ahead of the curve
While the news today is about the Spanish words to the Star Spangled Banner, and I noticed an email going on in a listserve regarding a fellow who wrote Tagalog lyrics to it recently, I have to say that Joey Ayala was ahead of the curve when he penned Tagalog lyrics to an Irish drinking song, "To Anacreon" (from which the banner is derived) way back in 2003 and recorded it on his album, "16 Love Songs". We watched him perform it for the first time in SF at the Fil-Am Arts Expo. Grant it the political climate then was different. Didn't have anyone protesting how un-American it was to change the lyrics.
Just get the "o say can you see" humming in your head then read the lyrics. Someone else will have to try a translation of it. I really couldn't do it justice.
Bagong Hirang
Nakikita mo ba
sa bukang liwayway
ang liwanag na sumilay
sa aking paglisan
pag-asang wagas
at kaligayahan
kalayaang umunlad
sa bayang payapa
sa tulay ng digmaan
kita’y tumawid
nagsumikap
nabuhay
at umibig
tayo ngayon ay
naririto
mga dayong katutubo
at sa lupang
bagong hirang
kasaysaya’y
pinapanday
1 comment:
ate!! thank you thank you thank you. So are those the lyrics of Joey Ayala's tagalog version of the star-spangled banner. Woo hoo. Thanks ate michelle, i've been googling him like crazy, and all I had to do was go to your blog. I knew you were goign to have it. :-) do you have any of his cd's? if so I want to start listening to him. talk to u later about it.
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