Centenary of Philippine National Artist for Music Jose Maceda Celebrated in Toronto

Left photo: Consul General Rosalita Prospero delivering remarks at the Canadian Premier of “Cassettes 100.” Right photo: Cultural Officer Cecile Santos and Mr. Bong Baranda participates in the 100-person performance.

21 November 2017 TORONTO — Toronto-based Andrea Mapili and Byron Abalos, along with Soulpepper Theatre Company and the UP Center for Ethnomusicology spearheaded the Canadian premier of “Cassettes 100” at the lobby of the Young Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto’s Distillery Historic District on November 19.

Mapili is the granddaughter of Philippines’ National Artist for Music, Prof. Jose Maceda.

The re-staging and Canadian examination of the piece launches Soulpepper’s Shen Development Festival, celebrating Asian Canadian artists. Soulpepper is Toronto’s largest not-for-profit theatre company.

An immersive inter-arts piece created by Prof. José Maceda, “Casettes 100” is a 30-minute Philippine music/movement piece where one hundred ‘musicians’ weave their way through and around an ‘audience,’ each carrying an MP3 player playing one of the hundred pre-recorded tracks of various Philippine instruments, voices and natural sounds. It was performed in 1971 at the lobby of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. 

The Canadian artistic community in Toronto, members the Filipino Community, together with the staff of the Philippine Consulate General took part in the 100-person. performance.

In her opening remarks, Consul General Prospero mentioned that the Philippine Consulate General is proud to associate itself with artistic endeavors that demonstrate the richness of the Filipinos’ cultural heritage.

This project is also supported by the Ontario Arts Council and is a part of “Maceda 100,” a year-long international celebration of the life, work and legacy of Prof. José Maceda. END

For more information, visit www.torontopcg.dfa.gov.ph/ www.philcongen-toronto.com or https://www.facebook.com/PHinToronto

Participants carrying MP3 players weaving their way through and around the audience