Ang Kiri’s lead role, Nathasia Garrucha as Sesang. Photography by Jojit Lorenzo

At first I was like, “Ok, another racket for me.” However, things are not always what they seem.

On January 25, exactly a month before the first showdate, came the first meeting with “Ang Kiri” director Dexter Santos and dramaturgist (google it boy!) Patrick Valera. I was expecting a couple of old “Mabesa-like” guys in the meeting. But I was surprised to see two young artists, probably just my age group (yes young pa po ako! haha) and I was caught off guard. From that point on, my usual stereotypes of theatre music arranging was erased. I was actually expecting that I will be asked to arrange the “old fashioned” way. Oh you know, a guitar here, some skin drums, and some 2-3 part singing, usual Pinoy theatre music style. But when Dexter told me that we are reinventing the sarsuela for the younger generation, I was totally into it!

That thought alone (and an acceptable budget, hehe!) was enough to drive me into a frenzy of non-stop arranging and composing for “Ang Kiri”. As soon as I finished my 1st arrangement days after the meeting, I immediately sent it first to Dexter so he can check if the style is ok. And when he liked it, I worked everyday with the goal of finishing one arrangement a day until I finish all 20+ arrangements. I was absolutely under pressure because the choreography, chorus and lead singers will all have to wait for my arrangements before they could start rehearsing. And so I did not blink at all!

A couple of weeks later, having finished more than half of the arrangement, I decided to drop by at the rehearsal for the first time. And after spending weeks like a hermit in my room just arranging for Kiri, I finally felt connected to the production for the first time. I met the cast and crew, and made new friends along the way.

When I saw the choreography, blocking and pacing of the whole show I felt selfish! I realized I didn’t give much of myself in my arrangements, the music I made suddenly sounded raw and bare so I decided to enhance every piece and made it sound richer and more vibrant later on. Just another racket? Not anymore! I said to myself, “This is now art.”

As the show date came closer, I attended rehearsals more and more, even if I really had no essential reason to be there. I want to feel the whole show as it grew bigger and better. And soon enough, after only 3 weeks of rehearsals, “Ang Kiri” was ready for public viewing. Even my band, Makiling, became involved with the show as live musicians. And the final result? Three showdates of a fully-packed 2,200+ seater UP Theater and a standing ovation during Day’s 1 and 3.

I’ve done arrangements for other musical plays before, but I never got involved beyond my job description as the music arranger. “Ang Kiri” is the first musical stage production I arranged that I really feel I belong to, and not just some hired arranger. And I’m very proud of it.

Thank you to everyone who worked with “Ang Kiri” and thank you very much for making me a part of the Dulaang UP family. Thank you Dexter and Patrick for giving me this great opportunity to express my music, thanks Mara for being the missing link that brought me on the fray, thanks to my bandmates for being part of the show, thanks to the chorus boys and girls who really gave a lot of effort to sing especially sa “recording artists” na nag-tiyaga sa init ng kwarto ko Nat, Cindy, Jeddan and Paj, thanks Camille for bringing me the essential materials right at my doorstep, sa “Haunted Piano” brigade, sa Volleyball Club’s Team Diwa at Team Dexter, at sa lahat ng cast and crew. Mabuhay kayong lahat!

The reason why I haven’t blogged about my “Legend of Zelda” Youtube video is that because I let the other sites blog about it first. Now if you’re new in my site or new to the internet then I request that you please watch my video. I worked hard for it! Watch it after the jump!

There you go! Thanks for watching and visiting my blog! See you all next post!

Anyway, you can watch my video interview and see more pics of Saffi after the jump!

There you go! Hope you liked this post! Buy Playboy Magazine Philippines and support Filipino entertainment!

Read all about it after the jump!

I finally started a name in the local music industry when I was commissioned to compose and arrange the opening music for GMA 7’s Survivor Philippines. This is also the year when I penetrated the local film industry with my original music for the movie “Kolorete” directed by Ruelo Lozendo and produced by ABS CBN’s Cinema One Originals. This same film garnered me the Best Music Score award during the Cinema One Awards.

This is also the year when my band Makiling launched its 3rd album, after 5 years from the second album. It’s been a great year!

In the gaming world, my gaming achievements and contributions for the Philippine Ragnarok Online community has finally been recognized, and for this I’ve been awarded the title of Game Hero by Philippine Ragnarok Online publisher Level Up Games which put my face among other “Game Heroes” on a public billboard ad.

I also entered the realm of film and animation when my friend Edwin and I joined 2 competitions namely the Pringles U Pop and the Level Up Film Festival 2008 where we won 2nd place for our entry called “Hindi Ako Botter“.

In the realm of cosplay, my group The Frost Jokers won twice this year. One was during the Lineage II Asian Launch Cosplay Contest and the second one was at the Level Up Live 2008 Cosplay Competition. In both competitions, we won as the Best Group Cosplay. I also won my first individual cosplay competition when I got the Best Videogame Cosplay award during the Toy Convention 2008.

Aside from that, I got numerous interviews and features about on various websites, radio and televisions guestings too.

Whew! If that wasn’t enough my blog www.masterdiwa.com, was nominated as a finalist for the Philippine Blog Awards for a special gaming category.

Now, I’m ready for 2009! Bring it on!

