September songs

Who would not be enticed to hit the dance floor once the Earth, Wind and Fire’s song “September” is being played?  There might even be pandemonium crowd on the dance floor to get to the beat of this classic song.  Whenever it is heard on speaker or earphones, it speaks about memories.  We all want to remember pleasant memories, that is why this song has found its way into our hearts and across generation.

Jeff Peretz, area head of Musicianship at Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, New York University, shared his reflection from this song, “like memories that are familiar yet change every time, we cannot hold them, but find a joy revisiting them nonetheless.”  Popularized in 1978 the song has been made available in different music platforms that continue to reverberate up to this time, like in Spotify with over 384 million plays in 2018, YouTube with 226 million views in 2017 and other modern music platform.  No longer in the classic long-playing album that our loved ones would strive to acquire as collection, this song always make its way to our hearts in September or in any month.

Social media is now teasing us once again with Christmas songs as September ushers in.  Our country being tagged to have the longest Christmas celebration ever starts to play Christmas songs on “ber” months.  Jose Mari Chan is already peeping on Facebook feeds, apparently excited to sing selections from his Christmas album.  Although there are at least 16 other songs in the track listing of the said album, but perhaps the most well remembered song are “Christmas in our Hearts” and “A Perfect Christmas.” The lyrics being easy to remember appeal to Filipinos who look forward to the festive spirit of the Christmas season.  Despite the pandemic, there is that great anticipation for this celebration and all the promises it brings.  Truly, we always dream of a perfect Christmas.  We desire to make the best memories during this time with our family and friends and this is the reason why it has a special place in our hearts.

The month of September is also the Blessed Virgin Mary’s birth month.  Have you ever experienced or taken part in a mañanita in which the birthday celebrant is serenaded early morning with his/her favourite song and the standard birthday song?  This time we serenade the Blessed Virgin Mary with Narcisa Fernandez’ song “O Maria, Rayna sa Pilipinas, panalipdi kami sa mga katalagman” (O Mary, Queen of the Philippines, protect us from calamities).  A perfect mañanita song with a clear message that we are in dire need of her intercession in the midst of the pandemic.  We can always invoke Mama Mary’s intercession and her mantle of maternal protection to end the pandemic in our land.  “Ug paminawa kining among mga pag-ampo, nga gikan gayod sa kasingkasing namo,” (and listen to these prayers that really come from our hearts).

Fr. Alfonso A. Araceli, SVD

University of San Carlos