PING JOAQUIN, FILIPINO JAZZ PIANIST, LOVING FATHER, LOYAL FRIEND

When I was about six years old and attending kindergarten class, I was allowed by my mother to go with my father Porfirio (better known as Ping) in a few piano playing engagements he had around Manila. Foremost among them were the Army Navy Club, Manila Polo Club, Philippine Sea Frontier, and functions at the various diplomatic offices for we were still a young country then co managed by the United States government. You see, Papa was a already a noted Jazz pianist long before I was even born. In fact, he was known among Filipino Jazz musicians as the king of jazz pianists somewhere during the mid thirties. Papa however corrected the fellow musicians by saying "the term Pianists are those who play classical concerts. I play American Jazz so I am called a piano player". And Papa Ping really loved what he was doing. Good looking, personable and a gentleman invariably when he was playing the popular Jazz numbers of the era, the ladies would gravitate to his piano and admiringly watch as he played. I suspect quite a few came rather too close for comfort to my father.

Baptized Porfirio the family fondly called himi "Peping" and later shortened to "Ping" .

It was during the early twenties when he began to switch from classical pieces to Jazz piano numbers as influenced by Fats Waller, Art Tatum and Count Basie - the very talented Negro musicians and loved it.

In time, Papa was already leading a 12 piece Jazz orchestra with contracts abroad like Hongkong, Shanghai, and even in Indonesia.

By the late thirties Papa Ping no longer accepted bookings abroad and on luxury liners, but instead decided to be close to his growing family (I was the eldest and the two girls followed soon after) so he eventually settled for contracts to play at stage shows in Manila theatres starting at the Savoy Theatre (which was renamed Clover after the war). This was when movie houses showed Hollywood movies and in between were the live stage shows, where many who started out as vodavil (they called them that) performers eventually made it in Philippine films and television shows in the fifties and sixties.

Soon, tragedy struck, but Ping was unfazed when his dear father Leocadio suffered his fatal stroke. Immediately, Ping became the sole breadwinner for his mother and nine siblings...and looking back I might say he did wonderfully well.

Not much of the typical father image, I do not recall too many precious moments alone with him save for the usual daily trip when he dropped me off at the Ateneo Grade School in Intramuros and when I would keep him company at the Far Eastern University grounds while waiting for my mother Sarah finish her teaching chores during the early evening hours. Too bad Ping and Mama Sarah could not complete their life together as husband and wife and in 1946 they split up. I was 16 then. Nenita was 14 and Baby was 12. Our young lives were overturned or so it seemed that time. But we stayed with our mother and managed, under the circumstances, to complete our schooling and continued our adventure in life.

Towards the late thirties just years before the Pacific War broke out, Papa Ping worked full time with a brokerage at the Manila South Harbor as Cashier. What I am proud to recall was when suddenly we were at war on December 8, 1941. My father, still with the salaries of employees in his vault still took pains in looking for the addresses of most of the employees and delivering their salaries in their respective homes! That made me proud of him, a true heroic gesture. At the time, offices were closed and law and order had begun to break down. Papa Ping could have just pocketed the salaries and no one would have probably missed it. But, he looked at the situation as an opportunity to do one last act of looyalty, and considered it his sense of duty and loyalty to his position, his firm and his fellow employees.

HEAD:  PING JOAQUIN BAND LEADER CLOVER THEATRE

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Porfirio, oldest of nine children of Leocadio and Salome Joaquin also known to ofriends a Peping was already enamored by the new kind of music the Americans had introduced to the Philippoines when the United States won the country from the Spaniards in 1898 having won the Spanish American War.  And so, having learned to play classical piano, Ping then switched to Jazz piano and began playing to earn money in local Manila clubs especially those managed by the white folks and participated in by the diplomatic corps of foreign countries. Ping layed before the foreign community at the Army and Navy Club, The Manila Polo Club, the Casino Espanol and the like).  Sad to say, upon the take over of the Americans from the Spanish  authorities, the Filipino locals, the natives who the Spaniards dubbed “indios” were prohibited from even entering or even the thought of joining these “white only: clubs.  But Papa Ping as a hired talent, a known Jazz pianist during those times was given an Id allowing him to come and go as he pleased whenever the hire his services during club events.  In one of those events he took me a five year old boyd, with him and I sat beside his upright piano as he played.  I saw that the only Filipnos there were the waiters and busboys.  And outside the wire fence was the sign “Dogs and natives keep out!”

