Gary Granada's Lean, A Filipino Musical.

Gary Granada's CDs of his Rizal and Lean were filed side by side the store's rack at UP Shopping when we bought them a couple of years ago. We just had to get them both. After Barangay Ginebra and his other light Pinoy klasiks, we wanted to know how Gary executed both meaningful lives in musical terms. Our musical ears say he did not martyr them a second time around.

Lean is pure Granada (no pun intended) - libretto and music.

Since we were a citizen of the Diliman Republic, we can relate to Iskolar nf Bayan and Gary's take on UP Naming Mahal. As a First Quarter Stormer, we can jam with the chorus in Makibaka, Huwag Matakot. And because we kept on returning to the university since the early 80s, we saw how the tibaks (kabataang aktibista) like Lean Alejandro steadfastly fought the Marcos dictatorship.

We get tired of romantic infomercial anthems about hindi ka nag-iisa or may bagong umagang darating being aired endlessly it seems these days, and we may need to jar our senses, musical or political, once in a while with songs from the 2-CD Lean album, which is download-free from Gary Granada's webpage http://www.garygranada.com/Lean,%20A%20Filipino%20Musical.zip (25 songs, MP3, 94MB). Lyrics are printable too for the sing-along.

Dito Lang sa Pilipinas (Talumpati 'lang' si Lean. Ang kampanya ng kalaban bonggang bongga) followed by Tuloy ang Laban come at the closing part of the musical. This is about elections past and present. As we sing through the lyrics, we know nothing has changed. For Eleksyon 2010, the paskuhan and grand fiesta has began --

"CROWD: Dito dito lang ... dito dito lang sa Pilipinas ...

"LEAN: Dapat seryosohin na natin ang eleksyon / Dapat nang baguhin talamak na tradisyon

"NOLI: Ang kapangyarihan ng mga mamamayan / Isulong sa maayos at malinis na halalan

"JOJO: Di mo ba alam na ang halalan ay pista / Ang mahalaga ay mabusog at magsaya / Di mo ba alam na ang halalan ay pasko / Gusto lang nilang makatanggap ng aginaldo

"CROWD: Dito dito lang ... dito dito lang sa Pilipinas ...

"Vote buying, flying voters, dagdag-bawas, ballot box snatching, murder.

"KA TANNY: Ang mabuting asal kanilang binaluktot

"MR. TIM: Di ka ba natutuwa sa ating mga kababayan / Sa tuwing halalan ay mahilig magbigayan

"LEAN: Salot ng lipunan ay dapat na mabunyag / Isyu ng mamamayan ang dapat mahayag

"MR. TIM: Di ka ba natutuwa, demokrasya ay buhay / At nakakaboto pa pati ang mga patay

"CROWD: Dito dito lang ... dito dito lang sa Pilipinas ...

"Iproproklama ng Comelec and kalaban.

"JOJO: Gaya ng malaon na nating nakagawian / Mabuhay ang nanalong atin nang inaasahan

"MR. TIM: Sakaling abusuhin lang nila ang pamumuno / Aba'y dapat lang sa ating nagpadaya't nagpagoyo

"Magrereklamo ang grupo ni Lean pero wala ring mangyayari.

"MR. TIM: Ito ay payo lang sa inyong talunan / Ba't di na lang paghandaan ang susunod na halalan / Habang may panahon, habang maaga pa / Kayo ay mag-ipon, mag-imbak na ng pera

"CROWD: Dito dito lang ...dito dito lang sa Pilipinas ...

"MGA NANALO: Next time uli! Yehey!"

Leandro L. Alejandro was assassinated in 1987, a year after EDSA I; he was 27 years old. The musical was staged 10 years after his untimely death (hence the 10th Anniversary Edition label in the album jacket). The CD was re-issued in 1997 during the 20th death anniversary.

The musical's closing lines:

"LEAN: Sa pananalig sa sambayanan / Bawat balakid ay iigpawan / Tanikala ay kakalagin
"CAST: At kasaysayan ay lilikhain."

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Gary Granada's thank you album (50th Anniv album) is called Basurero ng Luneta (10 songs, zipped at 35MB) downloadable at http://www.garygranada.com/Basurero%20ng%20Luneta/Basurero%20ng%20Luneta.zip. He says he's retiring to pursue a new career path, so this may the last we'll sing new songs for us.
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Musical 'Sino ka ba Jose Rizal' - Gary Granada Version

We were rummaging through our audio CD collection the other day. Out popped two double-disc Gary Granada albums, this one on Jose Rizal and the other on Lean Alejandro.

'Sino Ka Ba Jose Rizal' was a commissioned work with the original libretto by Nonoy Gallardo, but Granada's music was not the one used when it was staged more than 10 years ago by Music Theatre Philippines. Gallardo composed the music for that production, which had Ogie Alcasid as JP Rizal.

We were not able to see that staging, but we've watched YouTube videos of some of the songs like Di Na Nakapagpaalam and Ultimo Adios.

We like Granada's melody for those two songs--in fact, for the whole libretto--a bit folksy and pop, warm and light, thus easy to remember and hum or sing. There's humor too like in Que Bobo Bobo, a take on the hero's big head when he was a kid, and plenty of sentimental expressions such as in Anong Uring Pagsinta and Anong Uring Kalayaan?

For those who'd like to check what we're saying here, this version is downloadable for free from the composer's website http://www.garygranada.com/Rizal/Rizal,%20A%20Musical.htm (all in all 36 songs, MP3, 97MB). The lyrics can also be printed out for the sing-along.

"May I," wrote Gary Granada, "dedicate this little work to a town called Maco [Davao del Sur in Compostela Valley] where I was born and raised (though not vertically) not through formal piano lessons (for I have yet to learn how to read music) but on affirmations from family, friends and teachers in a joyous community. There, for six months, I worked on the songs of this musical as a commissioned professional, but what truly sustained my spirit was the very same candid folksy affection of a lively people in a small place with a big river and a bigger heart that can only be Maco, ever my home."

Beautiful musical rendition of Rizal's life here, and as we sing in chorus with Bayang Barrios, Noel Cabangon, Lani Misalucha, and Gary Granada himself, it would be nice to ponder, in the context of our present political time and clime, sino ka nga ba, Jose Rizal, sa aming mga Pinoy?

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Note: Gary has reached 50. From his webpage, he says it's time for him to retire from his musical career. He is offering a good-bye gift--a free downloadable album of 2009 compositions from his webpage http://www.garygranada.com/. His Barangay Ginebra will always be part of Pinoy pop music history!

He is married to a townmate Susan Fernandez. Needless to say, he is always welcome to San Narciso, Zambales during his break from his new career. A few years ago, Timpuyog Zambales brought him went there once for an environmental concert with Bayang Barrios.
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