[random] Sinta! and the Filipinization of The Fantasticks
Try to remember the kind of September
When life was slow and oh, so mellow.
Try to remember the kind of September
When grass was green and grain was yellow.
Try to remember the kind of September
When you were a tender and callow fellow.
Try to remember, and if you remember,
Then follow...
Theater aficionados may recognize the following lyrics as the opening lines for The Fantasticks, the longest-running off-Broadway play. But I'm hard-pressed to find the actual Filipino lyrics to this musical online. Believe it or not, there is an actual Filipino version of this play--titled "Sinta!"--performed by Dulaang Sibol of the ADMU High School under Dr. Onofre "Mr. Pagsi" Pagsanghan.
One may think that it's a literal Filipino translation...but not exactly. Translation from one language to another is hard, setting translated songs to the same melody is harder. The genius of this opus is the way Mr. Pagsi adapted the heart of the songs and gave them a distinct Filipino flavor--from the language to the music (guitars and a flute), down to the idiosyncracies of the characters and dialogue. And what makes this musical win is the sheer simplicity of the storyline, and how it subtly veils a deeper, profound truth about life and love--a straightforward approach as opposed to the high-drama and scandal of soap operas nowadays.
Here's a list of the available songs/video of Sinta! online:
Nais Ko (I Want) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFAMndCLZCo
Kabataan (Youth) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj1fhod1P0s
Dinggin (Listen) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJIMiV5DdUc
They are local equivalents of the following The Fantasticks songs:
Much More - http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/thefantasticks/muchmore.htm
Never Say No - http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/thefantasticks/neversayno.htm
Soon It's Gonna Rain - http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/thefantasticks/soonitsgonnarain.htm
My personal favorite is "Dinggin"--literally, "listen" (as opposed to "hear", which implies passivity)--which corresponds to "Soon It's Gonna Rain". When I've the time, I'll badger some people to send me a copy of the libretto so I can post the song here.
To the local people in my f-list, please watch "Sinta!" next February. I assure you, you won't regret watching this simple gem of a play!
When life was slow and oh, so mellow.
Try to remember the kind of September
When grass was green and grain was yellow.
Try to remember the kind of September
When you were a tender and callow fellow.
Try to remember, and if you remember,
Then follow...
Theater aficionados may recognize the following lyrics as the opening lines for The Fantasticks, the longest-running off-Broadway play. But I'm hard-pressed to find the actual Filipino lyrics to this musical online. Believe it or not, there is an actual Filipino version of this play--titled "Sinta!"--performed by Dulaang Sibol of the ADMU High School under Dr. Onofre "Mr. Pagsi" Pagsanghan.
One may think that it's a literal Filipino translation...but not exactly. Translation from one language to another is hard, setting translated songs to the same melody is harder. The genius of this opus is the way Mr. Pagsi adapted the heart of the songs and gave them a distinct Filipino flavor--from the language to the music (guitars and a flute), down to the idiosyncracies of the characters and dialogue. And what makes this musical win is the sheer simplicity of the storyline, and how it subtly veils a deeper, profound truth about life and love--a straightforward approach as opposed to the high-drama and scandal of soap operas nowadays.
Here's a list of the available songs/video of Sinta! online:
Nais Ko (I Want) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFAMndCLZCo
Kabataan (Youth) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj1fhod1P0s
Dinggin (Listen) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJIMiV5DdUc
They are local equivalents of the following The Fantasticks songs:
Much More - http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/thefantasticks/muchmore.htm
Never Say No - http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/thefantasticks/neversayno.htm
Soon It's Gonna Rain - http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/thefantasticks/soonitsgonnarain.htm
My personal favorite is "Dinggin"--literally, "listen" (as opposed to "hear", which implies passivity)--which corresponds to "Soon It's Gonna Rain". When I've the time, I'll badger some people to send me a copy of the libretto so I can post the song here.
To the local people in my f-list, please watch "Sinta!" next February. I assure you, you won't regret watching this simple gem of a play!