Gary Granada Sings for the Baleten-on Community


"Is Gary Granada related to anyone here in Balete?", a friend of mine asked me one afternoon in my office. I just gave him my knowing grin and asked him in turn why the sudden interest. He said that he just came home from a three-day national convention held in Zamboanga City. He admitted that he was surprised to see the town on Balete in a video presentation featuring Gary Granada's Dakilang Maylikha during the opening ceremonies of the convention. He left the Zamboanga International Airport a few hours before the explosion that killed a couple of persons last August 6.

Gary Granada "came" to Balete many years ago with his album, Ang Pagsamba ag Pakikibaka. An SFIC nun "introduced" him to me during a workshop on theater arts for a group of young Baleten-ons at St. Rafael Parish. Since then, I elected to adopt him as a "resident" of my now outmoded Sharp hi-fi stereo. Another friend some years later, upon learning that I love Gary's music gave me his Samu't Saring Gary Granada. And still another good friend gifted me with his Sa Pagitan ng Ngayon at Kailanman album.

When I was learning the logic of Windows Movie Maker 2.6, I made use of the song, Dakilang Maylikha from Gary's Sa Pagitan ng Ngayon at Kailanman, as my material. The backdrops were my collections of photographs from all over Region VI and some artworks of my daughter, Vita. The result of that study is the Dakilang Maylikha Final which made debut during the Regional Search for Excellence in Local Governance by the DILG Region VI as the event's doxology. Later, I got the chance to upload it in YouTube.

It is heartwarming to know that my study has already reached Zamboanga City. Actually, I have a mixed feeling about it. Sis. Dulce who "introduced" me to Gary was herself a victim of another Zamboanga blast. She died instantly when a shrapnel hit her pretty face in Zamboanga Port some years back. She died long ago leaving me with a memory of an idealistic nun who sought to recruit me back into the road less traveled by. She's physically dead but her spirit lives on in my heart--a heart frequently "disturb" by the blast of Gary's socially explosive lyrics and yet soothe by the melodic accompaniment of his guitar.

So is Gary Granada related to anyone here in Balete? Let him give you the answer to that.

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