By Nora Sorino .
ILIGAN City - In this age of karaoke/ videoke every other Pinoy is a singer although most are " frustrated " ones. I don't know if this Covid thing has minimized or intensified that frustration.
So on that 23rd of July evening every PDL who was invited to that birthday party invited another PDL or other PDLs to come to this party. Such are we Pinoys; the invited invites another and the another invites another and so on and so forth.
Did I say PDL? Yes, " person deprived of liberty. " This was brought about by this Covid thing. And implemented by the government, both local and national. The PDLs were known by another name, "quarantined."
That birthday was the natal day of Atty. Leo Zaragoza.
So early evening of that day we trooped to the " Paseo de Santiago " a tourist destination here at barangay Santiago -- friends like Dennis, Sita and Hermie. And friends of Hermie too.
Atty. Zaragoza as one might note, is a personality filled with so much passion. And he has no qualms expressing them. For instance when he was the officer who administered the oath of office of new members of the "Ludabi" or "Lubas sa Dagang Bisaya" an organization advocating the use of our " Binisaya" language, I saw so much fervor in what he was doing.
For he had the intensity of-- how shall I say it? Well, basta " intense!"
I mean with so many strong feelings. Like many exclamation points. That was during the Christmas party of said organization in 2019. Which prompted me to recall other " oaths" which were just done in some ahh, boring manner. Like " ha hay… " and then followed by more " ha…hay…." on the part of the audience.
Lately he had tangled with the city officials here led by city mayor Celso G. Regencia (CGR,). With the same intensity of course! With his expose over city hall transactions barangay city hall was turned upside down. And naturally, CGR et al weren't there at said occasion of the lawyer's birthday.
Anyway things like that be better set aside at that moment.
Next year he would have " dual" citizenship, we then knew, as he is now 59. Did you know that people pray to senior citizens?I mean leveling up to the likes of some patron saints. Like that of the patron saint of Cde O or Iligan City. ("0h senior citizen, please help us get saved from the fires of hell!"). Hahaaha.
Like what we expected, the PDLs descended on the " Paseo." And they were very " social" now. I mean they followed the social distancing protocol. Complete with masks on. That was easy because the Paseo has ample space.
Among the " newly unlocked PDLs" were lawyers, several of them judges and of course, the FOLs ( friends of lawyers).
The man of the hour, Atty Z made some speech. For a while I thought he' d make mention about city hall.
Thank God it was only a short side comment of " another virus creeping at city hall."
And then the singing, what else. Atty. Ver Quimco was on his singing best. Of course the singing was mostly " Binisaya." Songs of love, many of frustrations in love. Like " Matod Nila." Or " Matod Mo." Which if translated to English takes the romance or frustrations out of the the songs. Like " they said" or " you said"- where' s the romance in there?
"Binisaya" songs like those mentioned are among the advocacy of the birthday celebrator. Naturally, the lawyers and the FOLs got ready with them. For as Atty. Z had expressed in several occasions, that other countries like Japan or China and countries on Europe love their native language, "why are we always pa --English-English? "
The " Ludabi" singers had to move aside in favor of the Attys and the Fols. Judge Arthur Abundiente gamely obliged. And other lawyers whose names I couldn't get. Their performances gave me the impression that they could give the established singers a run for their money. They were singers really . But frustrated singers - intensely frustrated, I should say.
It then occurred to this writer that maybe lawyers at some point in their lives really wanted to be singers. And maybe, some singers too wanted to be lawyers? Who knows? Some boxers to note, want to be singers, like Manny Pacquiao.
Lovely songs, these Binisaya songs. Why are they then shoved aside in favor of English ones? What is happening to us as a people? The celebrator would ask such in public in his speeches, in several occasions.
It also occurred to me that with that kind of prowess in singing and which they can show off at "Paseo" ( which by the way was singlehandedly done by the celebrator that started a few years ago), why not " level up," as today's lingo puts it. I mean make some blog or something, or create some YouTube channel. Strive for more "views," maybe. Just to make other people love "Binisaya" songs, instead of looking down on these kind of songs.
Yes, why not?
The "Matod Nila" then came with a "twist" which was rendered by a FOL, a retired police officer. There was the "Elvis Presley" version, there was also the "tango" version, the Maranao version, the "charismatic" version and everybody had fun watching him.
Another FOL and one lawyer too gamely made some duet rendering the "Matod Mo" and the "Matod Nila" simultaneously and they were good. Very innovative indeed.
So why don't we as a people make our "intense frustrations" as singers work in our favor? We can do it, instead of being engulfed with fear by this Covid.
Why not indeed?
