2018 Retrospective

2018 proved proved to be a banner year for the Filipino community and a momentous one for me - meeting new people, working on new projects. It was a year of recognition of Philippine art and culture, and the talent of Filipino artists.

The year started with my meeting the immensely talented and much acclaimed ice sculptors Baisas Brothers, i.e. Ross and Antonio, based in Montreal and Ottawa, respectively. They were in Edmonton for Ice on Whyte where they won the top awards, and continue to win in global competitions. I also had the pleasure of getting acquainted with pastry chef Ely Rowen Salar of Calgary, and photographer Sherwin Calaluan of Banff, both winning competitions in their respective fields. In February, the Edmonton Arts Council announced award recipients which included three Filipinos: yours truly, Ida Beltran-Lucila for the Edmonton Artist Trust Fund (the first and so far the only Filipino recipient), and Erica Cawagas and Jonathan Sherrer for Cultural Diversity in the Arts. Another first is the feature on Rommel Tingzon's paintings at The Works Festival. Rommel is the first Filipino painter to be featured in this festival, and one based not even in Edmonton or Canada, but in Palawan.

It was also a landmark year of special events and collaborations on Philippine art: the concerts of Koro Filipino (Paraiso), Bamboo, Tunog Kalye, Heber Bartolome, Piolo and Iñigo Pascual, Jose Mari Chan; Emma the Musical; the 3rd Edmonton Filipino Fiesta; and MC College's New Designers Fashion Show which featured three Filipino designers Fely Agader, Gian Salvador and Francis Tungul. Fely Agader would later hold her solo fashion show in November at Fort Saskatchewan. Philippine Arts Council held Learning Table sessions with Bamboo, who was remarkable with his generosity of time and experience, and with the Tunog Kalye artists. Philippine culture had more presence in the Alberta Culture Days, with Philippine Arts Council's full day workshop at Lynnwood School and a stand alone folk dance workshop, and the UPAAE's Historya: Walking through the Story of the Filipino People. The Philippine Arts Council continued grassroots education on Philippine dance throughout the year at Sister Annata Brockman School, Blessed Oscar Romero High School, Balwin School, and Lynnwood School. And of course, there is the regular radio show Himig Pinoy at 101.7 World FM, featuring original Filipino music.

However, the significant moment of the year was the declaration of June as Philippine Heritage Month by the cities of Edmonton, Calgary and Fort Saskatchewan, then by the Legislative Assembly for the province of Alberta, and later in the year, by the federal government. All these efforts stemmed from community initiatives, consultations, and negotiations. Coinciding with the provincial declaration was a release of the Philippine episode of Seconds Please TV documentary, whose launch was organized with the Philippine Arts Council and the MultiCultural Health Brokers Cooperative.

There were several other events in the community. Shows in local establishments like Panciteria de Manila, TFC Restaurant, Casa Laurel featured local groups like The Girls of Crazy Sexy Cool, Sooner Band, Switch Band, Skyfall Code Band, Simplicity Band, Enrico Ilaga, among others. Individual artists like actors Danielle Yu and Jimmy Buena, were respectively part of productions by Walterdale Theatre and Theatre Yes, Mila Bongco-Philipzig was part of writers' reading AlbertaLitFest, and Kristina de Guzman was involved in an art installation exploring perceptions of immigrant communities.

There were probably more events and achievements which I unfortunately was not able to attend or were not in my radar. Nevertheless, these mentioned are proof of a revitalized regard of, and by, the Filipino community in bringing forth our cultural fabric. Everyone of us should continue to be guardians and good representations of our heritage. And here lies the challenge. For artists, stretch your boundaries, explore your creativity and create something authentic. For producers, respect your artists and your audience. And for the general public, support, promote and be proud of your culture. This way, we Filipinos significantly show up in this multi-cultural arena, creating a legacy that is truly deserving of the municipal, provincial and federal declarations of Philippine Heritage Month that have been bestowed on us.

* This article was published in the January 2019 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal.

Art for Social Change: Viscosity and The Right to Exist

In this past month, I attended two events that remarkably utilized art to deliver messages for social change. The first was Theatre Yes' "Viscosity", which ran from November 7-17, and "The Right to Exist: An Evening of Arts and Culture", presented by Migrante Alberta and Climate Justice Edmonton, last December 8.

Viscosity was a uniquely staged production in the manner of performance and installation, tackling real life stories of people working in the front line of the oil industry. It featured a powerhouse cast - Chris Bullough, Leo Campus Aldunez, Murray Farnell, Byron Martin, Sandy Paddick, Melissa Thingelstad, and our very own, Filipino Jimmy Buena. This performance thrust people to engage in one-on-one encounters with the actors, absorbing the highs and lows of their respective experiences. The vignettes were culled from transcripts of interviews and delivered verbatim. The most heartrending of which was the story of a Filipino worker entangled in the ploys of an illegal recruiter. Jimmy Buena delivered a compelling portrayal, and I saw several in the audience in tears.

