Farewell to Ambassador Gilles Chouraqui

Exactly two weeks ago, the Pinikpikan brotherhood tendered a despedida dinner, concert and percussion jam for His Excellency, outgoing Ambassador Gilles Chouraqui of France, at the residence of premier sculptor Agnes Arellano.

I missed the start of the three-part rites, which featured opening numbers from ethnic/soul diva Grace Nono and her soulmate, the pioneering jazz/fusion artist, composer and producer Bob Aves.

I was supposed to read a poem as part of the ceremony for the much-beloved Ambassador, but since I dragged in late, no way could it be considered that Aves & Nono had conducted a front act for my own mini-gig. So I just settled down happily with the audience on the mat-strewn lawn facing a Japanese teahouse, the wooden terrace of which served as a makeshift stage for the musical tribute by the Pinikpikan.

The honoree certainly desrved the hommage. Ambassador Chouraqui will long be remembered for having enhanced the cultural ties between Paris and Manila no end. In the nearly four years that the gentleman- intellectual has served here, he has done so with utter graciousness and with much appeciation for all the creative talents that make up for our political, ideological, and administrative autism.

What most local music-lovers will recall is how the good Ambassador initiated "French Spring in Manila," coinciding with the European midsummer fest in June, and which celebrated music and theater with an influx of French performers scheduled at various venues, as well as the organization of local groups that played music in streetcorners and MRT stations all over Metro Manila.

I still marvel, for instance, at the memory of the six-man French troupe of double-bassists who wowed an elegant crowd at the Mandarin Hotel ballroom with their audacious musical and physical romancing of their quaint if bulky instruments.

That night last year, I recall enjoying the company of National Artist for Literature Frankie Sionil Jose and his wife Tessie around the same table. Some weeks later Frankie received the Chevalier Order of Merit or something, which effectively brought me to my knees at the Ambassador’s residence in North Forbes. How else may one hail an eminent writer who’s just been knighted?

I’m only sorry I couldn’t show up at Frankie’s own despedida for the Ambassador last week at Solidaridad Bookstore.

Gilles Chouraqui also proved very supportive of the efforts of Filipino musical stylists, such as the Pinikpikan. While he may not have officially jammed along with the group as had Spanish Ambassador Delfin Colomé at the launch of its first album, Gilles did go onstage at the RCBC Theater for last year’s launch of the second album, "Atas." He was the guest of honor that night. And often did I run into Pinikpikan band members at the frequent cocktails or sit-down dinners at his residence.

I understand that the Ambassador, who will be sorely missed, is assuming a new posting at Strasbourg as France’s permanent representative

Farewell, Ambassador Gilles Chouraqui, and thank you for everything you’ve done for Filipino artists and performers.

At the same party, a break in the musical offerings gave me a chance to get an update on Pinikpikan’s progress in the music charts.

Impresario Billy Bonnevie proudly showed off an e-mailed communication from someone in Germany who had discovered that the CD album "Atas" had landed in the Top 20 in the European world music charts, according to the Africa-Iwalewa’s Readers’ Charts. It entered the Internet list of musical favorites in Europe last November, landing in the No.12 slot, then zoomed to No. 5 in December before slackening off somewhat to occupy 18th place in January..

The write-up in the Africa-Iwalewa webpage, which may be accessed at http://www.weltmusik.de/iwalewa/ charts, goes in part:

"The band Pinikpikan derives its name from a chicken dish and is not really a band in the sense of the word, but rather a collaboration of amateurs and professionals who get together here and there, in different places in the Philippines, made up of 7,000 islands, to exchange and fuse musical ideas.

"What results is more than worth listening to. Elements of traditional music, played on the two-stringed lute called kiglong, different sounds of bamboo instruments, like the tungatong, and the metal gongs called kulintang blend with the unrestrained sounds of the rock guitar of mastermind Sammy Asuncion, who took up the spirit of the Pinikpikan movement and is its musical director.

"Atas (Mission)" won five awards last year from the composers’ group Katha: best song, best instrumental, best world performance, best world song, and best album of the year.

Congratulations to all the revolving slash evolving band members. The honor should also warm the hearts of its most avid supporters. Apart from Billy, these would include Agnes, who has regularly lent her living museum of a residential compound as the band’s home base, Boy Yuchengco, Mrs. Paz Yuchengco, and Ambassador Gilles Chouraqui himself.

Perhaps Strasbourg can host a jump-off gig for Pinikpikan in case it decides to launch a European tour. I’m sure the group will also prove an attraction before Fil-Am communities and their American friends from San Francisco to New York.

Speaking of Filipino music and its relations with the outside world, that party also gave me a chance to get acquainted with jazz percussionist Richie Quirino, who’s readying a coffee-table book that’s also likely to hit the top of the charts.

The son of the eminent historian Carlos Quirino, National Artist for Historical Literature, Richie conceived "Pinoyjazz: The History of Jazz in the Philippines." He wrote a couple of chapters and collected others contributed by distinguished jazz writers. Now he’s collaborating with designer Ige Ramos to turn the book into a valuable collection as well of vintage and other photographs of Filipino jazz artists down the decades.

The Foreword is penned by the great Filipino jazz musician Lito Molina, while the Introduction is provided by another jazz great, Angel Peña.

The chapters include: "A Taste of Honey: The American Era in the Philippines (1898-1946) by Quirino; "After the Second World War & Into the 50s & 60s" by Ramon Guevara; "Early 70s to the Late 80s" by Johnny Alegre; "The Late 80s, 90s, the Y2K and Beyond" by Binky Lampano; "Pinoyjazz Humor and Live Performance Reviews" by Rene Villarta; and "One-on-One Interviews with Pinoyjazz Musicians" by Quirino.

"The Pinoyjazz Photo Vault," a chapter in itself, should prove a gravy of a come-on for this commendable, upcoming addition to Filipiniana.