Sino Ka Ba Jose Rizal? Demystifying the National Hero

Joji B. Balcita
The Evening Paper

30Dec96

A familiar historical figure, but do we really know him? Singer/songwriter Gary Granada's recently released recording of the musical Sino ka ba, Jose Rizal? attempts to look at the national hero with unshaded lenses and, in doing so, portrays an all-too-human yet admirably exceptional person.
      How does one deal with the myths and realities surrounding Rizal? How is one to consider the man's multiple talents and abilities, as well as his patriotism, in contemporary times? Was it his "genius" or his sensitivity to injustice and inequity in Philippine society that established his fame as a national hero?
      Granada seems to have pondered these questions as he wrote the musical. With this project commissioned by Music Theater Philippines and the original libretto written by Nonoy Gallardo, Granada pursued his quest for Rizal and produced an interesting biographical sketch. His Rizal is demystified of superhuman notions but outstandingly patriotic, humane, and selfless. He is portrayed as a precocious child, a playful young man who wooed several Leonors, a serious student, visionary and nationalist, lonely and desperate foreigner, unwilling lover, assiduous writer/novelist, busy exile, and a man who reluctantly led, and was convicted of inciting, an impending revolution.
      The listener gets a panoramic view of the hero, the friar-corrupted society he lives in, the ilustrados' capabilities and character weaknesses, the ever-faithful Leonor Rivera, his family's upperclass values, sufferings, and prejudices, and the people's inner turmoil and agitation for freedom.
      It is almost impossible to pack all these into a two-tape album, but Granada skillfully meanders through the task. Still, one feels there were facets that deserved equal highlighting, such as La Liga Filipina and its impact, Rizal's radical thoughts on religion, and his foreign travels and how these molded him into a liberal. These, after all, were what made him the iconoclast treading dangerous ground during his time.
      One appreciates the songwriter's refusal to be trapped in the Rizal vs. Bonifacio mindset, or wade into the controversial and debatable — yet peripheral — aspects of Rizal's life that only muddle his essence as national hero: the intriguing relationship with Josephine Bracken, for example, or the numerous love affairs with other women. Though interesting, these have been downplayed by Granada in order to highlight Rizal's politics and social relevance.
      And Granada cannot be faulted with ignorance of history. With the help of researchers Mira Gamba and Angie Quadra, he presents Rizal and 19th-century Philippines in the most truthful way possible. The music writer believes an accurate presentation of Rizal in a historical context is what matters most. Cultivating the audience's astute and factual sense of history is, after all, one of Granada's intentions, if not the primary one.
      Thus, Granada wields a discriminating perspective and a lyrical pen. His facility for flawlessly weaving words is aptly put to use in his songs. With his uncontested musicianship, the musical comes alive. Some of the remarkable songs that provide sensitive characterizations include Anong Uring Pagsinta?, the forgotten Leonor Rivera's plaintive plea for Rizal's attention; Anong Uring Kalayaan?, the conscience-stirring accusations of Bonifacio, and Hatol, the sarcasm-laden taunts of the friars. The pervading humor even in serious scenes add ironical punch.
      The pop-inflected renditions make the musical a very 90s production, what with that familiar tearjerking ballad, the rhapsodizing rap, the timeless folksy tunes and full tinge of contemporary folk-rock music.
      At the end, the musical asks the pertinent question: Sino ka ba Jose Rizal, sino ka ba/Buhay na bumuhay sa bayan ko/Sino ka ba Jose Rizal, sino ka ba?/Sino ka ba sa bansang ito?
      Of course, assessing the recording which is not exactly the soundtrack of the actual musical but a "sort of composer's cut" is not the same as seeing the whole thing on stage. Merely listening to the music/libretto as interpreted by noted singers Noel Cabangon, Bayang Barrios, Lani Misalucha, and Granada himself does not do justice to the envisioned play. Granada's first attempt in writing music for the theater will ultimately be tested in the musical's actual staging, when flesh and blood are breathed into the characters. How this will be done is a challenge to theater directors willing to make Rizal come alive in the minds of people today.