JOEY AYALA | 5 ways to be authentic

Joey Ayala speaks about his favorite ethnic instruments at TEDxDiliman. (Elisa Aquino/InterAksyon)

Joey Ayala did not only propose a new way of singing the national anthem during TEDxDiliman, a conference on “ideas that matter” held on October 13 at the College of Economics in the University of the Philippines Diliman.

He mostly spoke about “music and authenticity”, two of the things he was most passionate about. The legendary artist was at ease, making the audience crack up with his wit.

Ayala was born to artistic parents who loved books and music in Bukidnon. He was an active, imaginative child who had no formal music training, but was influenced by “a broad range of sound”, including his parents’ music collection and “the usual mass media” coming from Hollywood.

He did a lot of “escapist and heavy” reading, as well.

Early on, he wanted to become like Carlos Santana, but eventually decided to become “a sensitive songwriter”, instead.

After Martial Law was declared, he went back to Mindanao, where ideas of “nationalism, freedom, and cultural authenticity” were big. He was writing songs in English, but when he joined an activist theater group, he began to write in Filipino for the audience.

For his first performance, he did a “green” song, and was made to report for two weeks to the disciplinary office. His confidence on stage was only bolstered, however, and later on his group would do a rock opera “based on Bagobo myth and legend”.

It was then that he was introduced to the agong. His reaction? “Wow, pare…. Why wasn’t this on the radio?”

“This was the first instrument that made me vibrate in a way that other instruments did not,” he said. He promised to include it in his repertoire.

He also came across the kubing or jaw harp, and the hegalong, a string instrument. He could not immediately figure out how to use the latter. Rather, it came to him in a dream, where a woman was dancing to its tune. He woke up, sweating, and began to play the hegalong.

Every chance he got he would “meet people from traditional cultures” to learn how to use the instruments as they were meant to be used.

Here are five lessons they taught him on how to be authentic.

1. “Mabuhay ka, magpalakas ka, magpayaman ka.”

To contribute something to society, one has to be alive, prosper, and survive.

2. “Speak your mind gracefully.”

Ayala recalled meeting a girl from the highlands whom he thought was singing to him. In fact, she was simply saying that she wanted to go to the lowlands to study, but no one else would take care of her parents.

3. “Look good.”

He was about to take a photo of a woman in the fields, but before he could click, she motioned for him to stop. She went into her house and emerged, wearing traditional dress. He was finally allowed to take a photo.

4. “Embrace change.”

Ayala was showing his ethnic instrument to a friend, personalized and modernized so a cable could be attached and the sound could be amplified.

His friend said he wanted to do the same to his instrument, but “the cultural office” would not allow him to do so because it would no longer be “authentic”. The technical improvement would have allowed him to dance while playing his instrument, and to be heard more clearly.

5. “Form follows function.”

Ayala was once asked to play the hegalong before people from different ethnolinguistic groups. Ever the rock star, he played his heart out.

When he put down the instrument, they looked at him expectantly. “Puro ka lang daw introduction, walang kwento,” the interpreter said to him.

He realized that it was important that one said something. “Hindi lang porma nang porma.” In the end, said Ayala, authenticity was about leaving a mark.

“Mag-iwan ka ng bakas sa ginagawa mo. And soon people will say, ‘Yun o, ‘yun ang authentic’.”

JOEY AYALA | 5 ways to be authentic

Source: InterAksyon.com (November 17, 2013 at 11:10AM)

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