CD Review: Speaking to the soul
April 22, 2009By: Jennifer O. Cuaycong | Business World
21 July 2006
“Driftwood Traveling“
Girl Valencia
My son’s nanny found me, on a heap of pillows, sobbing quietly. She tapped me lightly on one arm, whispered in my ear, and asked me gently if I were all right. “Oh, yes,” I said softly. “I was just listening to Girl Valencia.”
So amazingly evocative are the songs in Driftwood Traveling that on another occasion, I was seized with the urge to send a mushy SMS to my youngest sister. My sister called me at once, surprised at receiving a rather sentimental message in the middle of a working day. “Oh, nothing, really,” I replied, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. “I was just listening to a song and it reminded me so much of us. Have you heard of Girl Valencia?” And as it turns out, in one of those weird but happy coincidences, she had. Ma. Theresa Valencia, better known as Girl, was a college batchmate (Ateneo de Manila University, Class of 1993).
The week I devoted solely to Driftwood Traveling, I was feeling a little under the weather and was not, in any shape or form, fit to trawl the record bars or my favorite musical resources to do additional research. I simply made do with my senses, relying completely on gut feel and raw reactions. I wrote in long hand as I listened, though, I have to admit, there were times when I had to pause and stifle the emotions choking at my throat. It was quite an exhilarating experience.
Thus, I listened to Driftwood Traveling without any preconceived notions, biases, or prejudices. Not being a regular patron of the lounge circuits, I simply didn’t have a clue that Ms. Valencia had been singing professionally for the last 10 years in popular hotel lounges in the metropolis. Neither did I have an inkling that, during the same span, she had made a name for herself as a songwriter, having won, among others, the UNESCO Peace Prize of Excellence in 1995 with her song “Breaking Barriers.” Moreover, I never connected Ms. Valencia to The Christmas Fireflies, a National Book Award honoree in the Children’s Book Category for 2004. Apparently (and unhappily), I am one of the last in the planet to know of her.
Ironically, for one who has lived and breathed in literature and music for so long, she has never had an album of her own. It simply wasn’t time, it seemed. And so, Driftwood Traveling was an idea — nay, a dream — incubated over the last 10 years, and hatched only when the time was right. That time is now.
Still, despite my ignorance, it isn’t hard at all to get into the groove of Girl Valencia. For one, she seems to have the uncanny ability to read my mind at every track and turn of her debut album. Original, musical, and lyrical, Driftwood Traveling brims with an abundance of emotions written in allegories of travel. At every corner of the country she has traveled to, Ms. Valencia draws out rich remembrances of the country she loves and transforms it into thoughtful, touching ballads. While listening to all eight vocal tracks (and four instrumentals), I kept muttering under my breath, “Hey, this one’s speaking to me,” until the next song comes along and I hear myself repeating the same line. Then, too, it’s difficult not to like anyone who can write thought-provoking songs and interpret these with remarkable vocal clarity and beautifully unforced tones.
That she can meld poetry and music speaks so much of genuine talent, a scarce commodity in these days of re-hauling and recycling decades-old songs. The nuances in her songs are meticulously elegant, the melodies even more so. The instrumentals that form the back-bone of the songs are simple yet striking, arranged with utmost delicacy and sophistication; taken together, both lyrical content and melody form a strongly knit, cohesive theme. With the piano and violin as major accompaniments, Ms. Valencia’s performances display a lovely succession of melodic ebbs and flows that induce a mood of tranquil introspection.
Girl Valencia possesses a smoky voice that can alternately be husky and warm or light and buoyant. From low, whispering tones filled with lushness and richness, her vocals ascend to grab at higher notes without strain. Years of performing have apparently smoothened whatever imaginary flaws there were in this vocal gem; her voice never wavers off course, never falters off-key, and remains as whole and as surefooted as it started on the first few bars of melody.
In “Underground River” (referring to the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River in Palawan), Ms. Valencia unravels to “her naked skin” with no prevarication or evasion. In a metaphorical suggestion of beginning relationships, her velvety voice blossoms from a shy, tentative invitation to the welcoming openness of lovers. And while the element of intimacy remains subtly muted, it nevertheless conjures the avid fervor of romantic love.
In a similar vein, “Whenever,” inspired by the clear blue skies of Cebu, evinces a vivid description of love in full bloom, as does “Sunrise,” an ode to the beauty of Taal at the break of day. Using lyrics that are neither trite nor banal, Ms. Valencia reaches the soulful underpinnings of love and calls to some deeper passion hidden beneath her gentle, calming voice.
“For Better Or Worse,” “My Open Sea And Sky,” and “Wherever I Am” shift to a fragile remembrance of longing. Ms. Valencia’s voice thickens distinctively, as the edges of heart-break seep into the songs. Poignant and melancholic, these songs evoke a sense of anguish over promises not kept and an intense yearning for a bittersweet past.
While Ms. Valencia’s many journeys are reflected in mirrors of romantic love and passion, she documents yet another journey of life in the song “Sisters.” Dedicated to her sisters, she sings of “embraces without goodbyes,” and of an extraordinary kinship found in their love. Beyond familial relations, however, it also speaks of a binding relationship among all women and all daughters of Mother Earth. This song never fails to strike an emotional chord, as a lump forms in my throat every time I hear it.
