Dick Zamora and his music

Ask any Upsilon Sigma Phi Fraternity member if he knows Dick Zamora, and the answer will be a resounding "Yes!" Dick Zamora is an icon to the Frat brods. Since their initiation, they have been singing "Aloyan," whose melody Dick composed when he was barely in his 20s - nearly 60 years ago.

That piece was Dick’s entry into music’s mystifying world. He would be known for his contribution to the Philippine musical bank, writing and arranging novel compositions, cavalcades and other musical scores. He would be known as a musical educator, as a musician reaching out with the masses through the medium of broadcast and television.

Tomorrow, January 20, at 5:30 p.m., he will be launching his music book and CD at the Paco Park. Admission will be free. This will be a splendid opportunity to listen to the music of one of the greatest artists of our time.

Dick (aka Ricardo Vicente) Zamora, third in a brood of 14 siblings, decided to become a concert pianist while listening enthralled to the performance of the Manila Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Dr. Herbert Zipper at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

When World War II broke out, Dick skipped attending high school classes, and instead took up piano lessons with Maestra Guadalupe Silvestre, and spent Sunday afternoons in the company of leading classical performers at the residence of National Artist Antonio Molina. After the war, Dick went back to school at the Ateneo where he became the official accompanist of the Ateneo Glee Club under Fr. Antonio Cuna, S.J.

He proceeded to the UP Conservatory of Music for a bachelor in music degree. For his 1952 graduation recital, he did a first in the country – rendering a recital of George Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F which was written in jazz idiom form. This stirred up a controversy; the anti-jazz conservatives in the Conservatory’s piano department regarded the Gershwin concerto as an idiom not credible as a prerequisite for graduation. Director Ramon Tapales (a jazz enthusiast), however, ruled in Dick’s favor, saying the concerto was "sufficient" in form, hence, creditable for graduation.

Three years earlier, in 1949, when Dick was seeking admission into UP’s most prestigious fraternity (Upsilon Sigma Phi), the fraternity head, Most Illustrious Fellow George Gonzales, asked him to write a March for the fraternity to rally the fraternity together. The march is said to be "the bonding piece" between and among the fraternity members all over the world.

Over the next ten years, Dick was heavily involved in the composition of musicales for the fraternity. He was responsible for nine out of 12 cavalcades (four of whose musical scores he originally composed).

Some of the compositions in the cavalcades were crowd favorites, especially Aloyan and Linda which had performances at the Far Eastern University Auditorium in Manila. Aloyan, Hanako and Linda went on Summerstock tours throughout the country. Aloyan had US West Coast performances sponsored by the UP Alumni Association Berkeley Chapter at the Hofmann Theater in Berkeley, California. Three songs from Aloyan ("When You’re Away," "Once Upon a Dream," and "Aloyan’s Lullaby,") were featured in a song recital by Fides Cuyugan-Asensio and Jimmy Melendrez at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York City.

In 1950, Lamberto Avellana, later to be named National Artist, was so impressed with Dick’s music during Aloyan’s premiere night that he introduced him to Doña Sisang de Leon, matriarch of LVN Pictures. This led to his appointment as LVN’s musical director. Later, Dr. Pinggot Perez of Sampaguita Pictures hired Dick’s services for the movie "Kidnapped," and several assignments.

Re his entry to the broadcast media industry, Dick was lured by CBN (Chronicle Broadcasting Network) general manager, Geny Lopez. With Mr. Lopez’s blanket authority, Dick built up the network’s music library into the country’s largest and widest collection of classical and popular music. He later became executive producer for premium shows of ABS (Alto Broadcasting System) and CBN. When ABS-CBN was closed during the 70s political turmoil, Dick was taken in by GMA TV-7 as executive producer/director television.

Dick has a passion for sharing his knowledge and skills. He taught electronic media and television research surveys at Maryknoll College and UP, and was resource person at the Kapisanan ng mga Broadcaster ng Pilipinas on TV production for the National Training School of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines.

Through the invitation of Ka Doroy Valencia’s Zarzuela Foundation of the Philippines, Dick wrote two zarzuelas for stage and television; he did a third for Marsman & Co.’s anniversary production.

Dick has received numerous awards, but he cherishes particularly two – his 1999 proclamation by the UP College of Music as a "Living Legend," and the 2004 tribute given to him by the Upsilon Sigma Phi at the Club Filipino.

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"PAG-IBIG SA BAYAN" is a musical featuring songs written and composed by Lourdes "Bing" Pimentel, to be staged at the Meralco Theater January 21 (7 p.m.) and 28 (a matinee is scheduled for 3, and at 7), and February 4 (7 p.m.). It tells the story in 23 songs about a family based in Mindanao and how it endured the dark years of martial law. It is based on Sen. Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel’s 600-page book tentatively titled Martial Law in the Philippines: My Story, which relates in detail the experiences and philosophy of life of the senator, one of the victims of martial law, and husband of Bing. The book will be released next month, in time for the EDSA 1 celebration.

The musical opens with a courtship song, Dali Nene, Dali, sung by singer-actor Marco Sison (who plays the role of Nene), and Bing, played by theater actress Jane Diaz. The songs talk of the hard times befalling the family, the incarceration of Nene and harassment of Bing and her six children, Bing’s courage and fortitude, and the generosity of people who sympathized with their plight, and were critical of the Marcoses.

As we will recall, Nene had been a critic of the dictatorship. Now 72, he first entered politics as a delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention. Two years later, he was detained in Camp Crame for not voting yes to the Constitution. He was incarcerated again for leading a demonstration against the Interim Batasan elections in 1978, and in 1983 on charges of rebellion. In 1985, he was arrested for allegedly participating in an ambush in Cebu City.

Bing has a bachelor’s (gold medallist for general excellence) and a master’s in education (major in guidance and counseling) from Xavier University, Cagayan de Oro City. A composer since she was a young girl, Bing’s first album was released under the title "Buhay Isang Awit." Well-known personalities have interpreted her songs – from Nora Aunor to Freddie Aguilar, from Jose Mari Chan to Rico J. Puno, Dulce, Lorna Pal, Bimbo Cerrudo, and Pinky Marquez. She has held concerts featuring more than 25 songs she composed. She is executive producer of the musical revue, "Nasan si Hesus?", most of whose songs she composed.

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