A jazzy night with Remi Huppert, Butch Roxas Quintet in Les Jeudis Culturels' comeback

Butch Roxas Quintet

Writer Remi Huppert and the Butch Roxas Quintet filled the return of Les Jeudis Culturels with a lot of jazz as the monthly cultural rendezvous presented by the Embassy of France and Alliance Française de Manille made a successful, swinging comeback.

After swtiching to online performances in 2020, the latest edition billed as Une Soirée, Très Swing saw the return of a live performance with an audience at the Alliance Française de Manille's Multi-Purpose Hall.

Remi Huppert

The evening started with Remi Huppert giving a lecture/presentation on jazz, touching upon its history, influences and how the music genre flourished. He made several references to his written works but they are published in French and have not been translated to English. So it was difficult at times to understand fully what he meant having not read by of his novels.

Butch Roxas Quintet

This was followed by a performance by the Butch Roxas Quintet. Taking cue from Hupert's presentation, the quintet made up of Butch Roxas and Erskine Basilio on guitars, Gerald Flores on bass, Ryan Villamor on piano/keyboard, and Fernando Mendoza on drums/percussion, along with guest artist Uela Basco on vocals performed not just jazz music, but also music closely related to the genre like blues and spirituals.

Since Une Soirée is basically a double feature, the whole event lasted around twice as long compared to previous editions prior to the pandemic. This only showed how much Les Jeudis Culturels was missed by Francophiles, jazz music enthusiasts, and culture vultures.

Cultural Thursdays return with writer/musician Remi Huppert

The celebrations for the 75th Anniversary of the establishment of French-Philippine Diplomatic Relations continue this 2023 as the Embassy of France to the Philippines, and The Alliance Française de Manille announce the return of Cultural Thursdays Les Jeudis Culturels with Une Soirée Très Swing on February 2, 2023, 7:00 PM at the Multi-Purpose Hall, 4th Floor, Alliance Française de Manille.

This night of jazz will feature a presentation by writer/musician Remi Huppert and performance by the Butch Roxas Quintet. Joining Roxas on guitars in the quintet are guitarist Erskine Basilio, bassist Gerald Flores, pianist Ryan Villamor, drummer/percussionist Fernando Mendoza, guest vocalist Uela Basco.

Admission to the event is for free but registration through this link is required.

International lineup jazzes up French Embassy's Les Jeudis culturels

In line with the International Day of Jazz, the latest edition of Les Jeudis culturels/Cultural Thursdays gets jazzed up as the Embassy of France to the Philippines and the Alliance française de Manille, in cooperation with the Philippine International Jazz Festival, present Jeudi Jazz, an online concert streaming on April 29, 2021, 8:00 PM via the Facebook page of the Embassy of France to the Philippines and Micronesia.

Leading the international roster of performers is French jazz pianist, composer, and musical arranger David Starck. Joining him in this concert are Claude Diallo from Switzerland, Francesco Maccianti from Italy, and Adrian Oropeza from Mexico.

International Jazz Day is commemorated every 30th of April to celebrate the values associated with jazz, such as the freedom of expression, innovation, and understanding between peoples. This year, this occasion also highlights the power of jazz to bring people together, especially at this time in which people remain confined to their homes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Project 201 Jazz Quartet performs French songs for February Les Jeudis Culturels

The Embassy of France to the Philippines together with the Alliance française de Manille and the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Philippines present Je t’aime : An Online Concert of French Love Songs, streaming on February 25, 2021, 8:00 PM at the Embassy’s Facebook page.

This latest edition of Les Jeudis culturels/Cultural Thursdays, celebrating the month of love with French music and food, will feature the Project 201 Jazz Quartet composed of award-winning Filipino saxophonist Michael Mark Guevarra, pianist Ayman Linzag, percussionist Chico Macorol, and bassist Prince Santiago. The quartet will perform a selection of French chansons that includes including La Vie en rose, Ne me quitte pas, Les Feuilles mortes/Autumn Leaves, and C'est si bon, and many more.

The Project 201 Bigband is composed of students from the College of Music of the University of the Philippines, Diliman. Created by Guevarra in May 2017, the group aims to provide an avenue for young, aspiring jazz musicians in the college to integrate themselves into the industry and perform alongside established musicians in the country.

French music needs to be paired with French food, so in partnership with the French Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines and The Tasting Club Manila, a special French dinner menu will be offered for the benefit of the France-Philippines United Action Foundation (FPUA).

The dinner for this month is a set meal of Guinea Fowl Supreme with Raisin Sauce and Gratin dauphinois and Chocolate Éclair, accompanied by Château Kirwan 2013, AOC Margaux.