Ending on an optimistic note, “Driftwood,” the last vocal track of the album, resonates with hope and expectations. At last, the traveler finds a home in the heart of someone she loves (”driftwood I was, no longer to be driftwood”) and, saved from aimless wandering, she finds peace and contentment. Ms. Valencia’s expressive vocals lend the song with graceful refinement, and the listener leaves away with a feeling of serenity.
They call the Philippines a musical country, with its million-and-one singing voices and the beautiful topography that inspires many an artist, Girl Valencia included, to make it his or her muse. However, music and poetry, twin sisters of expressive art, draw much more from memory, from kinship, and from personal histories than from iconic representations of our country’s natural beauty. And while music is in our blood, not all of us can lay claim to the littlest sliver of musical birthright — destined solely for those who possess not merely charisma and talent, but the ancient soul of storytelling as well. This is what Driftwood Traveling eloquently explores, as emotions weave with the memories and stories of many travels. At long last, Girl Valencia has found her voice, and it is beautiful to hear.
Taken from Yehey Website at this link.
EDSA 1986: Before and Beyond
April 18, 2009
EDSA 1986 Before and Beyond
25 February 2009
Laging Isadiwa, Hindi Dapat Kalimutan Photo Exhibit by Sonny Camarillo
Trinoma, Quezon City
In the photo: Girl Valencia, Former President Fidel V. Ramos, Former Senator Butz Aquino, Sonny Camarillo
(Photo courtesy of Gbrll)
Girl Valencia in World Vision Concert
Girl Valencia sings “Children Will Listen” in the World Vision Concert last November 24, 2007 at the PICC.
A Dance Affair to Remember
March 12, 2009
Dance to the groove as GIRL VALENCIA and CRUZIN Band (Manhattan Transfer of the Philippines) sing the dance hits. With special Performances by Mr. Eric Cruz, Mr. Ferdie Borja and other surprise guests.
Date : March 19, 2009
Venue : Richmonde Hotel in Ortigas, Pasig City.
Time : Dinner at 7pm. Show starts at 8:30pm.
Ticket Price:
PHP 1000 which includes entrance fee, one full set menu and donation to Bantay Bata 163.
Ticket Reservations/Inquiries:
Contact Ms. Lin Castillo:
Tel. No. : (632) 6343733
Mobile : 09223730788
GlobalPinoy: Certified Achiever
February 16, 2009
Filipinos love singing, and indeed, many are natural-born singers. Girl Valencia, however, takes it a step further. This multi-talented woman is not only an award-winning singer-songwriter, she is also a theater actress, writer, TV commercial model and advocate. Known as “the enchanting crooner,” Valencia can jazz any song up, from classic rock ‘n’ roll to novelty songs. Her beautiful voice and high-spirited personality have attracted a distinguished audience, including writers Pete Lacaba and Alfred Yuson, and the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s Eugenia Apostol and Letty Magsanoc. She even came to be known as the favorite singer of the late National Artist Nick Joaquin, who used to watch her regularly during her five-year stint at the Tap Room at the Manila Hotel, where she performed with legendary pianist Joselito Pascual. Before this, she used to sing at Conways Bar at the Shangri-La Hotel in Makati, her first professional singing job after she graduated from the Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in AB Communications in 1993. Valencia pens her own songs, but she also composes for other artists. Some of these are Jeffrey Hidalgo, Nino Alejandro and Regine Velasquez, whose rendition of “Tanging Mahal” snagged Valencia a nomination for Best Song for a Movie Soundtrack (“Pangako Ikaw Lang”) at the 1999 Aliw Awards. Valencia also received an award for the song at the 1992 Himigsikan Songwriting Contest. Her composition “Muli” won her an award at the same contest in 1991. An independent record producer for her label Alibata Records, she produced and released a dance album entitled “Dance Project 001,” featuring artists like Potch Macaraeg, Mika Pineda, Kay Bulaong and Arnee Hidalgo. The record label aims to promote the world-class talent of Filipinos through original music. Aside from her passion for music, she is also an advocate of peace and hope. Her songwriting efforts in this vein earned her the UNESCO Peace Prize of Excellence for “Breaking Barriers,” the Song of Peace in 1995. Valencia’s craft extends to creative writing. In 2005, she won the National Book Award for Children’s Literature for her first book, “The Christmas Fireflies,” self-published under her own Paper Tree Publishing. Her other achievements include an award for the song “Yan Na Naman” at the 1993 Likhawit National Songfest and being named one of the Top Outstanding Alumnae of the School of the Holy Spirit. In 2007, Valencia released her debut album entitled “Girl: Driftwood Traveling” under Candid Records’ sub-label, Isla. The songs are a musical travelogue, an homage to the wonderful places in the Philippines that she hopes will be appreciated and visited by more Filipinos. For her, there is no place more beautiful than the land of her birth. Nowadays, one can find the artist singing in hotels like the Inter-Continental and the EDSA Shangri-La. She also conducts free songwriting workshops for public school students in the provinces, hoping that other artists will also make efforts to tap the innate musical talents of the Filipino youth. | |
