PHL Embassy in Madrid organizes 'Concierto Rizalino'

The Philippine Embassy and the Knights of Rizal Madrid Chapter organized in Spain a "Concierto Rizalino" in honor of the 150th birth anniversary of Philippine national hero Dr. Jose Rizal. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the Rizal-themed concert was held on June 22 at the Museo Nacional de Antroplogia. "The concert featured musical arrangements of works written by Rizal such as Mi Ultimo Adios, Canto Patríotico de Maria Clara, Alinmang Lahi, and other Original Pilipino Music (OPM) penned by Filipino lyricists and composers such as Levi Celerio, Lucio San Pedro, Nicanor Abelardo, and Constancio De Guzman," the DFA said in a news release. Original Pilipino Music (OPM) songs like "Maalala mo Kaya" and "Sa Ugoy ng Duyan" were sung by classically trained opera singer Manila Adap Mariano and baritone Enrique Lim Resma. Piano pieces by Mariano Aguilar and arrangements for piano inspired by Filipino music such as Tarantela and Humoresk were rendered by Isabel San Martin Diazbedia and Laurence Aliganga Agomaa. San Martin and Agomaa are students of the Conservatorio Profesional de Arturo Soria de Madrid and Real Conservatorio Superior de Musica de Madrid respectively. Ramona Sun Lopez, a retired piano professor from the Conservatory of Music of the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, and the Tahanan Choir and Rondalla also participated in the "Concierto Rizalino," the DFA said. - VVP, GMA News