| When I was in Cambodia in 2011, I was asked by Fr. Totet Banaynal, SJ (the Vicar General of Battambang Diocese) to record some Khmer songs composed for the Catholic Church by Sr. Ath, a missionary nun, and a lay composer whose father was a Filipino. We called the album later "Resting in the Word of God" and shortened to "Resting in God" with a Khmer translation. The concept will be like Arnel Aquino's improvisation on Jesuit Songs in the Philippines. I had no chance to listen to Aquino's CD in the Philippines some years ago but I understood the concept of the project and I accepted it. The music will be used for recollections and retreats. This album is a compilation of improvisations using the melodies of songs used in the Catholic Mass in Khmer. The melodies are so beautiful and inspiring |
is noise or music. Ironically, this music is intended for you to listen to it at first and "not listen" to it later.
The Devil's Pranks
Then one early morning I woke up full of inspiration. I turned on the keyboard, put on the headphone, then... suddenly, somewhere in the neighborhood a loud blast of music coming through my padded ear. I could feel the booming of the bass. It was like the speaker was pointed to my direction as the devil's prank for me. There was a wedding.
In Cambodia, they play loud music the whole day from as early as 4:30 am to as late as 12 midnight on weddings and funerals. A happy music is irritating when played all day. How much more a funeral music? But all the locals seemed to have gotten used to it. Cambodia may not be a place for musicians to live.
In the middle of the project I forgot my list in the church among the songbooks. The devil's prank again because there were many clean sheets of paper around but why my list was chosen and torn to be used as a memo? See the picture.
On another day, the keyboard didn't work. The wire came loose so there was no electricity coming into the instrument. I had to wait for a day to get the other keyboard because the custodian was away. I blamed the devil again for this prank.
I was running out of time. The launching was set on January 27, 2012 and I was going back to the Philippines in the first week of February. I only had a couple of weeks. So, I declined invitations to go on trips. I secluded myself in my room. And it worked. I only went out to eat meals. When there was a wedding or a funeral in the neighborhood, I went to a coffee shop in the market that served good coffee to edit the reverb, balance, etc.
I used to jog before sunset with a Cambodian friend or just hangout with them but I stopped doing it as well. I didn't want to forget the idea while it's still accessible in my brain. Every minute was precious because we wanted to include at least 12 songs. The toughest part is during the editing because I fell asleep in the middle of the music. So, I edited the song by parts. Most of the time, it worked. To get rid of stress, I did Yoga in silence alone below the belfry at about 5pm. I could hear them playing soccer. After that, I took a shower (I adopted the Cambodian habit) and ate dinner. This was an everyday routine for two weeks. When a song seemed done, I would take a walk. Sometimes, a friend would gave me a hand or shoulder massage while we talk about stuffs --- usually about Japan...
I worked with a portable keyboard. I bought a very good headphone. The keyboard was connected to my MacBook Pro through USB and I worked with the Garage Band. I haven't done a serious project before so I had to start familiarizing myself with the software, too. A very challenging job for my age. The keyboard was set on a table. The keys were small and there were only about 4 octaves. My position was not ideal for a long period of work. The back hurt. Sometimes, the pedal wasn't working. The project seemed to be impossible to finish but I took the challenge and did it. Why?
The inspiration and support.
One day my friend Fr. Totet asked me. "Is Cambodia a poor country?" "Yes," I hesitantly replied, "because my definition of poverty is when majority of the people doesn't have easy access to medical care, clean water and other basic necessities." But on the positive side, I saw with my own eyes how human beings can make the best of any situation. Just give them the tools and they can create beautiful and useful things. Sometimes I wonder if poverty is necessary for us to be creative.... Kimchi and natto, two healthy foods in Korea and Japan respectively, were discovered in the moment of poverty. You see, despite the lack of sophisticated equipments I was able to finish my FIRST CD ever. I had Yamaha S90 | synthesizer with 88 keys in Japan, a stereo component and a quiet room... but I never finished a project there. I realized that it is not the equipments that makes us want to create and accomplish something. It is the need and the support from the people around us. I observed how the Cambodian students help each other with their homework and studies. I saw the advanced students tutor the less advanced. All eager to learn with or without a teacher. All eager to take advantage of resources available. Creativity and resourcefulness is rich. The support I got from the people in this Catholic compound was overwhelming. From the design of the CD cover to the preparation of the launch. It was one of my best experience ever in my life. |
Buena ManoA "buena mano" literally means "good hand" in Spanish but in Philippine business it means good luck for the first sale. A few days before the launching some visitors from Germany came. One of them named Doris Oschwald heard the music and asked for a copy. I promised to send her later if she'd give me here address. She insisted to pay in advance. I heard it's good luck so I accepted the money and kept it until now. It's feels so good to make a project for the sole purpose of creativity. This CD may not become a best seller but it surely is a starter for more projects in the future. And I owe this to the wonderful people of Cambodia. |