I remember the first time I sang the national anthem after the February 1986 People Power uprising: it was at a gathering of the Christian organization I belonged to at school and we had decided to open the program with a prayer and then the singing of the Lupang Hinirang. It was unusual for our group to do that, but under the circumstances, with the euphoria of EDSA still heavy in the air, it would have been unnatural if we didn’t. So after the opening prayer one of us stepped in front, sang the first two words (“Bayang magiliw…”) to give the pitch, raised his hands, and then said, “Handa, awit!”
We sang the national anthem like we’d never sung it before, and by the end of the song we were all shouting the words and weeping with joy and pride. The last line was especially meaningful and we sang it with greater fervor because many of us had joined the masses at EDSA and literally laid our lives on the line for freedom: “ANG MAMATAAAAAAY NG DAAAAAHIIIIIIIL SA ‘YOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”
Now let me tell you something about this Christian group I was with: we all loved to sing, and many of us (excluding me, though) were used to singing hymns in church. When we got to that last line, we slowed down a bit for emphasis, and then we raised our voices to bring home the point that we had just come from the most incredible experience of our young lives. It was standard practice in singing hymns (ritardando and crescendo), and it was a great way to express our feelings.
Someone listening back then would have appreciated what we had done, but today we would get in trouble for singing the national anthem that way. This has been the case with the many singers who have sung it during the fights of boxing champ Manny Pacquiao, and now we have Journey frontman Arnel Pineda being threatened with a lawsuit for his expressive and soulful (if a little off-key at the end) rendition of the anthem during PacMan’s bout with Joshua Clottey on March 13, 2010 in Las Vegas.
The National Historical Institute (NHI) has pointed out that according to Republic Act 8491, the rendition of the national anthem, whether played or sung, “shall be in accordance with the musical arrangement and composition of Julian Felipe.” And what is this arrangement? According to the NHI, Felipe had given it a marching tempo, so if properly sung with a two-four beat and 100 metronomes, the national anthem should last 53 seconds. Pineda’s version was more of a ballad than a march, sung in the more comfortable two-four time signature, and lasted 89 seconds. That, in NHI’s book, makes him a violator of RA 8491 and deserving not of getting accolades but of being sued.
Now I’ve always supported the NHI in its quest to impose the proper singing of the national anthem. I had a teacher in elementary who told us how great the Lupang Hinirang was because it was the only national anthem in the entire world that was a march and intended to rouse the singers to patriotic passion, and I’ve always been proud of that (even though I’m not sure now if that’s true). Properly sung, the Lupang Hinirang leaves the Star Spangled Banner and the Kimigayo biting the dust (with all due apologies to my American and Japanese friends and readers).
But to threaten someone with a lawsuit just because he sang it differently from what is prescribed by law is to misunderstand the spirit in which that law was written. RA 8491, I believe, is intended to instill fervor and patriotism in the Filipinos who sing and hear the national anthem, not to make the anthem a stiff piece of work that never changes with the times. And except for the last part in which Arnel Pineda faltered a little, his rendition of the Lupang Hinirang was nothing short of riveting and awe-inspiring. He really rocked Lupang Hinirang.
Over the years I’ve heard many versions of the national anthem. Some of them were irreverent, but most were serious interpretations: rock, ballad, Hawaiian, church hymn, even hip-hop and rap. I think these are all valid renderings, and if they can rouse the people’s love for their country then let them be. Don’t get me wrong: I still prefer the national anthem sung and performed a la Julian Felipe. But as a musician, I feel it should be open to reinterpretation without the singer fearing being sued. We must all be free to march to a different beat. Even if it’s good old rock and roll.
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