Finding out what makes the Filipino Tenors tick

We have yet to meet a group of young artists as different in temperament yet as devoted to their love for music as The Filipino Tenors.

From the first days of our introduction to this group, to the discovery of its shortcomings as well as positive values, one thing remains — the paramount importance of classical music in their lives. A few years later, when vocal mentors had changed, the initial composition of the group having changed as well, through good times and bad times, we have come to believe The Filipino Tenors will remain, to pursue their dream, against all odds.

Dulce performing for her new ‘children’

Their beginnings, as in all beginnings, was not very pleasant. It was a getting to know you phase, the honeymoon period characterized by “make or break.” Our insight into this was through our friend Miguel Castro, the kuya, with his own insecurities. Miguel was not trained classically in the Conservatory of Music like others who went through the UST Conservatory, Namcya, De La Salle Chorale, Madrigals and Church choir ministry. Sure, Miguel took voice lessons from the best mentors like Lionel Guico, Pablo Molina, and currently Randy Gilongo, and was part of the Philippine Opera Company Harana, but Miguel was basically a theater actor, until an opening in a UP musical introduced him to music and he was stuck. From that time, we felt him constantly trying to prove to himself that he could be a classical singer.

Last year, the group had already settled on five regular members plus a couple on-call in case of emergency. The regulars who had been given tags are David Ezra Cruz, the Broadway Tenor who has participated in Repertory and other theatrical productions; Johann Enriquez, the Pop Tenor, whose background from grandfather to father has been in orchestral to choral singing; Christian Nagano, the Classical Tenor who was scholar of George Yang’s Klassikal Music Foundation and soloist of UST Orchestra; and Genmai de Asis, the Crossover Tenor, a NAMCYA awardee, Lasallian Cultural awardee for the arts, and a gospel singer and conductor. There was also Richard Supat introduced as the Sixth Tenor, involved is church choir ministries, one of those often on-call. Then, there is Miguel the Kundiman Tenor and leader of the pack.

Having invested in some arrangements and a four-song CD sampler, The Tenors ventured into making themselves heard and known through guestings. An important break for them was meeting Gerry de Leon, composer of various competitions like the UP Alumni Association Hymn Contest with his winning piece My UP, the Gawad Ka Amado V. Hernandez award for Isang Kundiman and the UST songwriting competition for Ako’y isang Tomasino. Gerry liked them enough to give them all his compositions to use as they wished.

A standing ovation for The Filipino Tenors with Dulce during the finale number

It was time therefore, to take a bold step — produce their own show. Filipino Tenors FINALLY in Concert was a risk but if they didn’t believe in themselves, no one would. At the last minute, an important sponsor backed out which was to go into payment for orchestral accompaniment. But with bad news comes good news. The incomparable Dulce, mother of the Tenor David, came to the rescue. She would be a guest, not only in one number but in several, and she would sell tickets to all her friends. At show time, the word was out that the show was sold out and in the end was the standing ovation.

It was a dream come true. Friends they had made along the way came over. Bo Cerrudo, Sherwin Sozon, Susie Bugante of the SSS, artist and  interior designer Tito Estrada, and best of all composer Gerry de Leon who was beside himself with pleasure at the Italian translation given his song Nanay.

The performance itself was not without defects. “The music is too loud,” complained the couple behind us, “We can’t hear the singers.”  The girls in front wanted more legroom. There were other complaints yet no one walked out.  We, ourselves, thinking into next year would want the Tenors to be more adventurous.  We are looking into classical rock among the songs; choreography and dancers; more OPM numbers; more comfortable but chic costuming; some classical numbers the youth could identify with, etc. etc.

Acknowledgments are due Arlene Villoso of Rotary, Janet Yap of Manila Hotel, Richard Reynoso of UNTV, the International Baptist Church Manila, and the special guests who participated in the Broadway medley — Hadasa, Ina Salonga, and Marie Anne Dominese.

There are now requests for repeats, invitations to this and that show, but Miguel doesn’t want to be overly excited. At the moment, he tells us, the only show that is confirmed is one in Sydney, Australia on July 20 and 21, and in Melbourne on July 27. It only means that The Filipino Tenors will be very busy in the coming months.

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