Each set costs for P1,350 (exclusive of delivery fee) with 10% of the total proceeds to be donated to the FPUA. Orders can be made through the link http://bit.ly/Jetaime-Dinner

The FPUA, created in 2013 after the devastation of super typhoon Yolanda, is engaged in long-term rehabilitation and reconstruction projects for Filipino communities affected by natural disasters. Through partnerships with local associations such as Habitat for Humanity Philippines and the Philippine Red Cross, and through the financial contributions of French and Philippines companies, FPUA has succeeded in building sustainable and resilient communities in three remote areas in Cebu, and has supported hundreds of families by providing scholarships and implementing health programs.

Rachelle Gerodias, Byeong-In Park, Dingdong Fiel deliver fireworks in Bastille Thursday

Pianist Dingdong Fiel, soprano Rachelle Gerodias, and baritone Byeong-In Park

An intimate performance by the trio of baritone Byeong-In Park, soprano Rachelle Gerodias, and pianist Dingdong Fiel made for a very enjoyable Bastille Thursday, the latest installment of Le Jeudis culturels presented by the Embassy of France and the Allliance Française de Manille.

Byeong-In Park

Coming off the heels of the Bastille Day celebrations, this evening was filled with music, not just limited to those in French or by French composers, that celebrate the universal values of liberté, égalité, and fraternité.

The first half was dedicated to art songs like Claude Debussy's Trois Chansons, L 99, Gabriel Fauré's Après un rêve, Op. 7, No. 1, Franz Schubert's Du bist die Ruh D. 776; Op. 59, No. 3, Robert Schumann's Liebeslied, Op. 51 No. 5, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Net, tolko tot kto znal, Op. 6 No. 6.

Art songs have never been my strongest suit and all that were performed were not familiar to me at all. But this really led me to listen closely about the way the Rachelle and Byeong-In sang. Never have I seen the two of them perform in such an intimate setting. The multi-purpose hall at the Alliance is small (hence the limited number of seats) and has a low ceiling. Right off the bat, I noticed that there was a certain delicateness with how they sang knowing that there were no audiences in the balconies to worry about. In fact, French Ambassador Nicolas Galey was seated just about a meter in front of them.

Due to Audio Visual Attaché Martin Macalintal's prodding, Dingdong Fiel whipped up a solo of Debussy's Feux d'artifices, prelude for piano, L. 131/12 , a last minute addition to the program, to close out the first half.

Rachelle Gerodias

The second half were devoted to arias and duets from various operas like Libiamo ne' lieti calici from Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata, Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre aka Toreador aria from Georges Bizet's Carmen, Je veux vivre! from Charles Gounod's Romeo et Juliette, Ernesto de Curtis' Torna a Surriento, O mio babbino caro from Giacomo Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, and Bess, You is My Woman from George Gershwin.'s Porgy and Bess. Both the performers and the audience were more relaxed clearly enjoying the night, thanks to the generous cocktails served courtesy of Giffard.

The audience were really in good spirits after the last number was performed that the two had to oblige with encores which were the Merry Widow Duet from Franz Lehár's The Merry Widow and Mutya ng Pasig by Nicanor Abelardo. Had I enjoyed a few more cocktails, I would've shouted that Byeong-In perform a Korean song.

Dingdong Fiel, RAd, Rachelle Gerodias,
and Byeong-In Park

Of all the four editions of Le Jeudis culturels that I've attended so far, Bastille Thursday has been the most enjoyable by a mile. It also didn't hurt that Rachelle, Byeong-In, and Dingdong have been good friends of mine and there was no way I could've missed this despite the heavy rains and other events that happened on the same night.

Pianist Maxime Zecchini, left hand repertoire specialist, in concert

Just a couple of weeks since latest installment, here comes the next edition of Les Jeudis culturels, featuring pianist Maxime Zecchini, a specialist of the left hand repertoire, in a performance on May 9, 2019, 7:00 PM at the Alliance Française de Manille.

Pianist Maxime Zecchini

Zecchini is a pianist and composer who studied at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique of Lyon and Paris. He is the first French pianist to receive a degree from the prestigious Incontri col Maestro Academy in Imola, Italy. He won several international competitions (Arcachon, Cziffra Foundation Prize, Ragusa-Ibla, Varenna-Lake Como…) and received various support from prestigious foundations like the Bru Zane or Meyer Foundations.

Zecchini will also conduct a piano masterclass on May 8, 2019, 10:00 AM, in cooperation with the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Les Jeudis culturels is a monthly cultural event celebrating a different aspect of French culture organized by the Embassy of France to the Philippines and the Alliance Française de Manille.

