Congratulations PNE!!!
FEATURE: Filipino choir wows crowd in California
By Jun Medina Special Correspondent
EL CERRITO, California: A visiting Filipino choir from Saudi Arabia wowed a diverse Bay Area audience at the Saint John the Baptist Church here on Monday night with a delightfully varied repertoire of Pinoy folk and love songs, Gospel music and pop hits.
The benefit concert featured the Prime Note Ensemble (PNE), an all-male, a cappella group, and the first overseas Filipino workers’ (OFWs) choir ever to perform in the United States.
The 23-man choral group serenaded an enthusiastic crowd with such immortal songs as “Maala-ala Mo Kaya,” “Eres Tu,” “Nessum Dorma,” and “Only You.”
“This is one of the best performances by a Filipino choir, and I loved it,” said Vicky Pearson, a Filipino-American who drove 45 miles with her friends from Palo Alto to attend the three-hour concert.
Pearson, a homemaker and part-time dressmaker, said the concert showed the “the richness and beauty” of Filipino music.
“Having a choir like this sing those songs is really a great, memorable treat for everyone, especially for the Pinoys,” she said.
Pinoy standards
The predominantly Filipino audience sang and danced when PNE belted out Pinoy ditties like “Paru-Parong Bukid,” “Manila, Manila,” Ewan,” Pag-Uwi” and “Bumangon Ka, Bayan Ko.”
There was instant rapport between choir and audience, which gave the Filipino singers eight or nine standing ovations.
“Great music from an excellent choir,” commented Nicholas von Wettberg, managing editor of the Bay Area’s Fil-Am Star, a leading San Francisco community newspaper catering to ethnic Filipinos.
Von Wettberg, who is married to a Filipina, said he liked “Paru-Parong Bukid” and the Apo Society’s hit “Ewan,” even if he does not understand the lyrics.
Besides the popular Filipino songs, the choir’s song selection also includes other chorale favorites like “Circle of Life,” “The Warrior Is a Child,” “Season of Love,” and the unforgettable The Platters’ song “Only You.”
The choir drew even more cheers when it sang Michael Jackson’s hit song “Man in the Mirror,” which choirmaster Novem Cabios said was the group’s way of paying tribute the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, who died a few days ago.
“It’s an honor and a great pleasure for us to be able to perform before such an appreciative audience,” said Novem Cabios, PNE’s choirmaster and musical arranger.
Filipino talent
Sharing center stage with PNE were local Filipino American performers Pilipino Culture Night (PCN), a cultural group composed of students from the nearby University of California at Berkeley; teenage singer Arianna Tolentino and violinist TJ Simbulan.
The University of California Berkeley’s PCN showcased a Filipino folk dance and song number.
Fifteen-year-old voice student Arianna Tolentino showed tremendous potential as she regaled the audience with powerful renditions of “Listen” and “I Believe.”
Bay Area violinist TJ Simbulan captured the hearts of the audience with a medley of Tagalog classics. Jose Maria “JM” Mercado of Korus-leine Productions, who put together the concert with his wife Marizel, ably accompanied Sim-bulan on the piano.
Mercado said proceeds from the goodwill concert would benefit Philippine charities like ABS-CBN Bantay Bata, Adopt a Hometown School Program, and Missionaries of Charities.
The 23-member choir participated at the Second California International Choral Festival and Competition, which was held from June 25 to 28 in San Luis Obispo.
Off to Europe
The first OFW choir to perform in America, the PNE is scheduled to leave this week to join two international competitions in Europe.
“We are delighted that the PNE is one of the few Filipino choirs that were able to get invited at the C.A. Seghizzi, one of the most prestigious of all choral competitions as it a prelude to the European Grand Prix in choral festival,” said PNE founder Medard Obida of Tayabas Quezon.
Obida said the choir is also entered in the Festival International de Musica de Cantonigros in Cataluna, Spain in July.
Since its formation in October 2001, the choir has been quite active in the eastern provinces of Saudi Arabia and even in the Philippines, but it was not until July 2006 that PNE entered an international competition —the World Choir Games in China.
Competing against more than 200 choirs from around the world, PNE won a gold diploma and a bronze medal for its performance in the Male Chamber Category, the first OFW choir in the Middle East and possibly in the world to win in a global competition.
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The Prime Note Ensemble has established itself as the 1st Filipino a cappella choir in Saudi Arabia, which was founded by Medard U. Obida in October 2001. Members enjoy the opportunity to rehearse & perform under the professional tutelage of its choirmaster and resident arranger Novem G. Cabios.
PNE performs throughout the eastern province of Saudi Arabia and had the opportunity of competing internationally. Concerts are held twice a year to entertain through choral music appreciation, funds from which enables the choir to support individuals and charities in the Philippines such as ABS-CBN’s Bantay Bata 163 (a Child Watch helpline) and Adopt a Hometown School program, among others.
In July 2006, the choir made significant milestones in its brief history:
It has de-facto represented its host country, Saudi Arabia in the 4th
World Choir Games held in Xiamen, China, joining more than 200 choirs from around the world.
They have practically put Saudi Arabia in the World Choir Games map, bringing home a gold diploma & a bronze medal for their performance in the Male Chamber Choir category.
They now own the distinction as the 1st OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) choir in Saudi Arabia (and possibly the world) to have joined and secured a place in an International competition.
