Jazz Festival
60 Years of Harmony: The Philippine-American Jazz Festival
Nov. 17, 7:30 p.m., RCBC Plaza, Makati City (by invitation)
Nov. 18, 8 p.m., Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati
Nov. 19, 8 p.m., Plaza Rajah Sulayman, Malate, Manila
What better way to celebrate 60 years of Philippine-American friendship than through superb music, and lively performances?
The Embassy of the United States of America and the Jazz Society of the Philippines had just that in mind when they joined forces to stage a concert series entitled The Philippine-American Jazz Festival this weekend.
US Embassy Assistant Information Officer Stacy D. Mactaggert said love for music is a common trait between Filipinos and Americans. In particular, Ms. Mactaggert said the fascination of the two countries with jazz has been evident since friendly ties between the Philippines and the US began in 1946.
"Jazz is a musical art form that originated in the US. At the same time, jazz has always been a popular genre for Filipinos. What we thought was... what better way to showcase the wonderful cultures to get to know each other than through music? Everybody loves music. So we decided to highlight this for the commemoration of 60 years of Philippine-American friendship," Ms. Mactaggert told BusinessWorld in a telephone interview
In a statement, US Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie A. Kenney, who will open the festival during the invitation-only concert tonight, said: "Jazz is part of our culture. Many musicians have been inspired by the originality of jazz music, and I think the pioneering American jazz artists of a century ago would be honored to know that their music is being shared around the world and adapted by so many cultures."
Each night of the series, Filipino jazz artists will present a concert high-lighting a different genre of jazz music.
Richie Quirino, founder of The Jazz Society of the Philippines and author of the book Pinoy Jazz Traditions, and Collis Davis, Jr., an American filmmaker who worked with Mr. Quirino to adapt the book into a documentary titled Pinoy Jazz: The Story of Jazz in the Philippines, will give a brief history of the musical styles chosen for the evening’s concert, how they developed in the United States, and how they were adapted creatively by Philippine musicians. Excerpts from the documentary will also be shown.
Mr. Quirino said the concert series celebrates the originality, talent, and dedication of Filipino musicians and recognizes the close ties that the United States and Philippines share in culture, arts, and music.
"Jazz music was born in America but inspired by the indigenous music of many countries," Mr. Quirino said in a statement. "In the Philippines, our talented artists have built on that tradition of melding, blending, and inspiration to make the jazz music of the United States our own," he added.
For the opening night, the festival will showcase Gospel Choir and Dixie Land jazz with the performances of the UP Jazz Ensemble, Ateneo Hangad Choir, Philippine-based American trombonist Ron Nethercutt, and Filipino singer Mon David. Mr. David recently won the grand prize in the prestigious London International Jazz Competition, besting 106 vocalists from 27 countries.
The opening night, which will be held at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium at the RCBC Plaza in Makati City, will also feature the Executives Band with the special participation of the Former First Lady Amelita "Ming" Ramos.
Due to the limited capacity of the venue, the US Embassy said that the opening night would be by invitation only.
Meanwhile, the second and last nights would be open to the public, free of charge.
The concert on Saturday will be held at the fountain area of Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center in Makati City. Saturday’s concert will focus on big band/ swing, bebop and cool jazz styles. Performers include Mr. David, Sandra Viray, JFK, Johnny Alegre’s Affinity, and the Brass Munkeys.
The last concert, which will highlight Latin jazz, will be staged at the Plaza Rajah Sulayman on Roxas Boulevard in Manila. The featured artists are Grace Nono, Guarana, The Bob Aves Group, Royal Hartigan, and the Escola de Samba de Manila.