RAd's Playlist | Maxime Zecchini's Œuvres pour la main gauche anthology

Maxime Zecchini has released 7 volumes (out of a planned 10) of his Œuvres pour la main gauche anthology series featuring not just piano pieces written specifically for the left hand, but also other works transcribed for the piano with just the left hand. Time to enjoy and be mesmerized by these pieces (some very familiar) played by just the left hand.

Ricky Davao, Rina Reyes saving the day for Baka Naman Hindi

The cast of Baka Naman Hindi

Notable performances by veterans Ricky Davao and Rina Reyes saved the outdated/politically incorrect humor and the host of timing and technical issues that hounded the Gala Night performance of Bakit Naman Hindi at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Adapted to Filipino by Virgilio "Beer" Flores from George Feydeau's La Puce à l'oreille/A Flea in Her Ear, this production is a repeat of the October 2018 staging produced by CCP President Nick Lizaso and directed by Dennis Marasigan.

Baka Naman Hindi tells a tale of Alicia (Rina Reyes) who suspects that her husband Victor (Ricky Davao) is having an affair. Aided by her best friend Lucila (Tex Ordoñez de Leon), she concocts a scheme to catch her cheating husband in the act inside a hotel of ill repute. But this plan quickly spirals into a disastrous mess as mistaken identities, actual affairs by members of her household, and even a doppelganger are thrown in the mix.

The first act wonderfully set up what could've been a laughter riot once the characters and action switches over to the seedy hotel. But the second act's initial scenes introducing a whole bunch of characters halted whatever momentum that was built. It didn't help that Victor's doppelganger, the drunk hotel employee Dodong (also portrayed by Davao) felt like an added complication that I felt wasn't necessary for the initial premise to work.

The second act relied on precise timing of the cat and mouse chase inside the hotel for the scenes and punchlines to be effective. But timing issues, including a revolving mechanism that didn't cooperate during a crucial part of the act, somehow made this act fizzle and fall flat. Maybe it's because it was just the opening night and this complex choreography of entering and exiting at exact moments takes time to be really tight.

Speaking of opening night, this performance also served as the latest installment of Les Jeudis culturels by the French Embassy. Cocktails were served prior to the performance with CCP President Nick Lizaso and French Ambassador Nicolas Galey both delivering welcome remarks on stage before the curtain rose.

And for the benefit of the non-Filipino speakers among the audience, the translated English texts were projected at a panel atop the stage. Unfortunately, there were major syncing issues and the size of the panel was too small with some of the lengthy texts getting cropped significantly.

George Feydeau wrote this play in 1907 which is more than a century ago. While some of the humor, like the sexual raunchiness, still hold up, there are some, like a speech impediment and national stereotypes as punchlines, no longer do and are actually frowned upon now. This remains a dilemma in staging old works considered as classics on whether to remain faithful to the source material or to adapt certain elements to be mindful of the times.

Despite my misgivings with this play (the outdated included), it was still a delight seeing Rina Reyes back on stage. She and Ricky Davao were the saving graces of this production and I am extremely pleased to have seen them both. May this stint herald a more lasting return to the theater stage for her.

Baka Naman Hindi returns at the CCP

After a successful limited run in October last year, Baka Naman Hindi returns once again this April 25-28,2019 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino).

Adapted to Filipino by Virgilio “Beer” Flores from Georges Feydeau's La Puce à l'oreille/A Flea in Her Ear, the play is a classic farce filled with innuendo, physical comedy and snappy dialogue.

Rina Reyes and Ricky Davao
Photo by Kiko Cabuena

The cast is led by Ricky Davao and Rina Reyes. They are joined by Rafa-Siguion Reyna, Tex Ordoñez-De Leon, Nazer Salcedo, Randy Villarama, Raffy Tejada, Wenah Nagales, Lao Rodriguez, Mosang, Jonathan “Tad” Tadioan, Marco Viaña, Jef Henson Dee, Felipe “Ronnie” Martinez, Kathlyn Castillo and Aldo Glenn Vencilao.

The creative team is headed by CCP President Arsenio “Nick” Lizaso as producer, Dennis Marasigan as director and lighting designer, Ohm David as set designer, James Reyes as costume designer and, TJ Ramos as sound designer. Lizaso directed the play when it was first staged at the CCP back in the 1970’s.

The opening night of Baka Naman Hindi also serves as the 6th installment of Les Jeudis Culturels/Cultural Thursdays, a monthly cultural rendez-vous initiative of the Embassy of France and Alliance Française de Manille.

Les Jeudis culturels: A musical journey with guitarist Thibault Cauvin

Guitarist Thibault Cauvin

The latest installment of the Embassy of France and the Alliance Française de Manille’s Les Jeudis culturels took the audience on a musical tour around the world courtesy of French guitarist Thibault Cauvin.

