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| Levi Celerio - National Artist for Music |
This morning, a piano repairman came to our house to fix our old piano which was submerged in a flood a few years ago. He was referred to us by a gracious lady neighbor who plays the piano and who also had her piano repaired recently. Piano repairmen are rare artisans because aside from their piano repairing skills, they are also adept in music, in fact most of them play the piano by "oido".
After the introductions and negotiation on the piano repair cost, Mang Leo, the piano repairman, started to work and carefully disassembled the piano. Watching him work, I realized that piano repair is a very meticulous job. While working, he would engage any person near him in a conversation about music, artists, etc. After a while, we asked him to stop working and rest, and offered him some snacks. And while he was he resting, somebody turned on the TV for him to watch while eating his snacks. At one point, the popular singer Regine Velasquez was performing and upon seeing her on TV, he mentioned that it was his father who enjoined Ms. Velasquez to join a singing competition on TV which she eventually won. He got me curious and I asked who his father is? Nonchalantly, he replied : "Si Levi Celerio po."
Yes, you read it right. The Levi Celerio, our National Artist for Literature and Music, and composer of our national Christmas carol, "Ang Pasko ay Sumapit ". And the only recognized "Leaf Musician" in the world by Guinness Book of World Records. Realizing who his father is, I said that his father is a National Artist, and a famous composer.
If I am impressed with Mang Leo's artisan skills earlier, now I am also impressed with his musical lineage. I guess our piano is in good hands.
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| Levi Celerio - Leaf Musician |
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