“AND the thing about jazz, through all the business involved in practicing and improvement, it’s always sweet: the improvement that you notice in the ability to express yourself, the feeling of playing, pushing yourself out into an open space through a sound, man. That’s an unbelievable feeling, an uplifting feeling of joy to be able to express the range of what you feel and see, have felt and have seen. A lot of this has nothing to do with you. It comes from another time, another space. To be able to channel those things and then project them though an instrument, that’s something that brings unbelievable joy.” — Wynton Marsalis, To a Young Jazz Musician: Letters from the Road
I write about democracy in music, hoping we may be inspired on what it takes to be hearts at peace, with joy to share, for everyone.
I first heard Charito at the 5th LA Phil-Jazz in Dec. 2009 at the Catalina Bar and Jazz in Los Angeles, CA. Dubbed as “ #1 Filipina jazz singer in Japan, she has numerous albums launched to outstanding critical praise,” LA Phil-Jazz wrote then.
She had just finished recording w ith the legendary Frenchman Michel LeGrand, an Academy award winning composer of “Yentl” and “The Thomas Crown Affair.” I was impressed, as she stood out levels above the artists she collaborated with.
Charito’s distinctive style is soulful, sultry and expressive. She has a broad vocal range. Her lyrics were sung with a depth of feelings, that it moved the audience, including me. She was “at home” on stage and “owned” her audience, respecting them, as well as respecting her craft.
The second time we met was in 2014 in Tokyo, Japan — a bold move to seek out her company, a kababayan in a foreign country, whom I have only seen onstage.
Expecting to just exchange pleasantries over coffee, Charito instead welcomed me with open arms, as if family, and included a tour of her Tokyo studio. A stop at the Apple store near a Tokyo subway station became lunch over Italian food, a visit to a nearby Catholic Church, urban gardens, a mall, capped by an Easter vigil mass, preceded by an entire parish holding lit candles in abject darkness. The church overflowed with Japanese, Caucasians and Filipinos families in their best Sunday’s attire.
Charito sang with the church choir. And then her solo. She sang “Go Down Moses (Let My People Go),” getting us to recall the African American spirituals of an era, which sang of desiring their freedom.
One could feel her embodying both Louis Armstrong and Paul Robeson in her mighty, commanding voice. It captured both the solemn and the triumphant moments of having new Catholics baptized. Who would have expected a meet and greet of a jazz artist can turn into sacred?
The Voice in Tokyo, Japan
“The Voice” is a two decades-old firm, which gives voice lessons to Tokyo students. The founder/CEO is Suyama Rosario Vergara, whose stage name is Charito. Like Wynton Marsalis, she offers critical feedback to her students and conveys the joy of being a jazz musician at various world stages.
As we approach the building’s directory, “The Voice” struck me as I have been watching the Philippine version of “The Voice” on TFC. It got me thinking that a very dedicated artist must have stuck to her craft, no matter the highs and lows.
Buildings and landscapes in the cities remind you of Japanese design, artistry and creativity. A big picture window greets you inside Charito’s studio. It beckons you to sit at the rosewood bench nearby, and as you look down, you catch a glimpse of the tourists hurriedly walking and crossing busy Tokyo streets.
Inside, the CDs are on display on the book shelves: Charito with Manhattan Jazz Orchestra, Non-Stop to Brazil – Charito meets with Ivan Lins, Charito Heal the World, Watch What Happens – Charito meets Michel Legrand.
The computer and the keyboard were on the west wall, and posters of past gigs hang on the wall: Tokyo-Manila Jazz and Arts Festival – 2013, 2015; Charito with Al Molina Quartet in Brisbane; A Christmas Gift 2014 in Tokyo with Christmas Gift Jazz Band; Autumn in Paris: a jazz evening with Charito; Jazz with Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters’ 2005.
One immediately gets a sense that she creates momentum, she gets invited to various locales around the world and she makes things happen.
Warm, gregarious and joyful, Charito shared about life in Tokyo: fast, always on the go, but with balance from being in the countryside, with greenery, flowers, rivers and oceans.