Papa Ping was doing well by playing his piano selections and occasionally he would bring over a trio or a quartette.  Consequently, Papa Ping was happy to do his bit by sharing most of his income with his widowed mother Salome.  For they had a large family. His father, Leocadio quite well known as a barrister through dramatic skills in the practice of law in and out of Manila one day collapsed from a massive cerebral stroke. 

With that big blow on other family with he one sole income dead, Ping had to suddenly become the sole family breadwinner.

So, he had to work harder not only as  solo pianist in foreign managed clubs and associations but also in local vodavil stage shows a type of performance tht the Aericans brought over from their mainland.

My relationship with Papa Ping was strange in the sense that I was not close to him at all lconsidering that I was his eldest andonly son.  Two sisters followed me and I noticed they got most of the usual love and hugs from both my parents.  But I had practically nothing over those years even when we were alone together at home which was rare for my father was out most of the time.  To many Filipino families, the father son relationship is usually idealized by showing them playing sports together either at back yards or at a park, going out to the   movies together or having a picnic.  Even In his own Joaquin family with Ping as the eldest of nine siblings, sports was not the priority factor, but books, arts and letters were. Still very few discussed literature.  Papa was the musician, uncle Nick was a writer and was awarded the title of Philippine National Artist for Literature of the Philippine Government, Augusto was a fine pen and ink portraitist and Wilfredo who died during the war was also one beginning to show skills in writing especially in his second year in college, and so was Adolfo the youngest of the brothers who wrote fine pieces as labor leader in one of the Manila banks.

Stopped page 4 Nov. 21 ag 2:45 p.m.

But even then, I expected Papa to offer at least to teach me to play the piano.  Nothing like that came fromhim.  I hwas to be sent to several piano teachers over the years – but the result was zilch. Pehps, I was not really that passionate about learning the instrument, but I have been an avid admirer of pianist both classical and Jazz over the years up to this very day.

Looking back at my father Ping now that I am already in the winter of my earthly life, I view him as another Filipno male with his faults as well as assets.  What really attracted my mother, young as she was then as a young college instructor was his fair and good looking face and wavy dark browning hair.  And he was definitely a charmer enhanced through his being a pianist (he would often share his experiences whenever he had a gig as a piano solo performer during cocktail and dance parties in one of the Manila clubs; women would sit beside him on the standard pianist bench which would accommodate another person, and inevitably this would lead to more intimate relationships with whoever the “lucky”lady was seated beside him.  In fact over the years Papa had developed many forieng friends from the diplomatic corps, British, American, German and others, especialy Spain for papa spoke fluent ?Castillian ?Spanish as did my mother ?Sarah who also taught Spanish in the university.

So, given these facts, I readily understood his lifestyle which was carved our by his kind of work – piano ogigs in Manila, overseas, on ocean liners, Asian cities and the type of bachelor kind of living which he never shwed even after havng  married Mama Sarah.  And this despite Mama’s “tolerance” was not changed even if he tried and I know for a while both tried. In fact, as a young fie year old I know that they would go to Quapo church together and crawl on their knees from the entrance to the alter as they prayed the rosary as penance!  This they did for several week as I waited seated on the last row of the church.  But, it did not work, at least for Papa. That was hoe strong the habit and addiction was over women and his deep seated lifestyle of wine, women and song.

