The Cynthia Alexander Send off Series, 19 East, 15 June 2012

The Cynthia Alexander Send off Series: Poetry and Music

We are nothing / We are nothing but / The dust on Your feet / Dying to be born again / Singing Ether Water Fire singing Earth Singing Air / I have seen / I have been / To places far and deep in my mind / Only to find / Comfort in Your Strangeness

My first encounter with Cynthia Alexander was with the song “Comfort In Your Strangeness”.  I heard it being played over the radio, by the old NU107.  What made me pay attention was the poetry of the lyrics and what I thought it meant – a love so different, it was comforting.  A love that defies stereotypes.  A love that can be rendered powerful/powerless by the elements, with hopes of re-birth – a love rising, a love coming home.  I was blown away.  Add the enchanting voice so delightful and pleasing it’s like wooden chimes, silver sparkle, crisp crystal and euphoric bird song after a refreshing rain.  That was 1998.  (Comfort In Your Strangeness is included in Cynthia’s first album Insomnia and Other Lullabyes, released in 1997).  After 14 years of continually falling in love with her and collecting all 4 of her albums, Cynthia Alexander, one of our greatest singer/songwriters, is packing her bags and moving to Seattle.  Such a sad moment for us who will be left behind, and an exciting new adventure for her. 

Last Friday night, I went to one of her send-off gigs.  

What happened was not a heavyhearted “farewell” concert.  Instead, we were treated to a celebration of Cynthia Alexander’s beautiful voice, one that soars and takes wing with a full band, and one that soothes and calms accompanied with just her guitar.  We were treated to a night full of her quiet presence and the high-spirited luminous quality of her music.  There was an air of melancholy, sure, as there is that fact that we might not be blessed with her presence for a long time. The pervading atmosphere however, was still that of love, love for music and love for life; an atmosphere of freedom – the unlimited vistas music allows us to fly; an atmosphere suffused with exhilaration, revelry and joyous praise to the great talent of Cynthia Alexander. 

Thank you Cynthia, for the gift of your music.  We wish you new happy musical explorations and loads of blessed adventures.

The Musical Celebration

I sadly did not get to see the entire set of Human Folk, Cynthia’s band with jazz guitarist Johnny Alegre, Abby Clutario of Fuseboxx, bassist Yuna Beck Arreuger, Zach Lucero of Radio Republic/Imago, and Gabrielle Mendez.  When I got to 19 East they were about to finish their set. 

After Human Folk, there was kind of a long break and after a while people started to get restless, clapping and requesting for the show to start.  Cynthia started her set with Wait, the song she says she wrote on a milk can.  She also shared a story during that time when people were comparing her to Alanis Morrisette and asking her to sing more “Alanis” type of songs.  It was a light moment of candid sharing and we all gamely laughed with her.  Cynthia opened with a full band composed of “rock stars” as she said in playful banter with her co-musicians for that night: longtime stage compatriots Mlou Matute and Cj Wasu, and guest band mates Jonathan Zuniga Urbano, Louie Talan, Romel Sanchez, Kakoy Legaspi and Zach Lucero.  The sound system and lighting design of 19 East is top notch so just imagine how mind blowing and fantastic the show was when you combine all the elements at play that night.  I’m so blessed to have been there.  Cynthia's last song for that night was Comfort in Your Strangeness.  It was such a touching beautiful moment when everybody sang most of the song for her.  Louie Talan actually put down his guitar to video what was happening.  This was our salute to Cynthia, to the extraordinary light she envelopes people with, to the generosity and bravery of her spirit, to her incomparable place in our music history.  No one can ever take her place.  To borrow a term I learned from the recent impeachment, she is one of the few people who are truly sui generis: unique in and of itself, constituting a class of her own.  After the song, we all stood up to give praise and honor her.  A standing ovation is not enough to give thanks to someone like Cynthia Alexander, but at that moment, it was the only way we could show her our love and gratitude.  Bravo, Cynthia, bravo.  

Set List 15 June 2012 Cynthia Alexander at 19 East

(or what I can remember anyway, corrections are welcome)

1^st set

Wait

Walk down the road

U & I

Heya

Weather Report

Daisy Chain

Intertwyne

Knowing There is only Now

Dumaan Ako

Motorbykle

 2^nd set

Insomnia

Hello Baby

Kabaka

Blackbird

Init ng Halik

Kawikaan

Owner of the Sky

No Umbrella

Malaya

Empty-handed

Comfort In Your Strangeness

Bakit ba may inaasam / tayong ayaw maganap / pagkat ngayon ay mayroong / bukas natin ang handog / Hanggang kaya mong gumising / at kaya kong managinip / kaya nating pag-isahin / ang darating at aalis -- Kabaka, poem by Vim Nadera, set to music and sang by Cynthia Alexander

To hear more of Cynthia Alexander's music, please click on the following links:

http://www.reverbnation.com/cynthialexander

http://www.pelicola.tv/channels/index_ca.asp

Click on this link to read about The Cynthia Alexander Send Off Series at Conspiracy, 16 June 2012

P.S

I hope this awakens all of us to the wealth of talent we have RIGHT HERE, right now.  Support OPM. Go see, buy, recognize, applaud and celebrate our local artists.