The Great Poet of American Literature

Walt Whitman, born in 1819 to a family in Long Island, lived a very humble life before becoming a well known writer. He grew up in a community full of Quakers ( The Religious Society of Friends) and followed religion very strictly as a child. Whitman loved reading the works of Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American essayist, philosopher and poet, best remembered for leading the Transcendentalist movement of the early 19th century, because he thought he related to Emerson’s ideas and theologies which closely corresponded to his own.


At the age of 35, Whitman published his first book, Leaves of Grass, which was so successful that it appealed to other known poets worldwide. His talent was a great surprise to many. Whitman's abilities as a poet were unknown because his previous job was working for a local newspaper from which he got fired for being an abolitionist. It is believed, however, that Whitman's inspiration came from his trip to New Orleans and New York. Whether it was a love affair or the great scenery from the countryside that truly inspired him is unknown; nevertheless this first book was the beginning to an exciting career. Whitman viewed himself as the first real American poet. His poetry was symbolic of freedom and democracy, as well as emotions and beliefs. Later editions of Leaves of Grass were published in 1856 and 1860. These editions were full of new poems as well as revised earlier ones. At this time, Whitman was the editor of a local newspaper, the Brooklyn Daily Times, in addition to helping his father in carpentry. It was in 1862 when he found out his brother was injured in the war and he traveled South to serve as a volunteer nurse to the military until 1867. During his time as a nurse, Whitman composed several war poems which were published in the 1867 edition of Leaves of Grass. Before his death in 1892, Whitman noted in “A Backward Glance O’er Traveled Roads” that although he was not as successful as he had wished, he hoped that future generations would appreciate his poetry more. His wish came true, and now Walt Whitman is viewed as one of the best poets of all time.

Below is his magnificent poem entitled "I hear America Sing"

I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,

Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,
The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,
The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,
The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand
singing on the steamboat deck,
The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as
he stands,
The wood-cutter's song, the ploughboy's on his way in the morning,
or at noon intermission or at sundown,
The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work,
or of the girl sewing or washing,
Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,
The day what belongs to the day--at night the party of young
fellows, robust, friendly,

Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Waldo_Emerson
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/ihas/poet/whitman.html
http://www.blackcatpoems.com/w/i_hear_america_singing.html

Music Icon of the Philippines

Lea Salonga (born on Feb. 22, 1971)is an actress and singer from the Philippines and the first ever-Filipino who has achieved international recognition.

She began her professional music career at the age of ten when she recorded her first album, Small Voice, which received a gold record. She had also hosted her own musical television show, Love, Lea, and opened for Stevie Wonder during his concerts in Manila. At age 13, she won three Aliw Awards in the Philippines for Best Child Entertainer from 1981 to 1893.

Her biggest breakthrough came when she was selected to play the leading role of Kim in the new musical Miss Saigon in 1989. The play, set during the final days of the Vietnam War, tells the story of Kim, a poor Vietnamese girl, and Chris, an American soldier who fall in love. For this performance, Lea Salonga was given the Laurience Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical or Entertainment for the year 1989/1990. From its original London home, Miss Saigon moved to Broadway. Lea Salonga subsequently garnered Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards.




In 1993, Lea Salonga played the role of street waif Eponine in the Broadway production of Les Misérables, then flew to Los Angeles to perform the song A Whole New World (of Disney's Aladdin) at the 65th Annual Academy Awards, where the song won an Oscar. In the same year she released her self-titled international debut album with Atlantic Records, which has gone platinum and gold in parts of Southeast Asia.



Lea also was the singing voice of Jasmine for Aladdin (1992) and Fa Mulan for Mulan (1998), films by Disney.



Lea said in a Philippine news interview that through whatever she had done, the image of the Filipino was made a little more positive, and that somehow, the Filipino was given the chance to smile and be proud.



Indeed, she is the greatest music icon of the Filipinos; a symbol of success of the Philippines. She is an inspiration, which makes Filipinos realize that dreams are attainable. Lea becomes the epitome of the world-class Filipino as she goes out there and represents the rich cultures and heritage of the Philippines and shows to the world the hidden yet incredible talents of the Filipinos in the the music arena. She gives hope and Filipino pride a new face. She has opened the doors for other singers in the country to also be discovered in the world music scene. She has proved to other people that Philippines is not just a country of islands and islets but also a haven of musical talents.




















http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lea_Salonga
http://leasalonga.net/
http://www.filmreference.com/film/69/Lea-Salonga.html

MUSICAL DANCE SYMBOL OF MY ETHNICITY

Temple of dance is the meaning of the PANGALAY—the dance of the people of the Sulu Archipelago in the Philippines, where I specifically came from, for centuries, long before the Christians came and long even before the Muslims did.