Over the years, I do not recall that he ever took me to the movies alone with him.  My grandparents were the ones who often took me alongto watch Taalog movies more often.  One day it was my grandmother ?Carlota. Another day my grandfather Balbino.  But grandapoa Balbino was more ionto taking me with huim to his office where he worked in San Juan as Provncial Treasurer.  Those were thd summer months just bfore war broke out inj 1941.  Why, he even had a panama hat specialy made for me modeled after his own which he made me wear as we walked down towards his office not far from our home in San Juan.  There, under the watrdh full eye of his orderly I would play alone with a basketball until he was ready to go home for his lunch and a nap.

When Papa left our hope for good I discovered that he had already been unfaithful even when I was just a baby when he was fooling around with my nursdemaid, according to Mama Sarah.  So, right after 1945 Mama decided to separate from Papa but not without some recrimination and shouting at the dinner table to the detriment of us three children.  In a way we were glad the bickering ended, but we ceretainly felt the separation deeply affecting our studies very much.  I was only 16 when it happened.  My sister Nenita was 14 and Baby was only 12.

When Papa was not under contract abroad or on board any liner he would be playing in one of the Manila stage shows – vodavil.  Sometimes he had gigs for two theatres playing alternately between film showngs until the time when Savoy (which later became Clover) got him to be the theagtre’s Musical Director. It was great fun for a 6 year old to be with Papa in ths world od local show biz where young actors, dancers (especially girls) learned to hone their skills doing several shows each night uncludng weekend.  At times when Papa was busy with rehearsals with the band, he would leave mde under trhe care of one of the chorus girls backstage where I waould be fed candies and other goodies. I love them for they were young teen age beauties who truly loved young kids like me.  I got to learn about their little “world” which reality and fantasy would meet and at times many would lose touch of one or the other and of course heartaches that come int play.  There was a time when Papa was threated by one budding singer who really knew nothing about notes and stuff like that.  A young lad from the province auditioning for a part in the show, he was arrogant and shouted at Papa who sat by the uprgith piano in the ochrestra pit just belore the apron of trhe stage.  Papa tried to be calm and asked him the key to his song, and the poor fellow did not understand what Papa meant and even raised his voice and said cuss words ending with threats to Papa’s life.  He then stormed away and decided not to purse trhe audition.  Papa, visibly upset as well took the threat seriously.  Luckily, over the years at Savoy ?Theatre he got to know several hangers on at the theatre who once in a while he would hand some money for coffee or cigarettes. One such personwas Max, a retired amateur boxer.  He was there and sometimes would go and watch one of the shows courtesy of a pass from Papa.  That very day, during a break n the show Papa told Max about the incident and Max assured Papa that he, Max would be right outside when Papa left for home aftr the show.  This Papa did and nothing untowards happed that night nor any other night. 

In fairness to Mama, Papa never really lived as supportive a husband should be to Mama. In fact, his lifestyle as a bachelor continued long after we three children were born.  Mama was the main breakwinner for Papa’s pay was little owing to his life style. Mama suffered in silence until she decided to write her book OF LAUGHTER AND TEARS. After I read her book, I felt so sorry I did not support her views of Papa for I did not know it was that serious.

HIS BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD

Papa Ping, was baptized Porfirio but whose pet name in the family of Leocadio and Salome was Peping or simply Ping.  He learned and enjoyed classical piano in his youth, but later after hearing of the new music that the new colonizers (the Americans) had brought over to the country, which was American Jazz Music, he got ensnared

by it.  That changed his attitude towards piano playing.  He soon became enamored to play Jazz piano.  The vogue at the

The Plight of Filipino Jazz musicians from the thirties to the present time.

