Kundiman queen Sylvia La Torre dazzles in Laro

With the three exacting songs she performed Saturday evening at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, legendary soprano Sylvia La Torre showed on the country’s premier stage that watching her is still a dazzling theatrical experience even in the age of YouTube and 3D cinema. Still recovering from a recent major operation, the 77-year old La Torre sang her personal favorites “Sa Kabukiran" (1939, by Manuel Velez), “Waray Waray" (1953, by Juan Silos), and “Kalesa" (circa 1950s, by A. Del Rosario) in the concert “Laro: Child’s Play at the CCP." The audience warmly embraced her performance, rumbling with applause when the US-based soprano said, “I recall many happy memories when I sing songs like Kalesa."
Elegant and stunning in a beaded gown executed by Aureo Alonzo in varying hues of pink, the country’s undisputed queen of kundiman (traditional love songs) regaled the audience with her spiels, gushing about her husband Dr. Celso Perez de Tagle, “We are still sweetah even after being married for 56 years already." Pop singer Sarah Geronimo performed the children’s ditties “Sitsiritsit" and “Leron, Leron Sinta" along with the Bicol favorite “Sarung Banggi" at the concert, which sought to introduce a young audience to traditional Filipino music. The US-based baritone Andrew Fernando, who had the same voice teacher as La Torre, also shared the CCP Main Theater stage with his renditions of the Visayan classic “Dandansoy" and the playful “Tong, Tong, Tong, Tong" and “Pen, Pen de sarapen." The 62-member Philippine Youth Symphonic Band, aged 2 to 22, under the baton of Maestro Romeo San Jose provided musical back-up to La Torre, Fernando, and Geronimo. La Torre praised the band members, saying they were “very good" because they were able to provide musical accompaniment even though “my songs were difficult songs." For young musicians

The last time La Torre came to the Philippines was in 2006, when she held a concert produced by art patron Danny Dolor. In a backstage interview after the Laro concert, La Torre said: “Oh my God, I am so happy and excited. I have not performed in a long while." She agreed to the invitation of Irene Marcos-Araneta, chairman of the board of the Young Musicians’ Development Organization, to perform in “Laro" because she wanted to help raise funds for the education of young musicians. “I am willing to return to the Philippines to perform to benefit good causes. I really wanted to help Irene Marcos-Araneta in this fund-raising concert," she told GMANews.TV. “My husband said that I am brave to agree to perform barely two months after a major surgery," she said. To prepare for the concert, she had to do her vocalization in a gradual manner. She takes care of her voice by not drinking cold drinks, by going to bed early, and by not talking very much. In a post-concert interview with the media at the CCP Main Theater Lobby, La Torre was asked what would make her stay longer in the Philippines. Her reply: “Alam mo ayaw akong payagan ng mga bata dahil pag nandito daw ako, I will appear on TV, I will have offers. Baka hindi ako makatiis dahil iyon ang hinahanap ko." La Torre added that she was “deeply heartened" by the loud applause from the audience. “I could not believe that until now they really love me so much. Even at the airport, Filipinos welcomed me," she enthused. She is looking forward to a reunion with former colleagues in the entertainment industry such as Perla Bautista, Delia Razon, Rosa Rosal, and German Moreno. “I miss my friends and former work colleagues based in the Philippines," she added. La Torre says her message to young Filipinos would be the same thing she tells her eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren: “They have to study hard, work hard, and persevere. If you are a musician, you have to bear the hardships of long hours of practice." She says she teaches her grandchildren kundiman classics such as “Sa Kabukiran" and “Bituing Marikit," adding: “It is important for young Filipinos to know these songs. They are part of our culture." – YA, GMANews.TV