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Europe Day celebration via fusion of Euro-Pinoy music

By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora

May 9, 2019, 6:18 pm

MANILA -- The celebration of Europe Day kicked off with a fusion of Filipino and European music in Makati City on Tuesday.

EU Ambassador to the Philippines Franz Jessen, one of the European ambassadors present, said the concept behind the Euro-Pinoy Concert is to celebrate the partnership and friendship between the European Union and the Philippines, as well as the declaration delivered on May 9, 1950 by French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman when he made the initial appeal for the construction of Europe.

"Through the concert, we want to bring a distinctive and unique blend of collaboration between and among European and Filipino musicians," Jessen said.

"It is our way of showcasing what Europe can offer and what Europe can do to bridge the cultural divide and to strengthen cultural relations between the EU and the Philippines," he added.

One of the concert's highlights was when Lukas Sommer, a renowned musician from the Czech Republic, performed together with Spanish flamenco guitarist Alex Alcaraz, German DJ Badkiss and Filipino percussionist Jean Paul Zialcita.

Sommer is also famous for more than 40 opuses for different works, and is a sought-after arranger of popular music in various film soundtracks.

Meanwhile, Alcaraz was born and raised in Granada, Spain and moved to the Philippines in 2012. He has been collaborating with several Filipino musicians ever since.

Zialcita, on the other hand, uses an exotic mix of upcycled found objects and local materials combined with elements of Filipino martial arts to reimagine the Philippines on the world stage in what he calls the “Age of ^CAN DO^.

Other Filipino artists joined the jamming session in Makati, among them performers of Para sa Sining and Kamara, Issa Rodriguez, Rice Lucido and Norvin delos Santos, Bea Lorenzo, Rice Lucido and Trischa Padilla and Bistibway Percussion Duo. (PNA)

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