Gawad Kalinga choir wows Singapore

As soon as the last note was sung and the deafening applause followed, Paolo and John (not their real names) looked at the smiling audience and, for the first time in their lives, harbored hopes for the future.

Paolo and John, former rugby-sniffing street children roaming the vicinities of Sto. Domingo and Araneta Avenue in Quezon City, are now part of the 25-member Gawad Kalinga Tatalon Performing Arts (TaPA) choir group that recently performed and wowed the crowd at St. Teresa’s church in Singapore.

The choristers, aged 9 to 21, live in Tatalon, a sprawling squatter’s area in Quezon City known as “little Tondo” where thugs, snatchers and petty criminals abound. Some of the choir members were former street children and drug dependents.

The GK TaPA choir was invited by Singaporean teacher and GK volunteer Ailin Ong to visit the island state after she was enthralled by their beautiful voices during a rehearsal  in GK Tatalon last April.

Ong frequently visits the Philippines, including various GK sites and had jumpstarted a feeding program for children in GK Baseco-Tondo.

“It was the purity and passion of their singing, my heart was in my throat,” Ong recalled the first time she heard the choristers sing.

Amazed by the beauty of their voices and determination to make good coming from a squatter background, Ong thought of bringing them to Singapore to perform.

Last Dec. 1, the GK TaPa sang before an enthusiastic crowd.

Tatalon choir’s choral director Peter Macrohon said the choristers were overwhelmed with the rapturous reception they got in Singapore.

“The audience asked for more songs and the kids were very happy,” Macrohon said.

So pleased was the audience that many of them have pledged to donate to GK TaPA.

Aside from showcasing their talents, Ong said the choir came with another goal in Singapore.

“The choir came with a mission – to create awareness of their life in GK Tatalon, the beauty and culture of the Philippines and gather support to build a Sibol-school for their younger siblings aged 3-6 where the Mission 4 Nutrition Feeding program could be started,” Ong said.

GK TaPA formation

GK TaPA coordinator Malou Salazar said they formed the choir in April and held an audition for children and teenagers in various Tatalon sites to prepare for a choir competition and an event in Baguio.

“The first batch of singers do not have natural singing voices but they can carry a tune and have guts to perform before an audience,” Salazar said. Salazar also said the formation of the choir was geared to develop the talents  of the Tatalon kids. The GK TaPa choir group is a combination of choristers from the Sagip and Sibol GK programs.

Sibol is the pre-school program of GK while Sagip is its adolescent program.

Immediately after being told to perform in Singapore, the choristers spent arduous months rehearsing for their performance.

Macrohon said he wanted to raise the bar and instilled in the children that they have to be at their best and it was not enough that they represent the country as a choir group.

From the original five-song repertoire, they were told to add three more songs.

“Adding more songs meant more rehearsal time for the children. I did not see them complain about rehearsing, even when they have to be at the rehearsals at 4 a.m. until 6 a.m. and after school hours, practicing from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.,” Macrohon said.

He said the children poured their heart and soul into their performance and exceeded the expectations of Singaporeans.

“There were kids from other churches who didn’t want to sing, so when the audience learned about the dedication and hard work the children poured into their music, and the fact that they came from the slums, the audience became more impressed,” Macrohon said.

The GK TaPA choir group also sang at the Singapore Zoo; the St. Joseph’s International school (one of the schools which contributed funds for the feeding program in Baseco, Tondo); at the office of DTZ, a top property company; Tan Tock Seng Hospital; Commerzbank and at the Couples for Christ (CFC) Christmas party.

The children also performed for the families who sponsored tickets to the “Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang” event at the Esplanade.

“Over the six days of singing, the GK TaPA group not only raised the target $10,000 but an additional $20,000 which made it possible to build a youth and community center, clinic, community hall, IT room / library and prayer room,” Ong said.

“Enough was raised to help Macrohon complete his bachelor (degree) in Music education, another answered prayer ,” Ong added.

She also said that Fr. Michael Arro, on behalf of St. Teresa, has pledged support for the Tatalon project.

The GK TaPA also sang at the private Christmas party of Triccie Luchangco and the Filipino community of young adult professionals was deeply touched that they pledged to assist in the long-term plans to support GK’s programs for the poor.

Morgan Stanley also donated $10,000 to the Tatalon Youth Development center so that the choir would no longer wait for the availability of the barangay hall for their rehearsals in the future.

At the homefront, the GK TaPa choir group are set to record an album next year. Noted composer Vehnee Saturno will compose and arrange the songs.

A chorale festival summer will also be slated in Tatalon and the winning choir will be sent to Singapore.

“For those who painstakingly support us all the way, we would like to thank you,” Macrohon said.

Children’s hope

Chorister John is gay and belongs to a dysfunctional family, which was against GK and his joining the choir.

Although he is already in his 20s, he is still in high school. He used to bum around and did not take his studies seriously, but all of that changed when he joined the GK choir.

Macrohon saw the transformation in John — he became more responsible, disciplined and started to dream big.

Today, his family is no longer skeptical about GK and has supported his career. In fact, two of his sisters are also joining the choir.

“John has a talent and when that talent was honed when he joined the choir, he became more mature and productive,” Macrohon said.

Paolo, another member of the choir, formerly used marijuana and shabu in the neighborhood of Tatalon. He was also involved in bloody riots, but like John, he has changed.

“Actually, not all children in GK can carry a tune, but we give them an avenue, a chance. We want to tell them there is still hope. The choir gives them a sense of purpose, a sense of direction and self-esteem that they can achieve their dreams,”  Macrohon said.

Thirteen-year-old Jochelle Rosadeno said he is also very happy to be part of the choir.

“Being in the choir inspired me to be the best that I can be,” Rosadeno said.

Other GK TaPA choir members like Wilma Dungan, Gill Rosales, Christian Marinas and Leo Viador also feel accomplished with the chance to do something truly positive in their lives.

Welcome opportunity

Meanwhile, GK champion Tony Meloto said they will continue to support GK TaPA and Tatalon.

“When you mention Tatalon, the picture that comes to your mind is a dangerous place. GK is helping transform Tatalon and we are starting to make it a beautiful and peaceful community. We are discovering the potential of the children, the Tatalon children’s choir and they are admired in Singapore. The GK work of social  engineering is also changing human behavior. Talents and gifts are coming out. Our greatest wealth is the people and there is so much potential to be developed in our people,” Meloto said.