Manila, Philippines – August was Buwan Ng Wika, the perfect time to celebrate kundiman. Originally conceived in the Spanish period, kundiman was a song of patriotism. It celebrated freedom and was often disguised as a love song for a woman. It is rooted in Philippine culture and the colonial experience of Filipinos. Because of the Philippines’ history with Spain, kundiman became a way for Filipinos to express love for their motherland at a pivotal time–when Filipinos were fighting for independence from Spain. When Jose Rizal included kundiman in Noli Me Tangere, its status was elevated in Philippine culture. Kundiman does not mean ‘love song.’ It is a contraction of “kung hindi man,” which means “if not” in English.
On the 17th of August at Sound Kradle in New Manila, Philippines, Maestra Krissan Manikan-Tan held her birthday celebration along with GeiserMaclang’s road to 25 years in the industry by performing kundiman. Performers included Soprano Peggy Geiser, pianists Raki Gendrano and Augusto Espino, and violinist Louie Villanueva, along with a lecture by Dr. Raul Navarro.
Peggy Geiser with her solo musical performance during the Kundiman at Kaarawan event.
Manikan-Tan sang a mèlange of kundiman art songs and well-loved Original Pilipino Music (OPM) was sung classically. Greg de Leon acted as host of the event. “My favorite part of the event was the encore, where I performed “Bonggahan” by Sampaguita because I was able to sing and dance with the audience,” shares Manikan-Tan. Navarro, who has a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance from the UP College of Music and also graduated with a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting, interspersed each performance–by Geiser, Gendrano, Villanueva and Espino–with information about kundiman.
Maestra Krissan Manikan-Tan singing mèlange of Kundiman art songs at the Kundiman at Kaarawan event.
Gendrano performed Maestro Lucio D. San Pedro’s “Salamisim” at “Aliwan”. It was done in a post-romantic style, with the use of folk tunes “Ambo Hato” and “Pen pen de sarapen.” Villanueva played the violin obbligato part for Francisco Santiago’s “Ave Maria” and for Ryan Cayabyab’s “Araw Gabi.” The violin part for “Araw Gabi” was arranged by Gendrano. Espino, the composer of “Kundiman ng Langit,” was a special guest at the event.
“My inspiration when I perform is a lot of people: first and foremost, my family who gives their full support in my career; my friends and supporters who always remind me that they believe in my talent; and lastly, people I teach music to, my students and the residents of the facility where I provide music therapy as they always look forward to my every music session and public performances,” states Manikan-Tan.
(From left to right: Raki Gendrano, Peggy Geiser, Louie Villanueva, Krissan Manikan – Tan, Dr. Raul Navarro, Augusto Espino, Greg Abelardo de Leon).
It was an inspirational afternoon. Geiser, a pioneering, internationally award-winning neuroatypical mainstream-performing artist on the autism spectrum and an A5 Awardee for the Performing Arts, given by the Autism Society of the Philippines, simply states, “I had fun.”
