'Rama Hari' for a new generation of Filipinos

When “Rama Hari” premiered in 1980, then four-year-old Kalila Aguilos was blown away. "The music is so magical. “Rama Hari,” take it from my kid's point of view—you always trust children the way they perceive a play," she said during a press preview on October 17.

Kuh Ledesma was Sita, Basil Valdez was Rama, and Aguilos' mother Gigi Escalante was Shurpanakha. As it turned out, watching the pop ballet musical was a life-changing experience for Aguilos, who later chose "Magbalik Ka Na, Mahal," popularized by Ledesma, as her audition piece when she entered theater. This year, Aguilos alternates as Sita in “Rama Hari,” which will return to the stage of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, featuring Karylle as Sita and Christian Bautista as Rama. "It's a cultural spectacle," Aguilos said of “Rama Hari,” which features a libretto by National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera, music by Ryan Cayabyab, set and costume design by National Artist for Theater Design Salvador Bernal, and choreography by Ballet Philippines (BP) founder Alice Reyes. As BP President Margie Moran-Floirendo said, “Rama Hari” is almost historical. When “Rama Hari returns in November,” the performers as well as the audience will come from a new generation. "The last one was in the 90s, so it's a new generation. And I remember watching it in 1980. It actually launched the careers of Kuh Ledesma, Basil Valdez and Leo Valdez. It's really one of the greatest creations because the artists who put it together are still great up to now," Floirendo said. Noting that what makes “Rama Hari” special is how it brings together Filipino artists from different disciplines, BP's Artistic Director Paul Morales shared the reason for the collaboration. "It was part of Alice Reyes' strategy to bring more people to the theater by partnering them with artists from other genres," Morales said. Morales explained that apart from this, "having different art forms like words, literature, songs, and original music give a lot of impetus to new forms of dance, and a new spirit for dance." “Rama Hari” features BP's principal dancers Jean Marc Cordero and Richardson Yadao as Rama, and Carissa Adea and Katherine Trofeo as Sita. Universal values According to Morales, the lyrics, music and choreography come together to give you a different experience of the “Ramayana.” While it is "the most famous and significant Asian epic," one important contribution of “Rama Hari” is that it brings the story close to Filipinos. "Being mostly Christian, it's sort of distant from us. But for the rest of Southeast Asia, India, the 'Ramayana' is really the most important story. If you see and understand the story, it's about the universal values and quests that perhaps as people we have to go through, and the eternal searching for the light," he said. Like Aguilos, Morales as a young boy was fascinated with "Magbalik Ka Na, Mahal." "Kahit malalim siya, nabibigyan ka ng ibang klaseng damdamin, mas malalim yung pagunawa mo sa kanya kasi parang tinatamaan ka niya sa kaibuturan ng iyong puso, bilang makatha," he said. Bautista said the libretto was the most challenging part of “Rama Hari,” as they couldn't just memorize the lines. "Kailangan alamin mo bakit nila sinulat itong ganitong pagta-Tagalog nito at paano mo siya makakanta," he said. "It looks easy for us but masyadong malalim 'yung pagkasulat. Very poetic. Hindi lang namin siya kakantahin, we need to know the text very well. Hindi siya parang concert na you just memorize it," said Robert Seña, who plays Ravana. According to Karylle, despite the difficulty of the text, its beautiful language and the choreography work together to convey its meaning. "Malalim pero alam mong naiintindiihan mo kasi Pilipino tayo; it's part of us. We may learn it later on in life, but... 'yung tagos sa puso. That one song is my favorite because the language is so beautiful, and seeing them dance it also, talagang sapul. You really catch the meaning," said Karylle, referring to her favorite song in “Rama Hari,” "Iisa ang Tibok." There will also be English supertitles by National Artist Rolando Tinio. Aguilos noted that some of the lines were tweaked, to make it more accessible to the audience. "Mayroon siyang mga 'Type kita, Rama.' So the difficulty for the actors is to do that, to deliver those lines seriously. It's a dangerous thing to tread, accessibility, swardspeak, and being poetic. We have to find the right balance to deliver it in all seriousness and artistry," she said. Morales stressed that the show is a rare and unique experience, as there will only be 10 performances. "It's very difficult to come up with something original. It takes so much energy and so much grace that you get the right artists... the fact that it endures means there's really something special," Morales said. Rama Hari runs at the CCP from November 30 to December 9. The performers will be accompanied by the Manila Symphony Orchestra and the UP Concert Chorus. — KG, GMA News For more information, contact Ballet Philippines at (02) 5511003 or visit www.ballet.ph or www.facebook.com/balletphilippines