Music, lyrics, and history

published 22 Dec 2008, MST

I was born almost four years after the declaration of martial law. I was in Grade One when Ninoy Aquino was gunned down at the tarmac of the airport which was later named after him. I was celebrating my tenth birthday party as Edsa 1 was happening on the streets and inspiring the world. Needless to say, I knew nothing firsthand of those tumultuous times in history when the people raged against Marcos’ dictatorship and oppressive ways. All I knew, then and now, I gathered from books I read, programs I watched or adults who talked about those days.

And so I was hyped when I got an invitation last month, first to lunch with author and musician Mrs. Bing Pimentel (she had written a book called “True Love Within Our Reach,” a collection of short autobiographical essays), and then to the gala performance of Cory the Musical (she had written the music). I had heard that the musical would feature, among others, Aquino’s strength as wife and mother at the time of her husband’s long incarceration up to his death.

Mrs. Pimentel first had the idea of writing the musical when she heard that former President Aquino had been diagnosed with cancer of the colon earlier this year. She felt for her and wanted to give her something to show her love and support. But the Senate Minority Floor Leader’s wife had a problem: “What do you give to somebody who already has everything?

Then it dawned on her that she could use her music to express her feelings. After all, she was an accomplished songwriter, having staged musicals through her Buhay Isang Awit Foundation. Aquino had even seen some of these productions and had liked them. And so Mrs. Pimentel proceeded to write the music; she teamed up with Nestor Torre who wrote the lyrics and directed the show. Finally, she called up Ballsy Aquino to tell her about the project and asked when the family wanted to read the script, for clearance.

But the Aquinos wanted to be surprised.

**

Isay Alvarez played Cory; Sherwin Sozon played Ninoy. Robert Seña was Ferdinand Marcos and Pinky Marquez was Imelda. Moving the story forward as narrators and onlookers were actors led by Lou Veloso and Tommy Abuel. The pedigree the members of the cast – and their performances that evening -- complemented the rich material that was the Aquinos’ story. Seña’s character was particularly irritating (I suppose this made him effective) and Alvarez was able to capture the transformation of Cory from the shy sheltered young woman who eventually found herself thrust into the presidency.

We know about Martial Law and Ninoy’s imprisonment but we don’t know, for instance, that Cory hated public speaking and nearly froze when she had to speak on behalf of her husband. Still, because she loved him, and knew this was important to him, she overcame her feelings. One can imagine the agony she – and the many family members of those who were likewise imprisoned—went through, not knowing when, or if, she would ever see her Ninoy again. She managed this agony raising her children on her own.

There were scenes set in the United States in the years prior to the former senator’s assassination. One instantly knows they were the happiest years, and Cory reveled in their being “normal.” But she, too, knew it could not last for very long, because her husband was made of different stuff. Thus the main theme appeared to be resignation – and not the kind embraced by losers. Cory appeared to go along with the turn of events (destiny, some might choose to think of it) -- her husband’s role in Philippine politics, his death, and her eventual presidency -- and simply tried to cope with them as best as she could. There lies her virtue.

There was one scene when her character was beholding her just-slain husband at the center of the stage. I imagined how Mrs. Aquino, many rows in front of me at the theater, must have felt. Did she remember how she felt? Did she lose her husband anew? It must be weird to watch your own life – bliss and fear and grief and all of it-- being played out before your eyes.

During the curtain call, Alvarez approached the former President and directed the applause to her. By then everybody was already standing up, partly in honor of Mrs. Aquino and partly, perhaps, in his desire to gauge whether the former president liked the “surprise.” Though I was hardly up close, I could tell she was happy with it.

Of course, history depends on who is telling the story and which story teller one chooses to listen to. To be sure, the years after Edsa 1 and her actual presidency were beset with a whole new kind of challenge for Mrs. Aquino. The musical does not cover these anymore. But however complicated things may have turned out after the so-called honeymoon period, post- Edsa 1, what is undeniable is that Cory Aquino was a unifying figure in her time.

The tribute is only fitting.