Grateful heARTS
In the time of the pandemic, one’s creativity becomes one’s life vest. The virus can always try to steal the body but never the soul of an artist.
Take for instance the separate journeys of Mike Sagaran, a painter, and Poppert Bernadas, a singer. Their artistry, heightened by the lockdown, becomes more pronounced in the time when everybody fights a common enemy. The virus is silent and unseen; their talents, felt and visible. They are ready to render hope and joy.
Their art is their defense. Gratitude is their armor.
Mike’s love affair with Vespa
With the prolonged lockdown last year, Mike Sagaran had plenty of time on his hands. He picked up his paintbrushes, faced the canvas, and painted away until he finished a series called “Vespa History.” In their stillness, the scooters in his canvases seem agile and mobile in their colors and execution. Each frame, ready to vroom away, depicting the impressionist style of the artist.
For his ongoing debut online exhibit, Mike partnered with ArtPHonline, a new online platform that showcases artworks of renowned and emerging local artists. His “Vespa History” series of nine paintings in acrylic feature the brand’s evolution throughout the years.
“Two of the paintings,” Mike happily says, “have been bought by broadcaster Julius Babao.”
Last year, his six vivid Taal Volcano paintings, before and during its eruption, were all bought by singer Louie Heredia for his Tagaytay home.
The bleak situation in the country at the height of the lockdown (“like the government’s ill management of the pandemic, the anxiety caused by retrenchment, and especially in my industry, tourism,” says Mike) gave him the inspiration to paint colorful artworks.
His “frustrations and desperations” were turned into something creative that he hoped would “somehow uplift the mood of people even for a few moments.”
Mike’s love affair with Vespa started when a celebrity DJ commissioned him to paint a vintage scooter model back in 2019. In his research, he learned about “its story, its significance during World War II, engineering innovations, classic Hollywood films influence, aesthetic originality and more.”
“I resumed painting three years ago when my (then) job as marketing communications head in a hotel required that I work in the province. I guess the feeling of being alone and far from the city, family and friends, plus the exposure in the natural world inspired me to paint again after years of not doing it,” says Mike, adding he was mentored by the likes of Ronald Ventura and Cenon Rivera at the University of Santo Tomas while taking up Fine Arts. He was a consistent winner in regional and national art competitions when he was in high school.
Mike admits he is a ball of fear and excitement, of anticipation and ferocity, of confusion and joy when he starts to create an artwork.
“And when it’s finished, I feel contented, calm, happy and grateful,” Mike says.
Of all, it’s the sense of gratitude that he favors the most. Mike has a grateful heart. It’s evident in his art.
Poppert’s love letter to his mom
A mother’s heart is always a comfort zone.
Singer and actor Poppert Bernadas, my colleague at the Cinema Evaluation Board, wrote his late mother Cristina three love letters and turned them all into songs. National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab, his mentor for 14 years at The Ryan Cayabyab Singers, composed the music for one of the letters titled Mama Ko. Marlon Barnuevo did the arrangement for the song to be distributed by Star Music beginning today.
The song is an excursion down memory lane — sweet in its melancholic beat, hopeful in its submission to reality, triumphant in its display of love. Mama Ko is proof that Poppert’s golden, skyrocketing voice is both cotton and steel, he has the capacity to make the listener feel light despite the unbearable stance. The song is a lullaby that rocks the soul. He beautifully tells stories through his singing so that even his pauses and breathing throughout the song are stories in themselves. The song is released today on all digital platforms, Spotify, iTunes and Deezer.
“Mama Ko was the first love letter I wrote for my beloved Mama who passed away three years ago. Payakap, Inay was the second one, which also became a song (with music and arrangement by Toto Sorioso) that was released last Mother’s Day,” says Poppert.
“This is the hardest of all the Ryan Cayabyab songs that I sang,” he says, adding that the arrangement is so high. In the middle part of the song, Poppert’s voice soars.
“Grabe yung gitna, lumilipad. Parang Streisand. Parang sa musical,” Poppert quoted Mr. C as saying.
Poppert had no formal training in music, except that he took after his father, his sister and aunt who were karaoke fanatics. He joined amateur singing contests, too, long before he entered college in UP Diliman to take up Tourism and a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning.
“When I was younger, maybe in Grade 2 or 3, Mama, a fish vendor in Davao City, would always bring me along and I would sing to her regular customers in the market and they would give me money. And every time I rendered a song, she would always smile,” Poppert recalls.
Poppert has never forgotten his mother’s sweet, sweet smile. When he sings, he always sees in his mind’s eye the memories of his mother, who was the first to believe that he could sing, that he would go far in singing, that he would reach his dreams.
To her, Poppert dedicates Mama Ko, a love letter, a gratitude song.
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