“IT is refreshing to see other Filipinos succeed. It fills my soul with inexplicable joy. Very inspiring life stories. More power to your endeavors. Let us spur on each other to excellence and influence the next generation.” — Dodjie Simon
For as long as I can remember, Filipinos and Filipino Americans have aspired to unite as a community. They have sought it in many fronts: politics, community organizing, identity movements, solidarity movements, faith activities, political campaigns, educational reforms, neighborhood organizing, and now, arts in the form of concerts, cultural festivals, theater, beauty pageants and more.
In these art endeavors, a synergy — a life link of concentric circles of support — overlaps. At times, it feels overwhelming, but with each endeavor, a collective high is felt at the finish line, when folks achieve their goals: a successful concert, a sold-out event, even a Ramona Haar book launch on jewelry, partnered with a fundraiser for Feed2Succeed Fund.
Art has become a catalyst, a magnet for attracting multiple generations, as in this weekend’s Festival for Philippine Arts and Culture (FPAC), an initiative started by hundred artists and leaders 23 years ago, on May 14, 1992, to showcase our cultural arts and heritage.
This year, with new leadership, Acting Executive Director Winston Emano, the intergenerational, inclusive beat tunes are back and we hope an overflowing crowd will be watching talented Filipino Americans onstage, the likes of Matthew John Ignacio, Tateng Katindig, Joan Almedilla, Hip-Hop dance groups, Philippine Chamber Singers, Louise Marie Cornillez, Kayamanan ng Lahi, Odessa Kane and Pakaruguian Kulintang Ensemble with Malaya at El Pueblo de Los Angeles in downtown L.A.
Courage to pursue one’s dreams
It took a dinner in New York, hosted by Dodjie Simon, Elisa (his wife) and Grace (his daughter), for Los Angeles-based and Florida-based artists to share generously about their artistic roots and passions.
Dodjie Simon was 14 years old when his family was torn apart. He found his own therapy in writing songs, and music became his friend. He describes his life as both blessed with fire and rain — fire in the form of challenges as he lived with his grandparents and was raised by a single mom with three kids. He grew up to be the “father” to his sister, mentoring and guiding her in school and job interviews. Rain came in the form of being blessed to be sent to a premier school, UP Diliman where he graduated with a Bachelors of Science in industrial engineering. “The most beautiful sound from a bird is when he is in pain,” which sustained him while creating more music: “Ikaw Lamang,” “Can Find No Reason,” and “Kung Alam mo Lang.” Some of the notables he wrote for: Martin Nievera, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Louie Heredia, Gary Valenciano, Lani Misalucha and more. To date, about 30 to 40 recordings have been made of his songs. Some are still unrecorded and waiting to be published in the American market.
Ben and Abbey Lelina are a father and daughter in New York. Abbey had just completed a job interview and was awaiting the results. She is currently doing marketing for an accounting firm and is a singer. Her father is an art aficionado, having acquired a discerning eye for artists’ work, from accompanying his friends from Manila in their visits to New York’s art jaunts, museums, galleries and exhibits.
Mary Anne Tomaneng is an accountant. She completed her Bachelors of Science in accountancy and minor in finance at Cal State University, Northridge. Years back, she put on a production/fashion show. Of late, she has assisted in the book launching of Ramona Haar and various beauty pageants, working alongside her friend, Rodrigo Alcover. She also has a passion for the arts and stays connected by helping out friends in their artistic pursuits.
Ramona Haar did an exhibit on goldsmiths at the Philippine Consulate in New York in 20 11. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in psychology at Mindanao State University, and has long been interested in promoting the lost art of goldsmithing in the Philippines, using filigree and the finer art of granulations, similar to the Etruscan way of making jewelry. She spoke about the recent discovery of gold from a shipwreck in Surigao, in 1987, with intricately designed gold belts, 1 to 2 are on display at the Asia Society Museum, on loan from the Ayala Museum. Widowed, with time on her hands, she took a gemology degree. Now, she is the commissioned artist for the Miss Earth Crown and more recently, another commissioned work from the Multi-Verse, a woman reality show in Europe. She launched her jewelry book at a fundraiser with Feed2Succeed Fund in Los Angeles and Halloween Eve, at the Philippine Consulate in New York, well-supported by alumni of Mindanao State University.
Hydee Ursolino Abrahan won a poster contest with her drawing and became the school paper’s photographer in high school. She graduated with a degree in fisheries, on a full scholarship at UP Iloilo. She found work in the field of statistics for a Japanese firm. She knew she could be more and immigrated to the United States, where she learned how to make jewelry and the intricacies of wire wrapping. When asked to take photographs of the jewelry for the store’s website, Hydee knew she found her art. She worked for a magazine and became their graphic designer. Hydee is the most sought-after portrait photographer for commercial shoots, weddings, special events, theater plays, and pageants. She recently completed a multi-year project of photographing jewelry and doing the graphic design and layout for Ramona Haar’s jewelry book.
(This writer wrote the biography on Ramona Haar)
Rod Alcover, a graduate of hotel, restaurant and management at Lourdes College and Center for Culinary Arts, dabbled in pastry art. He found work at Holland America, but found the job of washing dishes too difficult to sustain him. When offered to do a makeup job, he quickly said, “I can do it.” Though he had no experience, his bold self-confidence came from doing charcoal painting as a child. Fast forward to today, Rod is one of the most sought-after makeup artists, for public figures, beauty queens, actresses for the Golden Globes, Grammy’s, beauty pageants and weddings. He obtained makeup training at Glammin Makeup School in Orange County. As a hobby, he has fashioned costumes worn by beauty contestants to pageants and his last creation won the best costume award for the 2nd Bb. Pilipinas-USA pageant 2014.
Much like the musical, Allegiance, where Lea Salonga sang “Stronger Than Before,” all these accidental artists became stronger, as they put more time, energy and attention into their artistic pursuits and collaborate on projects that make them happy. They make for interesting folks as their passions speak to their wholeness as human beings: creative, highly engaged and fun to be with.
It was a culturally enriching evening — and one of the most memorable evenings of my life. No wonder it is said, humans need each other for their common humanity. But at that dinner, it was to be a spark plug connector so art carries on, as a legacy of our presence here in the United States.
Art — while the hobby and the side activity we turn to while making a living — can be the main character onstage for making our lives so much more livable, alive, vibrant with the magic and allure of the city lights and loving new friends who embraced us as if long-term members of one’s family.
“Our humanity connects us to one another regardless of national origin, creed and political affiliations. And the arts, music…jazz can help in achieving that beautiful human connection,” Mon David once said.
But more importantly, “a man is defined by what he leaves behind, by what he gives back,” Dodjie Simon noted.
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Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz, J.D. writes a weekly column for Asian Journal, called “Rhizomes.” She has been writing for Asian Journal Press for 8 years now. She contributes to Balikbayan Magazine. Her training and experiences are in the field of science, food technology, law and community volunteerism for 4 decades. She holds a B.S. degree from the University of the Philippines, a law degree from Whittier College School of Law in California and a certificate on 21st Century Leadership from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She has been a participant in NVM Writing Workshops taught by Prof. Peter Bacho for 4 years and Prof. Russell Leong. She has travelled to France, Holland, Belgium and Mexico and 22 national parks in the US, in pursuit of her love for arts.