One sad fact about Philippine Jazz Musiacians is the fact that they failed to form a union that would have erned the respect of society especially those who employed them.  A major employere were hotels who often hired Filipono Jazz bands for their special events.  A few foreign owned hotels paid much better for they knew the industry standards in other cities in ?Asia.  However, other local hotels, theatres and even film studios that hired these musicians often underpaid the hapless musicians terribly and the sad thin was they “acceptec” that terribly low fee which later became the “practice” From then on, no minimum was ever able to be established.  This was known as “cutthroat” competition.  Very sad indeed.  In fairness to those musicians who attempted to form a viable union they tried but a few years later failed to maintain it and dropped the whole idea.  Todate no union has ever been formed to serve the needs and support the dignity of Filipino Jazz musicians.  Along this line, it was duing Martial Law when Mrs. Imelda Marcos took it upon herself to issue a decree raising the salaries of musicians – both classical and Jazz toa decent and acceptal level which has prevailed up to this present time.  This then was also the main reason that the better Jszz sidemen have opted to play gigs and long term contrcts in other Asiwn cities like Hongkong Shanghai and Osaka or Jakata.

How he related to us after the break up

When Papa left our home, there was that gaping emptiness whichwe felt especially when Christmas came that year – the first Christmas he was not around. That hurt terribly!Christmas even my sisters were with their friends and I was with mine while Mama with other fellow college instructors celebrating the occasion in the university.  The house was empty of anyone.

Soon after, once we knew about Papa’s apartment we would come over to visit him in Pasay district by bus.  However, during stage shows in the week we three would go over to a restaurant right across from the theatre called DENCIA’S where we had lunch, his treat. In that waw we could see him at lest twice a mnonth without disrupting his schedules.  This his main sourc of income and now living alone he had his salary all t himself, bot Mama was now the only one supporting us.  In time, Mama found  in difficult to support three of ous in college and so she had to sell our house on Arlegui street – which was full of memories from 1938 until 1951. And we moved to one iof the duplexes owned by my aunt in ?San Juan, which was on the same property where we used to live during my days In kindergarten.  However, we sayed in the duplex while aunt Manuela who now owned the properety lived in the main house that we used to stay in in the mid thirties.

How he related with Mom when they met and lived together.

In fairness to Papa, during those days when I was still learning to walk, Papa would work with Mama in musical plays for her alma mater Centro Escolar de Senoritas – he provided the music while she directed the whole show. This was also the case in Far Eastern University whenever Mama had to present a stage show, Papa provided the musical direction.

It was during the Libertion days (1945) inf Manila that the separation too place. It appeared that a family friend and fellow theatre director of my mother were often together and Papa was never to be found most of the time even if he was not working as a pianist or bandleader.  So, an affair developed  beween her and the man.  It was at this time theyhad a show down.  And Papa left the home shortly after. We stayed with Mama Sarah.  Right after he left us a contract came about at the right time which he grabbed.  It was a one year bandlleading contract to play n a Hongkong nghtspote with a 12 piece all Filipino band. So, left left and we did not see him for a whole year.

One difficulty most Catholics who decided to separate in our country is that once separated they cannot remarry for there was no divoroce in the Church. What they can opt for is annulment which was also difficult and exensive.  So, like so many other coules in the country, they live with other partners “in sin” for they cannot secure a divorce.  But that policy is being discussed and hopefully diforce will soon be allowed for Filipino Catholics and annulment is now relatrively eacy and less expensive to get.

PAPAS’S JAZZ STYLE OF PLAYING.

Papa enjoyed playing the Ragime or Dixieland brand of Jazz.  He also learned to play with much skill what they termed “stride bass” which was achieved by the left hand

playing rhythm while the right hand the melody.  This was

done whenever there was no upright bass available. 

One peculiar misconception in Manila society was that musicians were considred like court jesters and therefore should not be paid for their work.  So, when Jazz pianists began to work as instrumentalists or pianists they were surprised to find that hardly anyone wanted to pay what was justifiably right.  So, Filipino musicians prefer to play in ocean liners of hotels abroad to earn decent wages. Jazz musicians were not considered “professions” unlike the traditional elitist careers like engineering, law, business and finance, or Medicine. 

