Music is in his heart

What do Maalaala Mo Kaya (MMK), Marina, Kampanerang Kuba, Oki Doki Doc, Star Drama Theater Presents and Pinoy Big Brother have in common? The answer is their musical direction and scoring is by Pipo Cifra.

Add to the list of these ABS-CBN shows are Sa Sandaling Kailangan Mo Ako, Nagmamahal Pa Rin Sa Iyo and Wowowee Docu-Drama Series.

He has been doing the music of MMK for eight years now.

Pipo Cifra’s medley of classical and Latin tunes brought the house down in the recent Sampung mga Daliri atbp, an annual production of the University of Sto. Tomas Conservatory of Music where he earned his Bachelor of Music, Major in Piano and Composition. It was performed by the UST Opera Chorus and played on 10 pianos by selected fellow alumni.

The composer and arranger is also musical director and scorer of Lovespell, also an ABS-CBN weekly youth-oriented show.

Cifra first made a mark as composer when he won the AWIT Award for Best Theme Song Recording of the Year for Movie, TV and Stage for Nagkataon, Nagkatagpo. The song was used for the movie of the same title that starred Maricel Soriano and Rudy Fernandez.

His song If I had a Choice won in the pre-en banc judging in the Metropop Song Festival in 1998. In 2001, his Ikembot Mo won in the semi-finals.

In 1995, his Floodgates won the Grand Prix in the Yamaha National Electone Festival held at the PICC and became the Philippines’ entry to the Asia-Oceania Yamaha Electone Festival in Sydney, Australia.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines Chorale, one of the company choirs he directed, won the Grand Prize in the Inter-Governmental Agency Choral Competition in 1997.

This led to other choirs wanting him to be their musical director/conductor. They are The St. Luke’s Heart Institute Chorale, National Food Authority Chorale and many others.

Cifra was musical director of Repertory Philippines’ musicals like Beauty and the Beast, Wizard of Oz, The Emperor’s New Clothes, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinnochio, Scrooge and FAME.

He is happy to have been commissioned to do the music and be the musical director of O Moises, a semi-musical play by librettist Vincent Tañada on the monumental achievements of the great Biblical character.

O Moises boasts of a powerhouse cast of 40 professional actors led by Star in a Million finalist Francis Ong who plays the title role.

Presented by Dulaang Bedista Alumni Foundation of San Beda College, showdates are today and on March 4, 10 and 11 at 9 and 11:30 a.m. and at 2 p.m. at the Fleur de Lis Auditorium of St. Paul University on Pedro Gil St., Manila. Tickets are available at the gate.