Like father, like son: The Camaras in concert

Eminent cardiologist-concert pianist Augusto A. Camara was the surprise participant at the concert for the benefit of the Aloha Medical Mission. The unique event, titled "Four Doctors and a Patient", featured Jorge Camara, ophthalmologist son of Dr. Augusto Camara, ophthalmologist Timothy L. Lee, cancer specialist Reuben Guerrero and surgeon Brad Wong – all members of the AMM based in Honolulu.

For the last 20 years, the Mission has been giving free medical service in Asian countries including the Philippines. In fact, the AMM which was in Nueva Ecija last year will travel to Bukidnon in October and to Negros Occidental in November.

The only non-doctor featured in the concert was the blind Chris Cerna who was discovered by the Mission in Cebu. He played the mandolyn, with Dr. Jorge Camara on the piano and, later, with Cerna’s own band assisting.

Jorge, the only one among the dozen Camara children who, like his father, seriously wavered between music and medicine, studied the piano from age six to sixteen.

Today, as chairman of Ophthalmology at St. Francis Medical Center in Honolulu, he finds time to take piano lessons under Peter Coraggio, professor emeritus of Hawaii U.’s music department.

At the concert, Jorge interpreted the technically challenging Malonga del Angel by A. Piazzolla, Malagueña by Lecuona and Chopin’s Nocturne in E Flat. His father Augusto played Granados’ La Playera, Debussy’s Arabesque and Brahms’ Rhapsody No. 2 – likewise daunting pieces.

Augusto’s surfeit of musical talent led him to seriously consider a concert career. In his first two years of high school, he studied piano under Manolita Montserrat and Victorina Lobregat. From 1972 to the mid 80s, already well into medicine, he took lessons under Rosario Picazo (Cecile Licad’s early mentor) and until last year, was on occasional pupil of Greg Zuniega.

The night of the concert, the Neal Blaisdell Hall, which has the same seating capacity as our CCP (2,200), was full. The Honolulu doctors performed exceedingly well but it was the "imported" Camara, the most senior and seasoned, who astounded the listeners.

The highly impressed AMM executive director, Dr. Reynold Feldman, wrote him this letter:

On behalf of the Board and the whole Aloha Medical Mission ohana, please accept my sincere thanks for your participation in Four Doctors and a Patient. You performed beautifully.

For all of us more senior members of the audience, you were truly an inspiration. But I am sure the younger people found a wonderful role model for themselves as well.

Four Doctors and a Patient has launched AMM into a completely new dimension of possibilities, and the board and staff are grateful to you for your role in this initiative.

Thank you very much for coming all the way from the Philippines to share the stage with your multi-gifted son and for being part of our program. Now we can truly say, "Like father, like son."

The letter should warn the cockles of the cardiologist’s heart.