The production garnered rave reviews: ... unlike anything we've seen on Edmonton's stages before (Jenna Marynowski, After the House Lights); ... I invoke no hyperbole at all when I say it was one of the most engaging and enjoyable artistic experiences of my life (Dylan Howard, film director). We may know and have heard of experiences like these in the oil industry, but this staging just brought things to the heart. The transcripts of the interviews made for Viscosity will be provided to the Alberta Labour History Institute. Theatre Yes is a company dedicated to "responding to local, national and international conversations in thought-provoking ways". To know more about their work, go to theatre-yes.ca.

The Right to Exist: An Evening of Arts and Culture, was held in commemoration of International Human Rights Day and International Migrants' Day. It brought together activists, supporters, and artists across the Treaty 6 territory. It was a night of music, spoken word, visual arts, and thought provoking

messages. The blessing was given by Elder Eli Green. Different cultures were represented in the performances provided by: drumming by Carol Powser and Chubby Cheeks (Noah), 8 year-old with a powerful voice; dry humour from comedian Mav Adecer; soulful and passionate singing by Chilean Marianela Adasme, Jesse Cunningham, Lyla Luciano, and trio Gregie Flores, Gina May Ramirez and Gemalil Bonaobra; spoken words by Shima Robinson and Brandon Wint. The performances addressed issues of displacement, racism, advocacy, and healing. Whitney Haynes shared her insights from a trip to the Philippines where indigenous tribes were violently displaced and abused, in favour of Canadian mining business. Visual artist Yazmin Juarez exhibited works of exploring the imagination and of art as the balance and catalyst for social awareness, specially made for the event.

Art breaks down language barriers. Even when performed in a foreign tongue, the passion and spirit of the delivery still sends the message across. Interestingly enough, the issues that had roots from one culture resonates in various levels with another culture, setting and time. This demonstrates that these are universal issues, that events have a ripple effect across humanity, and that people don't live in silos.

Both events made me ache and naively wonder how these things can happen in our world. It made me grateful that there are people who go beyond their comfort zones and continue to push these issues into our awareness. All of us, in whatever capacity, i.e. artists, activists advocates, can be galvanized into action and heed John F. Kennedy's words "One person can make a difference, and everyone should try".

* This article was published in the December 2018 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal.

Hannah Adamson: The One, and the Star

One of the delightful surprises during my work on Emma the Musical came in the form of pint sized and spritely Hannah Adamson. The youngest of the cast members, she handed me her artist's resume on my first day of rehearsal for the production so "I will get to know her better". At the Emma performance, a number of people inquired about her, noting her stage presence and earnestness of her performance.

Hannah is the only child of Douglas and Vilma Adamson. A precocious child, she was singing songs she had heard only once or twice when she was 2. She started performing at age 4, singing in family and social functions, and continued later on doing guest stints in community events, front acts for visiting artists (Maja Salvador, Pooh, Bamboo), singing competitions, and musicals. At age 10, she's already had her own sold out solo concert. She has won in competitions like St. Albert's Got Talent and Futures Fest. Last summer, Hannah competed in the World Championship of Performing Arts (WCOPA) in Long Beach, California. Despite a lack of dedicated preparation for the competition since she was deep into the production of Emma (in fact heading straight to the airport a few hours after the performance to fly to the US), she still managed to garner: 2 Silver medals for Original and Contemporary Songs; a Gold for Broadway category; Gold for the Finals - as the top 5 out of 400 in her division; and received a plaque for Overall Winner of the Broadway category. It should be noted that the song she performed in the Original Song category, "The One", is her own composition.

During the Emma production, Hannah was relentless and exhibited enthusiasm in learning - asking tips for acting, how to execute complicated dance steps, etc. In between rehearsals, she would pull us to choreograph her musical theatre entry, which we were pleased to learn was the piece that brought her to the finals in WCOPA, gave her a Gold medal, and made her the Overall Winner for the Broadway category. Some people may regard this as a kind of pestering, but she is such a sweet and affectionate girl with sponge-like absorption of every correction and advice, that you can't help but entertain and nourish this passion and curiosity.

Hannah's zest for life and adventurous spirit is evident in her various interests: aside from singing (both as a solo artist and part of a school choir), she plays the piano, drums, guitar; does ballet, hiphop, jazz, modelling, acting, skating, swimming; has won awards for her writing; composes songs; and still manages to be a top student in her class. Even with all these activities though, truth be told, I think her parents are more exhausted than her.

With her talents and all her achievements, it is stirring to see her parents' dedication in supporting her endeavours, making sure she gets the opportunities she needs to grow, but at the same time making sure she enjoys her childhood, and grows up aware of her dual heritage. So yes, they may remark about being tired or craving for more time, but they are definitely, deep down, proud of their daughter.