Thibault’s return to Manila after almost 12 years brought in lovers of French culture and a bunch of guitar enthusiasts filling the Bernardo Sim Multipurpose Hall of the Alliance Française de Manille to capacity. The intimate setting was very fitting for a solo guitar performance with him still so near even to those seated farthest to the stage.

Performing tracks mostly from his latest release Cities II, Thibault put the spotlight on various cities around the world through the music of the guitar. Most of the pieces had discernible national or folk idioms like the sensuous tango of Astor Piazzolla’s Milonga del Angel for Buenos Aires or the baião rhythm in Marco Pereira’s Bate-coxa for Rio. Heading to Tokyo, the traditional Japanese tune Sakura for the koto was given a virtuosic touch via Yuquijiro Yocoh’s Sakura, Theme and Variations.

What really took me by surprise was Berlin, composed by Thibault’s brother Jordan Cauvin that was heavily influenced by electronic dance music reminiscent of the now defunct Love Parade. The surprises kept on coming as cinematic music evoking horses galloping through the steppes of Oulan Bator was performed in Mathias Duplessy’s Ulan. Scordatura lent an exotic sound to Sébastien Vachez’s Raga du soir as the trip took a stop in Calcutta. For Istanbul, the programmatic tour de force Koyunbaba by Carlo Domeniconi started out in a relaxed pastoral mood that came to a grim and violent end that pushed Thibault technically and offered a bit of tension musically to an otherwise relaxed affair.

It turned into a family affair during the encores as Thibault performed ROCKTYPICOVIN composed by his father Philippe Cauvin and Flots de l'âme composed by Matthieu Chedid and his brother Jordan as the concert arrived at its final destination at the beaches of Cap Ferret.

Thibault Cauvin offered a unique program that showcased a diverse music palette in a very intimate setting. It was refreshing and quite surprising to hear contemporary guitar performance that did not include works from Spain. There’s nothing wrong with Spanish guitar music but it was enriching to have musical horizons widened.

The bar has been set high and I await what cultural event will be on hand at the next edition of Les Jeudis culturels. And for those who missed this concert, may this serve as a lesson to send those RSVP’s as soon as possible since seats are very limited.

An introduction to the saxophone on one French, cultural Thursday

Pianist Mariel Ilusorio and saxophonist Adam Campbell

An intimate concert by South African saxophonist Adam Campbell and Filipina pianist MarieI Ilusorio that highlighted the French influence in the saxophone’s repertoire was the main course at the premiere edition of Les Jeudis culturels presented by the Cultural Section of the Embassy of France to the Philippines and the Alliance Française de Manille.

South African saxophonist Adam Campbell talking to the audience

Campbell and Ilusorio showed a different side of the saxophone that night through music by French composers like André Jolivet’s Fantaisie Impromptu, Paule Maurice’s Tableaux de Provence, Jules Demersseman’s Fantaisie, Darius Milhaud’s Scaramouche, Eugène Bozza’s Aria, and Jean Matitia’s Devil’s Rag. The composers may have been French but some of the influences came from across the Atlantic in the case of the bouncy Brazilian rhythms of Scaramouche and the delightful left hand syncopation inherent in the American ragtime of Devil’s Rag. A taste of non-French music were heard with the encores: Czárdás by the Spanish Pedro Iturralde and Oblivion by the Argentinean Astor Piazzolla.

Filipina pianist Mariel Ilusorio sharing info about the music

Scaramouche is always a pleasure to hear and it was my first time to experience live the saxophone and piano version of it. The two piano version of the piece is among my favorites. I positioned myself near the back of the venue so as not to distract other people as I swayed my head from side to side in time with the beat during the reprise of the third movement Brazileira for the duo's third and last encore.

I also have to say my apologies to Campbell since my focus was solely on Ilusorio during the Devil’s Rag. Never did I imagine seeing her play ragtime music, so this was special.

Mariel Ilusorio and Adam Campbell

The concert was also filled with information as both Campbell and Ilusorio annotated in between pieces. Audience members learned that the saxophone was invented by the Belgian Adolphe Sax in the early 1840’s. But the instrument started to flourish in the 20^th century as evidenced by the wealth of music that was composed during that time, some of which were performed at the concert. And despite looking like a brass instrument, the saxophone actually belongs to the woodwind family. So it's safe to bet that those who initially expected a jazz filled night were nonetheless swayed in the end by the gems of the "classical" saxophone repertoire.

Le Jeudis culturels (Cultural Thursdays) is a monthly event (happening on a Thursday) presented by the Cultural Section of the Embassy of France to the Philippines and the Alliance Française de Manille that will showcase different aspects of French culture form like music, theater, dance poetry, gastronomy, etc. in each edition.