In the middle of 1940 Lolo Binong was able to recommend Papa Ping to work as  Cahier in a port facility called MANILA PORT TERMINAL.  He felt at home there for Papa spoke fluent Spanish and besides Lolo  Binong was worried about his work as Jazz pianist which might not deliverthe necessary support need for us three children and the family needs.During his prewar stint as Cashier indicated the extent of our togetherness when he would take me by car to the Ateneo Grade School premisesinside the Walled City  before he proceeded to his Port Area office several blocks away toward Pier 7  The Manila Port Terminal office.

PAPA DIES.

I learned a lot about my father then, from all the kind words that people who camehad for Ping Joaquin.  It is what eased the numbness and the pain of
loss so that in giving the eulogy, I was amazingly in control of my
emotions.  It was not losing my father that was on my mind nor
grieving over that loss.  It was more important for me then to reach
out and express my gratitude to all those who had taken the time to
condole and pray with us.  After two days, Papa Ping was buried at the Loyola Heights cemetery in Quezon City where Lola Omeng is also buried.  While I was the one who delivered the eulogy at the funeral Mass at Sto. Domingo where Papa was waked, it was Tito Onching (Nick Joaquin) who, in his own inimitable and talented way, expressed his feelings at his eldest brother's passing. He titled his verse

BYE BYE JAZZBIRD

1.
A death in the family.  Relatives
you haven't seen since the last
death in the family reappear
like furniture from your past
reassembled for a movie about it.
Reassembling now only as props.
Tools of custom, vessels of ceremony,
footlights (as it were) and backdrops,
to celebrate not a death but the family
here having one of its final stops,
here it continues where it stops.

2.
No one is here as a person,
only as the correct representative
of his branch of the line.  Only
the man that's dead is here as himself
is discussed as such.  "Rather lonely,
his last days."  "Well, he was on the shelf,
all these years.   "He was renting
that crummy apartment?"  "No, just a part
of the upstairs."  "Collapsed, alone
with his cats--whom someone should be representing
they were so dear to him."  "From the start
of the stroke, unconscious,"
"Four o'clock dawn,"
"died like his tather, cerebral hemorrhage,"
the crowded wake has a lively tone.

3.
 From the unfamiliar old man
in the coffin, from the scant-haired head
and ill-fitting dentures, memory slides
back to the golden boy who began
with curls on his brow and a rash of red
birthmarks on his body.  "Suerte!  Suerte!"
soothsayers intoned.  So fair, and besides,
so talented.  A prince of a  youth!
Collegial Del ATENEO.  At fifteen,
pianist and stowaway.  And in truth
the piano was what he rode to America:
It was his magic carpet, his flying horse.
A good delinquent, he.
Mad about music, high on Jazz
and ragtime, all that razzmatazz
When sheik and flapper were just dying
To fox trot under the bamboo tree.

4.
Shift the scene to Manila
late in the 1920s.  Vaudeville
tops show-biz.   It's cash with class.
On Plaza Goiti is the Savoy
with its nifties.  Plaza Santa Cruz
nightly shines with the rainbow hues
of the Rivoli Theatre, which has
the "Varieties."  And our princely boy
stars there now as King of Jazz
leading the band.  He stabs the keys
as leggy high-kicking Nena Warsaw
knocks her knees against her torso.
His piano groans as the sailors howl.
Hot as Maggie Calloway got 'em
while she shimmies her black bottom.
Grace Darling steers him to a scowl
as he starts a tune right up her alley:
I wonder what's become of Sally.
Perches Miss Katy de la Cruz
scatting away the St. Louis Blues
on his piano.  A 1920
and comic tango for Vicente
Ocampo, he follows with a hot mama
number for the Alabama
Brothers crackling mestizo bone
as they teach Miami the Charleston.
What blue notes for his favorite trouper:
Star of the show, Miss Dimples Cooper,
and the Rivoli is jumping when,
syncopating, the King of Jazz
hauls up the ultimate razzmatazz.
Happy days are here again.

