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)
1st set
Wait
Walk down the road
U & I
Heya
Weather Report
Daisy Chain
Intertwyne
Knowing There is only Now
Dumaan Ako
Motorbykle
2nd 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
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.
