How about a Cebu City Orchestra?

A high school classmate of mine, named Nobo Bono Jr., (the spelling was changed to Novo when he joined the show business back in the early 70's) used to entertain discriminating audiences on board luxurious cruise ships. His voice may not approximate the three-octave range of John Gary's, but he is a great singer. I can say that without fear of contradiction.

I also say that with a little bit of envy and sadness in my heart. Junior, (that is how his close friends call him), and many other Cebuano artists spent years performing for international crowds. Many of them are still entertaining peoples in foreign lands. There are Cebuano bands in five-star hotels in the Asian continent and according to a nephew who just came home from work abroad, there are Cebuano musicians doing better than their foreign counterparts in the entertainment centers in Europe. Yes, it is sad to say that we do not see them perform before us. We are, in a manner of speaking, deprived of the pleasure foreigners take from our local artists.

In Nobo's foreign engagements, he has had the pleasure and privilege of having Filipino musicians to accompany him. He is very proud of them. To my classmate, the Cebuano members of the band that backed his crooning are of exceptional talents who would even spend hours trying to perfect their art. Not only that, he too, noticed that the Cebuano members of foreign bands are better performers. 

Our new Cebu City mayor, the Honorable Michael Rama, also interspersed his campaign speeches during the last political season with vocal renditions. He continues to do so. Each time he has the opportunity, he grabs the microphone and sings his way to his audience's heart.He may not sing like Nobo or my favorite John Gary, but I am aware that his voice is not bad either.

It is good to realize that our mayor, like great rulers of the past, is musically inclined. In all probability, he acknowledges that music, being the language of the soul, can be useful in his earnest pursuit to make our city better than the one Congressman Tomas Osmeña left. And I hope that while Mayor Rama sits in office as our chief city executive, the enhancement of our culture takes its rightful place in the administrative vision.

We need a band or an orchestra and vocal artists. Let the new administration of Hon. Rama organize it. They are a necessary as the workers in the mayor's office or the engineers in the DPS and to they must be appropriately salaried. Their job description can be so written as to promote our culture. For example, they will be tasked to go deep into our historic past and retrieve from wherever archives the songs that were composed by our great talents and bring them to fore.

There are many official functions where our city leaders play hosts. With an orchestra organized, we do not have to pay professionals anymore. Our band and singers can fill the air of these functions with the music written by our own talents while masters of ceremonies tell the audience that such and such song was written by such and such Cebuano composer.

During these occasions, we will know more than just acknowledge that Ben Zubiri, Iyo Karpo to the stage fans in his lifetime, composed Matud Nila. And who would better render it than a Cebuano, not necessarily Pilita Corrales. Perhaps, we will learn the virtuoso who wrote Kasadya, that immortal Christmas that Tagalogs want to claim as written by their own.

There are many cultural angles to organizing the Cebu City Orchestra. What is more important now is a focus on the part of the new mayor to materialize this project. Who knows, he can sing some Cebuano songs while entertaining the hierarchy from Kaohsiong the next time they are?