Ang website na ito ay pag-alaala ko kay G. Fortunato "Tatong Balugbog" dela Cruz, patnugot ng TANOD BAYAN noon. Tulad din ng pagmamahal n'ya, narito ang mga sariwang balita at ilang mahahalagang kaganapan at mga pangyayari mula sa aking bayang Santa Maria, Bulacan at karatig pook nito. Halina't tuklasing muli ang ating Dakilang Bayan, Ang Bayan ng Awit at Tula! Tuloy Lang Po at Mabuhay Kayo...Mga Mahal Kong Kababayan! Pagbati mula kay Memen Belarmino, ang inyong lingkod na webmaster!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Ash Wednesday in the Catholic Church-February 6, 2008
The First Day of Lent: In the Roman Catholic Church, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, the season of preparation for the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday. (In Eastern Rite Catholic churches, Lent begins two days earlier, on Clean Monday.)
While Ash Wednesday is not a holy day of obligation, all Roman Catholics are encouraged to attend Mass on this day in order to mark the beginning of the Lenten season. READ MORE>>>
Carnival is a festival season. It occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February or March. It typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus and public street party. People often dress up or masquerade during the celebrations.
Carnival is mostly associated with Roman Catholic and, to a lesser extent, Eastern Orthodox Christians; Protestant areas usually do not have carnival celebrations or have modified traditions, like the Danish Carnival. The world's largest carnival celebration is held in Brazil but many countries worldwide have large, popular celebrations, such as Carnival of Venice. READ MORE>>>
Celebrate Mardi Gras in New Orleans Although Mardi Gras is celebrated around the world, no one does it like New Orleans -- the City that Care Forgot!* This site introduces you to the major participants of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, provides updated parade information and parade routes, the truth about our Mardi Gras traditions, the best places to get your Mardi Gras beads, masks, and kingcakes ... and more!
Isang pag-alaala sa 119th ka-arawan ng ating kaba-bayang si Dr. Francisco Santiago (1889 - 1947) ang "Ama ng Kundiman", at narito ang ilan sa mga nai-alay nya sa Musikang Pilipino.
Dr. Francisco Santiago was born in Santa Maria, Bulacan, on January 29, 1889 (one day before my birthday) to musically-minded peasant parents, Felipe Santiago and Maria Santiago. He was the first of their three children. His parents had the same surname but they were not related by blood.
At age seven, he took solfeggio lesssons under an uncle, Matias Magracia, a country violinist, who took him along to haranas or serenades during moonlit nights. But his parents did not like him to be a musician. It was after his father died that he was given open encouragement to study music. He became popular in his hometown as a boy singer in the school and in the church.
After completing his elementary education in the public school, he went to Manila. He was admitted as a houseboy in the Dominican convent and studied piano forte under the famous Dominican music teachers, such as Blas Echegoyen, Faustino Villacorta, and Fray Primo Calzada. With the latter, he studied vocalization, organ playing and the rudiments of compositions. He finished his primary education at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran and left to find employment as a pianist in various stage theatres. He joined orchestra groups while continuing with his college course which he finished at the Liceo de Manila.
In 1908, his first composition, Purita, was dedicated to the first Carnival Queen, Miss Pura Villanueva, who later married the distinguished scholar Teodoro M. Kalaw.
In 1912, he won first prize in musical contest sponsored by Teodoro M. Kalaw. In the same year, he won a first prize in a musical contest entitled Oxipator (Waltz) sponsored by Yangco firm. A year later he made a zarzuela entitled Margaritang Mananahi. In 1914, he was lured to accept a job abroad, directing an orchestra in Shanghai. Upon his return to Manila, he taught piano and became director of the choir at the San Jose Seminary, Manila, 1915-1916.
In September 1916, he was taken in as an instructor while working in the conservatory. He composed what is now the classic Anak ng Dalita. He enrolled at the Conservatory taking courses under Director George and others. In the same year, he fell in love with a young student who was enrolled in voice culture by the name of Concepcion Ocampo. In 1919, he composed a song entitled Ave Maria and dedicated it to her. As he was getting more stable economically, he made a decision to get married. He and Concepcion were wedded at Quiapo Church on April 24, 1920. Their Marriage was blessed with four children, Jose, Ramon, Carmen and Teresita.
He was first to take a post graduate course in music and was the first to give a post graduate recital in piano forte in 1921 at the Conservatory.
The New director (Schofield) of the Conservatory of Music saw that Santiago should have further training abroad. Arrangements were made with University authorities and Santiago left in August 1923 to enroll at the American Conservatory of Music, Chicago, Illinois, where he obtained his Master of Music degree, 1924. He also received a special honorable mention during the commencement exercises for excellence in studies. He was the first Filipino to receive the degree of Doctor of Music from the Chicago Musical College. His graduation piece played at the Kimball Hall was entitled Concerto in B Flat Minor, 1924. The American Conservatory of Music also awarded him the teacher’s Certification in voice culture. Then he participated in an international contest conducted by the Chicago Daily news, and his Remembrance, was awarded third place.
Back in Manila in 1923, he made his debut at the Zorilla theatre on February 5, 1925.
Dr. Santiago returned to the UP conservatory of Music. Dr. Alexander Lippay, the director of the school took notice of his talent and immediately promoted him to assistant professor, making him head of the piano department. He taught advanced composition among other subjects.
He then won first prize in two national contests namely, Himno al Cristo Rey (1928) and Himno del Congreso Eucaristico Nacional (1929) which he considered the greatest moment of his life, more significant than the honor he received in Chicago.
When the UP Board of Regents did not renew Dr. Lippay’s contract, Santiago was named official-in-charge and was later promoted to associate professor of piano and acting director of the Conservatory.
In 1935, he was named full professor and director of the Conservatory of Music.
During the Japanese occupation in 1943, he had a heart attach and suffered from paralysis which incapacitated him.
He was named UP Emeritus Professor of Piano, on May 25, 1946. When the U.P. Conservatory of Music was celebrating its 30th anniversary, the nationalistic musician died of heart attack on September 28, 1947. He was buried at the North Cemetery, Manila.
Ang ilan sa mga awitin ni Dr. Francisco Santiago sa youtube.com ("When clicking or listening to the following songlinks please be sure to use your back button/backspace to go back to this page, maraming salamat po!")
Madaling Araw (chorale version) by Dr. Francisco Santiago
ANG KUNDIMAN(My Kundiman playlist on youtube.com, a collection of Classic Filipino Kundiman (Immortal Filipino Art Songs)by all the great Filipino composers like Dr. Francisco Santiago, Nicanor Abelardo, Constancio de Guzman, J. M. Buencamino and many others.)
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