Philippine Opera Company’s ‘Ang Bagong Harana’ returns onstage

MANILA, Philippines - Due to insistent public demand, Philippine Opera Company’s Ang Bagong Harana returns on stage on Oct. 11 to 20 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati City.

Ang Bagong Harana takes off from the success of Philippine Opera Company’s musical revue “Harana.”

Harana is a Tagalog word that connotes a traditional form of courtship in which a man woos a woman’s affection by singing love songs.

The harana or kundiman became a mainstream musical style with veteran performers, namely Diomedes Maturan and Ruben Tagalog, popularizing it until the late ‘60s. Unfortunately, with the advent of newer music genres, “harana” has been left behind. Today, the young generation may not even know its real essence as far as Filipino folk traditions are concerned because they are more drawn to western influences.

This is the reason why the Philippine Opera Company brings back Ang Bagong Harana.

“We need to remind ourselves of how beautiful our music is and how much our souls can be enriched by hearing these songs sung again,” said Karla Gutierrez, artistic director. “

Ang Bagong Harana was envisioned as a love song to our country.

“We wanted to show everyone that there is so much wealth that modern Filipinos can mine from our traditional and contemporary music. We also wanted to showcase young singers who have committed themselves to classical singing and to our traditional material,” Karla explained.  

 From children’s songs to tribal chants, from planting songs to courtship ditties, from stirring kundiman to the delightful showstoppers by Sylvia La Torre, Ang Bagong Harana will showcase the best of all the Filipino composers from different music genres — Nicanor Abelardo, Ryan Cayabyab, Willy Cruz, Francisco Santiago, Antonio Molina, Resti Umali, George Canseco, Ernani Cuenco, Levi Celerio, Jose Estrella, Constancio de Guzman and Felipe de Leon, to name a few.

“Ang Bagong Harana is a must-see production for every Filipino because it represents the very best that we, the Filipino race, can be. The show is an effective way of communicating our greatness as a nation. This will be a musical treat for foreigners, too!” Karla added.

Ang Bagong Harana will feature Philippine theater’s celebrated singers — Karla Gutierrez, Aizel Prietos, Cris Go, Janine Santos, KL Dizon, Lawrence Jatayna, Michael Odoemene, Nazer Salcedo, Al Gatmaitan, Jurgen Unterberg with the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group.

Directed by Floy Quintos, Ang Bagong Harana will have a limited run on Oct. 12, 18, 19 at 8 p.m. with matinees on Oct. 11 at 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 20.

For tickets, call the Philippine Opera Company at 822-9609, (0917)527-2880, Ticketworld at 891-9999 or follow Philippine Opera Company on Facebook.