MANILA, Philippines?Singer Martin Nievera?s rendition of the Philippine National Anthem at the start of the Pacquiao-Hatton bout in Las Vegas on Sunday is unacceptable to the National Historical Institute (NHI).
?Lupang Hinirang? is ?not open to free interpretation,? Ambeth Ocampo, NHI chair, insisted in a text message to the Philippine Daily Inquirer Monday.
As Nievera performed it on Sunday, the anthem started slowly, took on a martial beat in the middle, then finally ended on a sustained high note.
Ocampo said he did not catch the live telecast, but was informed by many others who did. At press time, several clips uploaded on the video-sharing website YouTube have posted 25,000 hits. (There are also clips of Nievera practicing before a smaller audience.)
The law is on the NHI?s side. Section 37 of Republic Act No. 8491?or the 1998 Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines?provides that ?the rendition of the National Anthem, whether played or sung, shall be in accordance with the musical arrangement and composition of Julian Felipe.?
Felipe composed the music, an instrumental march commissioned by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo in 1898 for the proclamation of Philippine independence from Spain in Kawit, Cavite, on June 12 that year. It was originally titled ?Marcha Filipina Magdalo,? and was first played by the San Francisco de Malabon band.
(The earliest Filipino lyrics were adapted from the Spanish poem, ?Filipinas,? written by Jose Palma in 1899, and the current lyrics were written by Felipe de Leon in 1956.)
RA 8491 punishes failure or refusal to observe the provisions of the code with public censure, ?which shall be published at least once in a newspaper of general circulation.? The guilty person may also be fined up to P5,000 or imprisoned for not more than a year, ?or be meted with both penalties, at the discretion of the court.?
Online debate
In 2005, Ocampo wrote in his Inquirer column, ?Looking Back,? that if RA 8491 were taken literally, ?Lupang Hinirang? may only be sung ?with a solo piano or a brass band.?
The YouTube exposure has sparked a debate among Netizens, with over a hundred comments at press time.
?What?s wrong with the arrangement?? wrote one who liked Nievera?s rendition. ?It?s flawless ... artistic [and] not boring.?
Another protested, ?I?d rather hear a music teacher sing [the national anthem]. At least ... a teacher respects the arrangement [by] Julian Felipe.?
Still another wrote, ?I like the ending. Parang pinagsisigawan mong Pinoy ka (It?s like proudly declaring you are Filipino).?
Nievera unrepentant
Sought for his side of the story, Nievera sent the Inquirer a long statement via e-mail.
When Pacquiao offered him the ?honor? of singing at the title bout, the singer said, he knew that he couldn?t please everybody. ?I also knew that if I changed anything, I would be crucified for it.?
Nievera stressed that the event was ?not a gig or a show,? and that he didn?t approach it as an entertainer.
Instead, he said, he interpreted the song the way he ?understood? it. ?From the deepest part of my heart I sang for my country.?
The statement continued: ?I was told many times by many ... most especially by Manny Pacquiao ... not to sing it slow. They wanted me to sing it like a march, the way it was written. Even the politicians I consulted the day before the fight [said I should not] sing it like an R&B ballad. So [at the] last minute I had an arranger [do] a simple, ethnic-inspired minus one that begins slow, because I believe one needs to walk before he marches ... The crowd ... cheered when [the tempo picked up].?
Ending it big
As for that last high note, Nievera explained: ?I have watched many of Manny?s fights, and whenever the national anthem is sung, I could never hear the most important line, ?Ang mamatay nang dahil sa ?yo (To die for you)!? So I elected to end the song big, [the better to] be heard over the usual screams and boos, and ... get the final message of the song across.?
Admittedly, he is unrepentant. ?I have never had to explain a song so much, but obviously [this] needs to be explained for those who didn?t like it. And even after all of this explaining, they still won?t. I cannot apologize for something I am not sorry about.?
It is not a crime, Nievera said, to ?try to inspire a nation?which was all I tried to do. I sang it like it was the last song I would ever sing. I wanted to make my country proud [and believed that] if I could contribute to the inspiration factor by delivering the song properly, then my job [was] done.?
His message for NHI officials: ?If [they] want to implement old laws for the new singers, I suggest that they take it up with the people who hire these singers before they even step into the ring. I don?t mean minutes before ... I mean days or weeks before. Why blame the artist when he or she is informed only after the song is sung??
Not the first time
The NHI has criticized other versions of ?Lupang Hinirang? in some past Pacquiao bouts. Among the artists it has chided are Sarah Geronimo, Kyla, Lani Misalucha and Bituin Escalante.
This time around, Ocampo also noted the flashing of the NHI seal in GMA 7?s broadcast toward the end of Nievera?s performance.
Ocampo said this was ?without our permission.? The seal was accompanied by the words, ?Approved by the National Historic Institute.?
Also flashed during the song was footage of a Philippine Airlines aircraft and of Pacquiao in his dugout. None of this was seen on Solar Sports, the other channel that aired the event.
