Laro! Child’s Play at the CCP

LARO! @ the CCP main theatre.At 6:00 P.M. on Saturday, November 27th, 2010.With a joyful repertoire of Pinoy Play songs and a handful of generous artists. The Philippine Youth Symphonic Band will soon make glorious Music on the CCP stage!Come and hear the band! Come and hear their brilliant and child like guests! OMP Icon Ms Sylvia La Torre will perform her legendary Sa Kabukiran, as Sarah Geronimo crosses the generation gap with well loved ditties reset for our children to sing again. Andrew Fernando, from the world of opera, plays along too…..singing blues and mock opera! 

A silent auction of designer children’s chairs at the lobby will raise PYSB sustaining funds.

Tickets are:

OrchestraCenter 2,500;

Orchestra Right and Left 1,500;

Parterre

Upper Boxes Right and Left 800;

Lower Boxes Right and Left 1,500;

Balcony I Center, Right and Left 600;

Balcony II Center, Right and Left 400

The standard ticket discount shall be made available:

20% – Senior citizens discount

20% – Students discount

20% – Groups of 20 or larger 

10% – Groups of 10 or larger 

Call: 0927-3910762

THE YOUNG MUSICIANS DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION (YMDO)

Back to our roots, in a musical way 

“Leron, Leron Sinta.   Buko ng papaya…” while the song elicits from the older generation fond memories of growing up in more innocent times the ditty will probably result in blank stares from the youth of today.   Let’s face it… the younger generation has been weaned on a steady diet of High School Musical and Miley Cyrus with a dash of the current popular cartoon’s often nonsensical theme music.

“These songs are traditional play songs that today’s youth are no longer are familiar with…  Playstation, Hannaha Montana and Gameboys have succeeded in making even our children’s memories global,” says Irene M. Araneta.  

Araneta is the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Young Musicians Development Organization or YMDO, a non-profit organization whose main objective is to support young Filipino musicians and nurture the Philippine symphonic band tradition.  The fruit of their efforts is the Philippine Youth Symphonic Band – a group of young, talented and highly trained musicians from various regions of the Philippines .  They act as ambassadors tasked with preserving our national musical heritage through their performances.

According to Maja Olivares-Co, Executive Director of the YMDO Board of Trustees, “Only 30% of our own PYSB kids knew some of the songs in parts only whereas the rest were unfamiliar!”

“Leron Leron Sinta”, “Dandansoy” and “Sarungbanggi” are not just classic songs from a bygone era.    The songs are called play songs, precisely because the rhythmic and often repetitive lyrics of the songs would lead or accompany children at play.    Imagine the days of our mothers and fathers, when children would play tumbang preso and piko in the streets while singing these upbeat tunes.

These songs speak of the experience of an older generation of Filipinos whose grandchildren are now more familiar with the pop songs and experience of another culture – whether American or Korean pop.   This has resulted in a “beyond MTV” generation that while technically savvy and globally aware has lost their precious connection to the traditions and practices that distinguishes the Filipino culture.

“There will be a real loss of Pinoy identity if there is no continuity of community memory,” laments Irene.

Maja’s own personal experience with her 12-year old son Rama led her on a crusade to push for PYSB’s latest project, “Three years ago I made him listen to the LARO songs and he found the melody too boring. This pushed me to propose to the YMDO board that we rearrange the music to appeal to a younger generation.”

The LARO concert and demo CD was born – featuring the traditional Filipino play songs in modern musical arrangements

Maja attests to her own child’s “rediscovery” of this music, “When he saw the last LARO concert of PYSB he simply loved the music.   He enjoyed Sitsiritsit most because of the Lion King-like melody. He was humming it the next day like a last song syndrome…”

The bright young kids of the PYSB will now have a chance to perform these classic “play” songs to a wider audience, in the upcoming concert “LARO! Child’s Play at the CCP” on November 27, 2010, 6:00 p.m. at the Main Theater of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (Tanghalang Nicanor Aberlardo.)       

Traditional children’s songs like the playful “Sitisiritsit” and the jaunty “Tongtongtongtong Pakitong,” among others, will be presented in a fresh, modern way in genres more familiar to today’s youth – – like pop, rock, jazz and even reggae.  The concert will be hosted by acclaimed actress Cherie Gil and will feature renowned artists Sylvia La Torre and Sarah Geronimo.

Maja affirms, “The multi-generational artists in the concert LARO! Child’s Play at the CCP, show that this type of music crossovers all generations.”

And it’s not all about music.   Filipino designers including Ivy Almario, Ed Calma, Joey Yupangco, Jonathan Matti, Sonia Olivares, Ricky Toledo/Chito Vijandre, Tessa Prieto-Valdez, Joey Yupangco and Maja-Olivares Co herself have pledged their originally designed children’s furniture pieces which will be auctioned off at the event.   This is a perfect blend of music and the arts in a fun night for a good cause.

As a bonus for music lovers, the concert will be recorded LIVE and produced into a full 10-track CD that will be made available to the public.

“Though the CD is primarily for children, young adults and even older adults become nostalgic when they hear this music.    The newly arranged melodies present itself with a sound that will appeal to all generations,” says Maja. 

“This is for Pinoy parents both here and abroad to raise children joyful in their memories of the Filipino Culture,” says Irene, “It is incumbent for parents to root our children’s memories in our culture.   This is our part in helping parents do this most important job.”

So leave the video games at home, here’s an occasion that should be attended both by children and by those who want to reawaken their own childlike sense of wonder and fun.

“LARO! Child’s Play at the CCP” with the Philippine Youth Symphonic Band with Sylvia La Torre and Sarah Geronimo, hosted by Ms. Cherie Gil on November 27, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. at the Main Theater of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo.)    For tickets you can call 0927 391-0762. 

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