For love of jazz in California
The evening’s tone was set by Tateng Katindig, when he played his original composition,
Lullaby for Ella, that he composed for his daughter, Ella. The piece was complex, layers of ascending sounds and lamenting, in other verses. It captured a father’s sentiment of a deep love for his daughter, and one that at times leaves a parent breathless, much like complexities of the keys he played.
Mon David sang “Little Sunflower,” written by great trumpet musician, Freddie Hubbard with words by Leon Thomas, and with some of his additional words, “…may your fathers and mothers, your guardians guide you as you evolve and grow to be caring and compassionate citizens of the world…” and from his song rendition , one could feel a father’s deep love for his daughters: “beauty beyond compare, of rainbows in your hair, little sunflower.”
Mon sang, “Kapag ikaw ay nanlalambot, kumain ka ng balot. (If you are getting weak, eat some balut.) As the audience loosened up, he then belts out, “Going along, life is the song,” and he shares his wisdom, “the learning brings you pain.”
Charito joined in, after a generous introduction from Mon David, “an international recording star with a unique style,” and one that has certainly made and designed her own place in the sun. One senses a high level of respect towards her.
Charito responded with grace and generosity, “I am happiest to see my brothers, my music family.”
She shared her life, that for so many years, she has recorded CDs, and her LA days of recording with the legendary Harvey Mason, a very precise, masterful drummer, hired by A-list musicians: Barbra Streisand, Herbie Hancock, John Legend.
She has been to Siberia, France, Germany, Switzerland, USA and of course, Manila and Tokyo where she has organized Manila-Tokyo Jazz Festival since 2012 to today.
“We kinda feel it,” she said of the musical chords and gave a tribute to Michael Jackson.
Music became wildfire jazz
When she spoke of music being in her body, in her heart, the music of Charito and Mon became wildfire jazz.
“ I can’t help it, “ she said, and a witty comeback of phrases, “Key ko or Key mo?” referring to her key or his key in music? Taking advantage of a talented French bassist, David Lefrey who stole the limelight with his prowess, they sang My one and Only Love.
It captured your heart, taking you back to that moment in your past, when you fell in love with your “forever” love.
I wrote my exclamatory notes, while listening to both masterful artists: “Soulful Singing at its Best!” while listening to screams of bravos.
And then, Charito said, “We gotta leave them with a bang!” They sang The Caravan and one gets the sense that the mark of masterful music is that B flat is not Flat at all!
I got to chat with Monchat Almario (a jazz aficionado since the 1970s of Kalesa Bar and Tavern on the Green), and who is a big fan of Tateng Katindig and Ner de Leon. He gave them both a perfect 10 out of 10!
Ner de Leon took us to new heights of his sax playing and he too gave us inspiring music.
But to me, the duet of Mon David and Charito, took me to new heights of appreciating what jazz can be, a freedom space, but also a creative space for improvisation and when it works, it becomes wildfire jazz!
A very capable emcee for that evening, Gabriel Mijares, gave us enriching breathers to appreciate all the A-list band members: Tateng Katindig on the pianos, David Anderson on the drums, Ner de Leon on the saxophone, and David Le vray on the bass.
I realized at night’s end, that the best of best jazz talents were offered to us.
Jazz that night became an unbelievable and unspeakable joy! These musicians teach us many lessons about democracy. That democracy is about making spaces for all to be, for all to sing their own songs, unmuted voices and aligned souls which compose and design their own lives, respecting all.
When we do that, we arrive at unspeakable joy in our lives, as Charito sang, but perhaps as Mon David sang, we must first live our lives and by living it, we come across pain, go through it, and that experience makes us democratic and kind, not just to ourselves, but to others!
Thank you Wynton Marsalis, but also my profound gratitude to “4 the Love of Jazz” organizers for giving us the best of jazz talents that evening!
May we become democratic and kind this coming Nov. 8, 2016!
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Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz, J.D. writes a weekly column for Asian Journal, called “Rhizomes.” She has been writing for AJ Press for 9 years now. She contributes to Balikbayan Magazine. Her training and experiences are in 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, Japan, Mexico and 22 national parks in the US, in pursuit of her love for arts.