The ancient dance has survived because the people have, through the centuries, refused to be colonized in any form or by any means, by east or west.

In the pangalay, the nature of our people can be felt or seen : dignified, serene, gentle, peaceful, graceful, loving.

It is a spiritual dance. It begins from within the soul and moves with the breath of the dancer, and thus performs in unison with other dancers. The individual is always aware of and acts in harmony with those around him or her.

Thus, the pangalay is danced spontaneously on any occasion (wedding, birthday, arrival and departure), anywhere (beach, boat, porch, etc.), and by anyone (young, old, male, female).

There is unity among dancers, that is, among community members.Such oneness is the heart of a community.

LITERARY SYMBOL OF MY ETHNIC CULTURE: PARANG SABIL KISSA

Rich cultures and unique traditions uphold Philippine literature. They reflect the diversity that separates our country from any other in the world. But was it ever a priority to pay notice of them? Grabbing a book on Philippine literature and browsing along its pages was never my interest. Perhaps that is why I failed to notice this particular literary work that my own community in my country was able to contribute. The Parang Sabil, a significant epic of the Tausog (my ethnic tribe), has marked its place in Philippine literature. This truth gives me a sense of pride for my Tausug community. But it's a shame how I've never learned anything about it, until now. Even if it is striving at the brink of survival, I feel fortunate that it found its way and landed onto my palms for me to read and discover. So much is to be learned and understood about the Tausug community. Some may find our ways barbaric or even foolish but by averting from this closed-mindedness, much of it will surely be appreciated. But it is also important to realize that not all of our traditions can be linked to the Islamic religion. This distinction is often very hard for people to set up. Also, our ancestors have established routine customs that most of us, even until now, continues to preserve. Such customs were presented in the Parang Sabil Kissa. The parang sabil kissa, interchangeably referred to as ballads as well as epics, depending on their seriousness and length, are quite familiar to the Tausugs, the natives of the Sulu province in the Philippines. They are sung in order to perform a twofold function – to entertain and instruct. The singers of this oral tradition may be male or female, and most of them can be found in mainland Jolo. As literary materials, the parang sabil kissa are in verse whose lines rhyme, and the language used, which is Tausug or Bahasa Sug, has special intensity. These kissa are usually composed of several stanzas. When they are sung, the singer, usually a female, also plays the Tausug gabbang or native bamboo xylophone, accompanied with the biyula or native violin played by a male companion. As cultural materials, the parang sabil kissa reflect the life ways of us Tausogs ,especially our values. Since they are handed down from one generation to the next, they can be considered as carriers of the our cultural heritage, which is our source of ethnic or cultural identity. Moreover, they do not only mirror the our customs across generations; they also preserve these in the process. As historical materials, the parang sabil kissa narrate the our historical experience and circumstances, especially the our repulsive reaction to the incursion of foreign invaders and our subsequent retaliatory actions and decisions in order to defend our freedom, homeland, and way of life. In contemporary history, some parang sabil kissa narrate the fate of the revolutionary movements and our leaders. The individual characters in the epic have reminded me of the limits and extent of the human spirit. I sometimes find it difficult to believe how people can manage to risk their lives and endure unimaginable situations. When provoked, these circumstances can become reality. Perhaps this can be associated to the Tausug people who are known for their strong personalities and intimidating characters. This facade is often portrayed that people tend to create unintended impressions towards the Tausug. I believe that it is my responsibility, as well as the rest of my fellow Tausugs, to erase this negative notion about us. We have to prove that we are important additions to society and that we can be productive. Perhaps the most divisive issue that Parang Sabil has injected into its content is that of jihad. Different perspectives have been taken by various Muslim radicals about this. Whatever it may be, being a believer of Allah myself, I'm sure it has nothing to do with killing innocent people. Islam has never taught anything about murder and oppression. I still believe that it is an obligation to protect one's religion but I would never have the courage to take another life, whatever the reasons may be. Indeed, Parang Sabil, just like any literary work, serves its purpose as it travels along time. During the time of the Spaniards, it might have been a call to end an existing despised regime. However, in this generation, it serves as an avenue to reveal the richness and prominence of an overlooked culture.