Unfortunately, not everything is rosy and bright for Hannah. She has her fair share of catty remarks and attitude from peers, perhaps jealous of her achievements and popularity. When confronted with the taunting, she keeps quiet and ignores the negativity, and releases her emotions and thoughts by composing her own songs - creating the melody, doing the musical arrangement, and writing the lyrics. Her songs "The One" and "Stars" are expectant and philosophical. They talk about soaring towards your dreams, of not being pushed to the ground when people put you down, of being strong and true to yourself. She is able to go beyond her peers' animosity as she maintains that her singing is not a way of showing off, but a means of expressing herself and developing her talent. Wise words from such a young girl.

Now opportunities are opening up for Hannah - for performances, projects, possible recordings. Up next in the near future is a plan to do a music video for her next composition. Equipped with talent, grit, and the support of her parents, the world is at Hannah Adamson's feet. A word of advice though, for this young prodigy - always remember where you came from, the people who helped you along the way, and give credit where credit is due. Not only will you be a true and good artist, but a much better person for doing so. And with that, you will embody what you aspire for in the songs that you have written so profoundly - the One and the Star.

* This article was published in the September 2018 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal.

Erica Cawagas - 2017 Cultural Diversity in the Arts Recipient

 Erica Cawagas was one of 17 recipients of the 2017 Cultural Diversity  in the Arts project grant, as announced by the Edmonton Arts Council (EAC) last February. This project grant was established by the  City of Edmonton through EAC “to recognize that artists from all parts of the world enrich Edmonton’s cultural scene. Grants will support the activities of individual, Edmonton artists for a specific time towards a specific project.” Erica’s grant is in support for “Emma - the Musical” of which she is the Musical Director and will premier on July 7, 2018 at the Myer Horowitz Theatre.

As the daughter of piano and rondalla teacher Roujea Cawagas Cates, it was inevitable for Erica to be caught in the music world. She started with the piano but it was only when she got hold of a guitar that she found this sense of rightness, of finding her soul instrument, the medium that would express her feelings and thoughts that she dared not express verbally. She also discovered that she could play by ear. Since then, Erica has played with the Filipino Canadian Saranay Rondalla group, and participated in Kiwanis Music Festivals. For post-secondary, she studied Music Composition at the Grant MacEwan University with the intent of performing in cruise ships, as a means to travel around the world. This shifted though when during the course of her studies, she discovered that she would much rather compose than perform, and was enthralled in the process of putting together different instruments. Erica describes her music as complex, melancholic and contemporary but influenced by the romantic period.

Right after finishing her Music Composition diploma, Erica went to Manila. There she did musical scoring for UNICEF children’s books, with Anne Curtis doing the live reading; and for the MathDali show under the Knowledge Channel Foundation. It was during this time that work on the Emma - the Musical commenced.

Emma - the Musical is based on Erica’s great grandmother’s stories on the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. Written by her aunt Chie Floresca with music by Erica, Emma was originally intended as a mini-presentation for their great grandmother’s 95th birthday. Unfortunately, she passed away before her birthday. As a way to honour their matriarch, they resolved to make her stories a full-length musical. And this is where Erica has been devoting most of her time these days till its premiere here in Edmonton in July.

For someone who right off the bat declared that she does not do well expressing herself verbally, a face  to face interview must have been uncomfortable, at the very least. In conversations, Erica tends to focus on facts and details, and appears hesitant to open up about emotions, fortifying her initial declaration. This is how you appreciate what her music is to her and how important a role it plays in her life. Music is her shield. “People can listen to my music and they can say what I want to say for me.” This hesitancy to verbally communicate, however, may be the only place she falters. For Erica is a person with dogged determination. With her music for Emma, in particular, she was able to galvanize a group of young singers/cast, long before the rest of the production aspects came into play. Working with her in my capacity as artistic director of the musical allows us artistic leeway, with musical arrangement requests being done right on the spot. Her sheer determination to mount this musical lead to her assuming a producer role on top of being a musical director. And her ambition enables her to acknowledge the necessity of overcoming her introvertness.

Erica is at the cusp of her music journey. Emma - the Musical is her biggest and most personal project so far. It is an ambitious project that not only benefits her artistic career but contributes to the Edmonton repertoire of Asian musicals. With Emma, she not only wants to share her great grandmother’s stories, but to bring to the forefront a period of Philippine history that is not often talked about. And for Erica, there will always be the aspiration to tour the musical to different cities and to stage it in a greater magnitude, with full orchestration. These, hopefully, may just become a reality soon.

Tickets for Emma - the Musical are on sale through Ticketfly. For more information, check the Emma - the Musical Facebook page. Emma - the Musical is under the Artistic Direction of Ida Beltran-Lucila, with Choreography and Musical Staging by Jojo Lucila, Script by Chie Floresca and Musical Direction by Erica Cawagas. The musical is presented by the Filipino-Canadian Saranay Association.

This article was published in the March 2018 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal.