Tadao Hayashi: Heaven on his fingertips

In my almost five years of meeting foreign artists as part of my job as writer for Bankard TicketCharge, one of the most unassuming was Japanese harpist Tadao Hayashi.

Most of us at the office were elated that a well-known artist like him agreed to perform for the Ninth Bankard Performing Arts Series.

I have never watched him play in person, I didn’t even know how he looked, but when I finally saw him before the show, quietly attending to the details of his concert, I was surprised to meet a man so simple, so quiet, so untouched by his popularity.

His performance was a complete eye-opener for me. I said to myself, "I envy him... when he goes to heaven, the angels will have no need to teach him how to play the harp."

I was completely surprised by Tadao. After insistent requests for him to do an encore, he acceded but not before he said the most beautiful thing to the predominantly Filipino audience. "I have been going back and forth to this country and everytime I come here, there is always some problem that the nation has to deal with. I love this country and its people very much and my wish for it is that one day, I will come back and the Philippines will be free of all its problems," he said. He then played a medley of Bayan Ko, Sariling Bayan and Pilipinas Kong Mahal.

I was touched that this man, a foreigner, who could feel so much for this, while among us there are those who hardly care except only in as far as we and our own lives are affected. At that instance, Tadao Hayashi, seemed larger than life. His talent and beautiful music held everyone captive.

As I write this, the sad events that unfolded in the few days following that memorable concert have become an all-too-painful part of memory. Tadao is no longer with us. I mourn for the loss of this lovable man.

Something tells me that up there in the heavens, Tadao and the angels are playing their celestial instruments and I’m sure the music has a jazzy beat.