BONG PEÑERA: SÓ DANÇO SAMBA
It's finally here. We've all known the great Manila jazz legend, Bong Peñera, as a brilliant pianist, arranger and composer. In this almost 8-minute clip, an aspect of his craft shines: that of singing and scatting and "carefree-ly" playing with his co-performing musicians. The clip was quite lengthy with that long applause at the end. I opted not to fade out either because, as you will hear, every note, up to the last, is worth digesting. Unbeknownst to many, the late Bobby Enriquez, a great pianist himself, became good friends with Bong in the US. When Bobby visited Chicago, he sought out Bong, picked him up his apartment and brought him to sit first row in three of his shows in Chicago. The two hit it off and before Bobby flew back to New York, he seriously gave Bong some advice or suggestion, not known to all but which Bong details in his book, SONGS IN MY LIFE. He told Bong, "Bong, you're already up there with your playing. It's undeniable. But do not forget or neglect your singing -- you have a very unique voice and singing style. If I close my eyes and listen to you sing it's like Astrud turned male. But better than that, because of your piano technique, you can scat too."
Apparently Bobby must have seen this earlier, in precisely this clip that you hear, when Bobby was a personal guest of Tito Rey who owned Bert Nievera's Music Lounge, Bobby did come up the lounge and saw and heard it for himself. This first meeting though was not as good as the second in the US. In this first meeting, (that is before he heard Bong play and sing) he challenged Bong's winning the Aliw Award for Best Jazz Group and asked him if he could show Bobby his wares. Of course, graciously and politely, Bong declined and congratulated Bobby for winning the Best Instrumentalist award.
But in the 2nd meeting all was changed. And in honor of that fateful conversation between Bobby and Bong where he nudged Bong to not just play but sing as well, I am happy and fortunate to release this very precious clip. It's a Tom Jobim song, "Só Danço Samba" (pronounced "So Danso") or in English "I Only Dance the Samba" which might as well be Bong's signature song, he being called "Mr. Pinoy Bossanova" or "Samba King" and now aptly called in the US as "BosSamba". He sings it in Portuguese. But the fun part is in his phrasing and scatting and his syncopation in playing and singing and jousting with bassist Paul Candelaria, drummer Al Iglesias and guitarist Bing Delfin. It was recorded live at Bert Nievera's Music Lounge, summer or around August of 1985. I am grateful to Bong's friend and former manager Greg Atienza who recorded this performance. Paul does exceptional and arresting bass work here; Al is commendable on drums keeping with that steady, percussive beat amidst the hard grinding syncopations, rhythmic and chordal improvs. And Bing provides the fine supporting guitar lines.
Truly, meeting and knowing Bong has been the greatest of the many blessings that has come to me. When he asked me to help him organize his works, recordings, writings and etc., I thought it was going to be a chore. It has been nothing but pleasure, unearthing past gems, discovering many new "old" things, even just pouring through pictures is fun.
So I hope you enjoy this treasure. In the pictures you will see, toward end, Paul Candelaria and Al Iglesias. But you will also see other musicians that Bong has come to love performing and hanging around with: Benny Reyes, a violinist who has guested with Bong at the Music Lounge, Uly Avante who Bong calls "my ebullient never-a- dull- moment genius", Cesar Yumping, Jun Salvame, Jacqui Magno, Sonny Tolentino, and Fred Alidon. And hold your horses: pretty soon I will be coming out with clips from Bong's UP and TJCC (Thomas Jefferson Cultural Center) SRO concerts with Norma Ramirez. Let's all keep our fingers crossed.
Meanwhile, enjoy!
SambaJazzHunter
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Bong Penera - A Samba Song No. 2 (1974)by jimmycoson15,947 views
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