Earth Day Gig at CCP (April-22) etc

We'll be at the CCP garden in the afternoon. I hope the sun doesn't get too harsh at midday, but it should start going down by 3PM when we get there. I'll be bringing sunblock, shades, whatever cap matches my clothes and refreshments. After we play the CCP Earth Day gig, we'll proceed to our evening gig in Makati (to the new ARDI's Jazz Bar {a.k.a.DENCIO's} along Jupiter Street corner Reposo). We got wind from Jazzphil prexy Sandra Lim that Manila's jazz vocalist supreme, Mon David, is celebrating his London victory at our gig. Hey hey hey! We expect a lot of musicians to pop in and jam. Saturday should be a fun day and night.

AFFINITY personnel: Johnny Alegre (guitar), Koko Bermejo (drums), Joey Quirino (keyboards) and Dave Harder (acoustic bass).

http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/-weekender-hot-this-weekend-/2006/04/20/1592737.htm

Earth Day at the CCP on Saturday (April 22) will start at 6:30 a.m. and end at 8 p.m. It is open to the public. For more information, call 832-3702 or 832-1125 locals 1125 and 1126.

PROGRAMME 7:30 a.m. Main Stage "Pulso ng Lupa" (Earth Rhythms) featuring KONTRAGAPI 8 a.m. Main Stage OPENING CEREMONIES Welcome Remarks by Nestor O. Jardin, CCP President Kontragapi performance Presentation of New Art Installation at Liwasang Kalikasan Ballet Philippines performance 8:30 a.m. Main Stage "Pulso ng Lupa" (Earth Rhythms) featuring KONTRAGAPI 9 a.m. Main Stage Opening of Winner Foundation's Art Contest for Kids 9:30 a.m. Grassy Area Winner Foundation's art contest proper 10 a.m. Main Stage and CCP Main Ramp KONTRAGAPI performance / CYCAD flag down 10:30 a.m. Main Stage "Pulso ng Lupa" (Earth Rhythms) featuring KONTRAGAPI 11 a.m. Grassy Area Haribon's "Storytelling Under the Trees" Noon to 2 p.m. Bazaar Booths Demonstrations by various organic exhibitors 2 p.m. Grassy Area Haribon's "Storytelling Under the Trees" 3 p.m. Main Stage Announcement of Art Contest winners "Mga Tinig Para Sa Lupa" (Melodies for the Earth) featuring KALA Fashion Show featuring the creations of the DLSU-CSB School of Design and Arts students 3:30 p.m. Main Stage "Mga Tinig Para Sa Lupa" (Melodies for the Earth) featuring JOHNNY ALEGRE'S AFFINITY 4 p.m. Main Stage "Indak-indak Para Sa Lupa" (Dance for the Earth) featuring BALLET REPERTORY 5 p.m. Main Stage CLOSING CEREMONIES Closing Remarks of Fernando C. Josef, CCP Vice-President & Artistic Director "Pagpapalaya ng Lupa, Tubig, Hangin" (Freeing the Earth, Water and Air) - a presentation of collaborative works Closing Remarks of Emily Abrera, Chairperson, CCP Board of Trustees 6: p.m. Main Stage "Pulso ng Lupa" (Earth Rhythms) featuring EMIL SANGLAY AT PENPEN.

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The Cultural Center of the Philippines is taking a new and equally important advocacy - environmental protection. Admittedly, the center is venturing into unfamiliar territory, but CCP president Nestor Jardin said it is about time.

"The CCP has not been involved in environmental protection. But I felt that culture and the arts could do a lot to help promote the protection of the environment."

Part of the development plan for the CCP Complex is to maintain 50% open spaces comprising of gardens, parks, public art spaces, pedestrian walkways and roads, according to CCP's desire to create a recreational and educational venue in a natural urban forest setting.

Thus with partners Haribon Foundation, Winner Foundation, the La Sallian Institute for the Environment (LIFE), the Philippine Tropical Forest Conservation Foundation (PTFCF), Cycling Advocates (CYCAD), Organic Producers and Traders Association (OPTA) and GMA 7, CCP is launching "Sibol: Earth Day at the CCP" on April 22 at Liwasang Kalikasan.

The 1.6-hectare Liwasang Kalikasan along Roxas Boulevard is a lightly wooded area that the CCP wants to transform into an ecological showcase and a venue for cultural and educational activities following the example of the Arroceros Forest Park in Manila.

The area is currently a manicured garden dotted with coconut trees and sculptures by ASEAN artists. The existing trees will be transferred to other parts of the complex and replaced with indigenous trees.

Mr. Jardin said through this project, he hopes to raise more awareness for both culture and the environment. Sibol aims to promote the "culture- life" concept, which utilizes arts and culture as a means to promote environmental preservation. "Culture protects life," he said.

He said early Filipinos coexisted with their environment in a mutually beneficial and regenerating basis.

"Dependence on nature didn't mean destroying it."

Mr. Jardin added that he wanted to put together a research team that would study traditional cultural practices that can be used as takeoff point to show how modern society can also coexist with nature.

"Culture protects life. Contemporary arts can promote the value of protecting nature. [Since] the arts is experiential, [then] inculcating this value on the youth is possible."

Equally significant is their aim to prove that the arts is a vehicle for social transformation. CCP is also involved in educating people to fight graft and corruption through its outreach projects, radio show and theater presentation "Anatomiya ng Korupsiyon" (Anatomy of Corruption).

"[We hope] people will realize that the arts [are] not merely entertainment," said Mr. Jardin.

Developing Liwasang Kalikasan will require P22 million. The NCCA started the ball rolling with a P1-million grant. The CCP hopes private corporations will find the project worth helping so Liwasang Kalikasan will be fully developed by next year. Public performances of traditional arts, eco-cultural exhibitions, crafts workshops for kids and guided tours are among the activities planned for the park. The day-long festivities on Saturday will give the public a taste of the potential of the forest park. Concerts, art contests, storytelling under the trees, organic market, fashion show, demonstrations on organic gardening and cycling are some of the activities in the lineup.