppert. That’s why, I can take him out there, put him here with other theater artists, put him here with other big name stars.
“Kahit si Regine [Velasquez], makikikanta with Poppert. Kasi, alam niya, magaling.
“Yung ganun. Sana, maraming katulad niya dahil it’s good for the future of our music.
“Yun na nga, lagi kong tinatanong… meron na bang bago? Kayo, meron ba kayong suggestion? So that I can watch out.”
View this post on Instagram
Naka-collab na ba niya sina KZ Tandingan, Morissette Amon? Moira?
“Magaling si KZ Tandingan. Magaling sila, kaya lang, hindi ko sila nakakatrabaho,” pagtatapat ni Mr. C.
“Kasi, yang mga batang yan, meron na silang kanilang mga music director. So, nakakasama ko lang sila kung merong maramihan na mga artista.
“Like for example, dito [CCP anniv concert], pito sila. So I get to work with all of them.
“E, meron ding mga shows na nandun si Moira, si Morissette, si KZ Tandingan. So I’m afforded the chance to know them.
“But hindi ako music director nila from beginning to end na show, e. So, I’m just saying na… aside from, sino pa ba yung mga nandiyan na puwede?
“Marami na sila, ‘no? Magaling si KZ. Morissette. Sino pa ba?”
NOEL FERRER:
KZ, Morissette… idadagdag ko sa listahan sina Jona, Janine Teñoso, at isa sa aking favorite ngayon, ang Suklay Diva na si Katrina Velarde.
Itong tatlong dinagdag ko ay mga featured artists sa isa pang project ko with Maestro Ryan Cayabyab na Pinoy Playlist Music Festival na gaganapin sa Setyembre 29, 30, at Oktubre 1 sa BGC Arts Center.
Available na ngayon ang Pinoy Playlist Music Festival Early Bird Passes.
3 DAYS, 3 STAGES, ALL MUSIC, ALL PINOY!
Sabi nga namin… Immerse in the tapestry of Filipino music across time, from solo, bands, classic, pop, campus acts, theater, and more! Participate in our Pinoy Playlist Conversations with key figures in the industry.
Join us in honoring our 2023 PPMF Ryan Cayabyab Awardees na sina Alfonso “Coke” Bolipata, Mel Villena, and Regine Velasquez-Alcasid. And so much more!
Maaaring makuha ang tickets sa BGC Arts Center TicketWorld Box Office. Get ahead of the beat and celebrate music the Pinoy way!
Magkita-kita po tayo this weekend sa Anywhere We Sing Is Home sa Circuit Makati, at sa Pinoy Playlist Music Festival sa katapusan ng buwang ito!!!
Ito ay atin. Sariling atin.