Why the fuss on Martin?

It’s lamentable that some narrow-minded purists, who are more popish than the Pope, are up in arms over singer Martin Nievera’s rendition of the “Pambansang Awit” before the Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas last weekend.

These purists are thinking of hauling Nievera to Congress for an investigation and threatening to fine and even jail the concert king for his interpretation of the National Anthem. The claim is Nievera, by singing the anthem in a “different” style, violated Section 37, Chapter II of R. A. 8491, which stipulates that “the rendition of the National Anthem, whether played or sung, shall be in accordance with the musical arrangement and composition of Julian Felipe.”

If found guilty of the violation, Nievera could be fined from P5,000 to P20,000 and/or imprisoned for not more than a year, upon the court’s discretion. Officials of the National Historical Institute are pushing to stuff a stocking in Nievera’s mouth as if he committed some earth-shaking crime.

Before throwing stones at Nievera, here are some questions to answer. Did Nievera desecrate the sanctity of the anthem? Did he make fun of it? Did he change the lyrics? Did he radically alter the “sound” of the anthem so that it became unrecognizable from the original? Did he irreverently sing the “Pambansang Awit” like some trashy tune?

If the purists have nothing better to do than to ring the alarm bells just so the public will know they exist, they should just shut up – instead of Nievera who did the country proud by singing a stirring rendition that drew a smile from Pacquiao himself in the dressing room, loud applause from the Filipino crowd in the stadium and a thumbs-up from ringside spectators Jack Nicholson and Mark Wahlberg.

You wonder if the US has a similar law “protecting” the Star Spangled Banner. I suspect there is but I haven’t heard a single US lawmaker challenging the rockers, jazz artists and rappers who’ve sung the American anthem in their own unique style during sporting events. I remember before one Pacquiao fight recently, an American singer was so irreverent that she held on to the top rope in the ring and stood like she was crooning in a bar lounge while mumbling the Star Spangled Banner. I don’t recall anyone screaming foul because there is such a thing as freedom of expression.

The late Jimi Hendrix even cut an album track where he played a noisy rock version of the Star Spangled Banner.

But of course, the Philippines isn’t the US.

Nievera spent over a month rehearsing how to sing the anthem. He even sang it during a recent Robinson’s Manila mall launch of his latest album, “For Always.” His rendition was on YouTube over a week before the fight – and there was no reaction from the National Historical Institute.

Nievera even emailed versions of his rendition to several people so he could get comments on how to improve his delivery. His whole idea was to sing it proudly within the atmosphere of a boxing event where national pride was on the line. Can anyone fault him for that?

The day after the fight, Nievera got a text from Pacquiao’s wife Jinkee thanking him for his appearance and congratulating him for his delivery. Last Monday, Nievera flew from Las Vegas to Los Angeles to be with Pacquiao in his victory party where they both sang “Kahit Isang Saglit” a capella in front of the GMA-7 cameras.

By far, Nievera’s delivery was the best yet for a Pacquiao fight. No one comes close.

Nievera said a few weeks before the fight, he heard a rumor that Lea Salonga had volunteered to sing the anthem and she would do the honors instead.

“Manny asked me to sing the anthem two months before but I told him if he wanted to ask somebody else to do it, I would back off and even assist whomever would sing in any way I could,” said Nievera. “But Manny phoned and told me I was his choice and that was that. I was even willing to do a duet if somebody else wanted to sing. I didn’t want to be a problem for anyone.”

Nievera said in the ring, all he wanted to do was to show his pride as a Filipino. His earpiece and belt showed the Philippine flag. He wore a Francis Magalona-designed “Three Stars and a Sun” shirt. Even his idol, Welsh star Tom Jones who sang “God Save The Queen,” shook Nievera’s hand as if to say good job. Before Jones’ turn came, he blew on a key pipe to make sure he was in tune – he was that nervous.

Instead of castigating Nievera, he should be commended for rallying all Filipinos behind the flag in an inspiring display of unity. The “Pambansang Awit” isn’t a funeral song. It’s a marching anthem that’s supposed to instil pride in every Filipino’s heart. I think Nievera achieved that purpose.

To put the controversy in perspective, Nievera sent this text yesterday:

“I can’t apologize for giving my all for my country. I can say the word ‘sorry’ but it would not mean the same thing. It would mean a hundred different things but it would not mean what ‘sorry’ means. But I can say it if it means to make things better.

“Even if the money value is not ridiculously steep to stay out of jail, I feel I owe the generations of artists that follow me their right to sing a song their song the way they feel it should be sung in order to move and inspire even if it means a little jail time. I mean if someone they call concert king can compromise then what will the future hold for tomorrow’s concert kings and queens?