2008 By the Numbers

Music Awards & Recognitions
1
Cosplay Awards & Recognitions
3
Gaming Awards & Recognitions
1

Animation Awards & Recognitions
1

Compositions and Arrangements Made on 2008
400+

Major Music Projects
50+

Gigs with Makiling
150+

I’d like to wish all my readers and visitors a very Merry Christmas and a great New Year! Thank you for always supporting my blog.

Photo courtesy of ABS CBN and Philippine Entertainment Portal

Source

The Cinema One Originals 2008 jurors are bestowing the Best Music Award to Diwa De Leon of Kolorete.

Cinema One Originals, a project of Cinema One Channel is an annual festival of original films.According to this year’s jury composed of Mr. Lito Zuleta, director Brilliante Mendoza, professor Gigi Alfonso, actress Eugene Domingo, and director Jeffrey Jeturian, it aims to foster the creative ferment in Philippine independent filmmaking by hosting a competition of original movies. Because of questions raised about the authorship of the score of Alon, the festival may have been compromised. As such, the jurors of Cinema One Originals 2008 feel constrained to withdraw the Best Music award from Alon and award it instead to the one which garnered the second highest number of votes in the original balloting.

Diwa De Leon of the film Kolorete composed and arranged most of the scoring in the film with lyrics written by Zyan Caina.

Diwa de Leon is a Composition Major who graduated from the UP College of Music and has been composing and arranging for 12 years now. He comes from a family of composers and musicians , the son of Professor Felipe de Leon. The late National Artist for Music Felipe Padilla de Leon is his grandfather.

Alon will immediately be re-scored for its future screenings.

If it wasn’t for the vigilance of the jury, I wouldn’t have gotten this award, so thank you very much to the members of the jury!

I have compiled the articles written about my awarding. Here they are in no particular order:

Cinema One Originals recalls Best Music Award from “Alon”
“Kolorete” receives Best Music Award instead of “Alon”
Gamers also real-world achievers
Ragnarok Player and Game Hero Bags Best Musical Score Award
Master Diwa Wins Best Musical Score in Cinema One Awards
Kolorete: An Actor’s Review

Also don’t forget to watch my mini-concert and live chat on December 17, 3pm at the Level Up Christmas Live Blog, I will be playing a new set of videogame tunes and Christmas songs on my violin.

From left: Monet Gaston (Yanggaw), Diwa de Leon, actress and Cinema One Jury member Eugene Domingo, and Leon Gaston (Yanggaw) during the Cinema One Awards at ABS CBN (Nov. 28, 2008). Photo by Dwight Gaston.

I never expected today to be an extraordinary day for me. I was only supposed to deliver my band’s new album to the major newspapers to be reviewed. While on my way to Philippine Star’s office, I received an unusual phone call. It was from Mr. Ronald Arguelles himself, also known as the head of ABS CBN’s Cinema One Originals Productions. He asked me if I could drop by today at ABS CBN’s office, and I said yes. I had no clue what for, I thought it was only for a press release interview about the recently concluded Cinema One Originals (COO) screening.

Me with the cast and crew of Kolorete.

I made the original music score for the film “Kolorete”, (produced by COO) which gained two major awards, and several nominations including “Best Musical Score“. During the grand awards ceremonies held at Dolphy Theater of ABS CBN, (Nov. 28, 2008) the “Best Musical Score” award went to the movie “Alon”, another COO production. “Kolorete” is my first ever full-length film original soundtrack.

However, there was a recent development. It was discovered (read: may nagsumbong), that the movie “Alon” didn’t use original music. The music they used in the film was actually existing copyrighted music by international composer/producer Brian Eno, used without permission. Upon discovering this, COO revoked the award and granted it to the second highest jury choice for “Best Musical Score”, and that is Diwa de Leon (ME!) for the movie “Kolorete”.

Being interviewed by ABS CBN about Kolorete.

When I arrived at ABS CBN, I was very clueless on what was about to happen. There was Ronald, holding a trophy and a piece of paper. The paper was actually an official statement from Cinema One itself. Long story short, all it said was that the previously announced winner was disqualified from the award, and is instead given to me. He handed me the trophy and asked me to say a few words. And it all happened on camera.

Now, if you have the Cinema One Cable TV Channel, you’d know that they have been airing the Cinema One awards ceremonies over and over for the past week, and they’ve been showing the award giving and speech of the previous awardee for Best Music Score (Alon). Now, they will replace it with the video we took at ABS CBN, they will now be showing me accepting the award!

Now don’t get me wrong, I have no bitter feelings towards anyone and I’m not bad mouthing the award giving body. I just want to state the facts that happened today. Mistakes happen to everyone. I’m only endlessly thankful for this recognition, albeit late.

With that said, I would like to thank all the people who ensured my path to music was indeed the right choice I made. Thanks to my father, Felipe de Leon Jr., who has always been my guide, critic, consultant, and adviser all-in one, thanks of course to “Kolorete’s” director Ruel Lozendo who gave me the chance and opportunity, and of course sa bandmates ko sa Makiling, and all the cast and crew of “Kolorete”.

Salamat sa inyo! Ngayon I can now call myself an “award-winning composer” *cough cough* and probably charge more from future clients*cough cough*! Hahaha!

Related Sites
Listen to my compositions from “Kolorete”
Cinema One Official Site
Cinema One on Wikipedia

Manny Pacquiao wins by technical knockout (TKO). De la Hoya concedes saying Manny Pacquiao was “too fast I could not stop him”. After 8 rounds, the American decided to call it quits after suffering bruises and cuts in his face and being unable to fend of most of Pacquiao’s blows.