Advisories & News
Press Release
HARANA, Virtual Musical Concert Celebrating Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa and Honoring Frontline Workers
2020-08-28
PR-46-2020
25 August 2020, Toronto, Ontario – Sentro Rizal Toronto of the Philippine Consulate General staged a virtual musical concert dubbed HARANA, featuring Ms. Renee Fajardo, a Filipino mezzo soprano currently studying at the University of Toronto Opera, and Mr. Ron Michael Adea, a gifted and talented pianist named Ambassador for the Geneva Centre for Autism 2010 International Symposium. The pre-recorded virtual concert celebrating Philippine music was streamed beginning at 8:00 pm of 21 August 2020 and will be available for viewing until 31 August 2020, via the Philippine Consulate General Toronto’s official website and Facebook page. The virtual concert is one of the series of events organized by Sentro Rizal Toronto to continue celebrating Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa and to show appreciation for all frontline workers, especially our kababayans, for their selfless service during these unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The virtual activity is also one avenue for Sentro Rizal Toronto to continue promoting and celebrating Philippine culture, arts, and language to mainstream Canadian society, as well as appreciating Philippine talents, despite the restrictions in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his remarks done in Filipino, Consul General Castro mentioned that Harana (Serenade), a means by which one expresses feelings for a loved one, is an important part of Philippine culture. He again thanked the Filipino and other frontliners for their selfless dedicated service during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also offered the concert to Philippine Ambassador to Canada, the Honorable Petronila P. Garcia, as appreciation for her commitment and dedicated service to the Philippine government and the Filipino community in Canada.
Right photos: Photos introducing Harana, the virtual musical concert. (PCG Toronto photos)
To date, Harana has already 4,000 views, 2,190 engagements, 129 likes, 131 comments and 79 shares. It has reached 7,175 people through sharing of the video and the announcement, so it is expected that there will be more views until the end of its screening on 31 August 2020.
One of the featured artists, Filipino Mezzo-soprano Renee Fajardo was born and raised in Manila, Philippines. She graduated with First Class honours from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2019, with further support from the National Commission of Culture and the Arts of the Philippines. Her operatic roles include Marcellina in Le Nozze di Figaro (U of T Opera), Donna Anna in Don Jo (Grimeborn Opera Festival), Public Opinion in Orpheus in the Underworld (Guildhall School of Music and Drama), The Assistant in The Tsar wants his Photo Taken (UCL Performance Lab) and Fanny Price in the Canadian premiere of Jonathan Dove’s Mansfield Park (U of T Opera). She has also performed as a soloist across the Philippines, UK, France, Austria, Greece, and Switzerland and is a recent member of the Nathaniel Dett Chorale. She is also a mentor for the recently-launched independent opera collective, Opera InReach.
Renee serenaded the frontline workers with the kundiman songs (traditional Filipino art songs) Sa Kabukiran by composer Manuel Velez and Kundiman ng Luha by Nicanor Abelardo. Her third song, Awit ni Sisa, was taken from Kanser: The Musical and showed some excerpts from the actual musical play. Kanser: The Musical is the longest-running straight play in Philippine theater history, based on the classic novel of Dr. Jose Rizal, Noli Me Tangere. The musical play is an original production of Gantimpala Theatre Foundation, with libretto by Jomar Fleras, music by Jed Balsamo and direction by Frannie Zamora. Renee’s last song was a prayer for frontline workers, the Ave Maria by Filipino musician and composer Francisco Santiago, sometimes called The Father of Kundiman Art Song.
Ron Michael Adea, the other featured artist, is a gifted twenty-seven-year-old pianist who was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder when he was three (3) years old. Ron manifested his love for music at the early age of 5 and learned to play the piano by himself at age 7. Then he was taken in by a renowned piano tutor, adjudicator, and performer, Ms. Eileen Keown. In November 2010, Ron was named Ambassador for the Geneva Center for Autism Symposium in Toronto and performed the following year for the Centre’s Gala Night and Auction at the Royal Conservatory of Music. He shows his appreciation for all his blessings and achievements by volunteering in the community. He plays for their local church choir, as well as the VIVA Retirement Home in Mississauga and the Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, among others, entertaining residents and symposium attendees, respectively.
Ron played two (2) Filipinos songs, Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal by renowned composer Ernani Cuenco and lyricist Levi Celerio, and Ako’y Isang Pinoy by composer Florante. He also dedicated his rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone, from the Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Musical Carousel, to the frontline workers. He also did a brilliant rendition of the pieces Fantasie Impromptu by Chopin and Kiss the Rain by Yiruma, a South Korean pianist and composer.
The last part of the concert was a message from Ms. Maria Rosario Quinto, President of the Integrated Filipino Canadian Nurses Association. She thanked Post for spearheading the virtual musical concert dedicated to the frontline workers. She also thanked all the people who showed appreciation, love, and care, and continue to support the frontline and essential workers during the pandemic.
Ms. Maria Rosario Quinto (top left photo), President of the Integrated Filipino Canadian Nurses Association, thanked Consul General Orontes V. Castro for the wonderful musical concert, Harana, dedicated to the frontline workers, which is a great source of inspiration and encouragement. The frontline workers, Filipinos and of other nationalities, who perform their duties beyond what is expected of them, to be able to save lives. END