5.
Not always happy days, though.
Not always hoopla ad whoopee
and hey-hey in that long ago
of young Jazz, backstage bitchings.  The droopy
and draggy rehearsals at one a.m.
Shows on the road with crook managers
fleeing with the funds.  "We ate our phlegm."
How about that tour of Shanghai
and Harbin when the troupe ended up
stranded in darkest Siberia
and one of the girls went blind. . .
"However, thank God it's the good times
somehow that get left behind
in memory.  Never mind
that we took awful chances."
The "we" being Hanasan, Fritzie, Toytoy,
Carmencita Llopiz, Charito Sanchez,
the Morales sisters, Adolfo Lopez--
Names from an era of joy
and a fun town simply swarming
with stands he played "extra" and solo:
The Elks, the Tiro al Blanco, The Army
and Navy, the Old Manila Polo
Club (where you had to be hoity-toity).
Legazpi Landing, tom's at Goiti . . .
Field where the living was easy,
they kept his piano busy
and hot as a sorcerer's apprentice
back in the Roaring 1920s.

6.
The living is rougher afterwards,
and the music.  The old Savoy
is dead; the Rivoli gone
with Vaudeville.  He's on the run:
Surabaya, Hongkong, Los Angeles,
South Africa.  The Cine Palace
where an older Katy is dumped by callous
crowds.  The elegance of the nights
and the Rival revues of the past
haunt him as he humors his last
audiences.  In the 1950s
he's still on-stage--at the Star, at the Clover,
where vaudeville makes a last stand,
and he's still at it, ben over
a keyboard when burlesque is the Grand
Finale of the Variety show.

End of entry

This is one of the songs I recorded last Month.

▶ The nearness of you by Tony

Joaquin - YouTube

Our yearly newsletter

Our 2013 newsletter.

 

As we celebrate the coming of our Lord, we ask that His glorious coming enlighten us with his message of  hope, faith and love during this Christmas season.

This year about to end was both a challenging one but a happy journey for the members of our Joaquin family. Chita continually works closely with our church, St. Clare, the biggest parish in the Diocese of Sacramento made up of 45,000 families from various national strains.  Chita has been actively serving as one of the Eucharistic Ministers and sits as one of the five members of the Finance Council and a member of the Filipino Liturgy committee. Tony on the other hand, when called upon, conducts talks on "How to write a memoir." for different senior communities around the neighborhood.

We never fail to thank the Lord that our children and their families are blessed with good health and are happy with what they are doing. Despite the fact that Cristina and Lizza live far away from us, we manage to see them when their schedules allow. We are happy to spend a few days with Lizza when she visited us in October. We never fail to bond with Cristina every time she has a regular flight to San Francisco. We are glad that Jay and his family live in San Francisco which is a short trip from our place. As for Bobby and Gina, we see them often for they are five minutes away from us.

Our grandsons are awesome: Mikee is now doing choreography based in Queensland, Australia. Nico on the other hand is graduating next year with a BS in Kinesiology and is doing Apostolic work by teaching religion classes to 5th and 6th graders in our parish. Julian, who is 10 years old, was awarded  the "Super Kid" for the month of October for his outstanding academic performance. He also garnered the title of "Athlete of the month"  for his distinctive skills in basketball and Soccer.

In April, we found ourselves in a cruise through the Panama Canal locks.  Chita was able to record this trip on film especially the dramatic opening and closing of the locks to accommodate a ship passing through. During this cruise they were able to tour Cartagenas, Aruba, Costa Rica, Panama and Grand Cayman.

After the cruise Tony's kidney was found to be failing and therefore he had to begin dialysis. He goes to a nearby center three times a week for three hours each time. Happily, the hemo dialysis is doing him good for Tony is now healthier, stronger and in good spirits.

With Tony's regained energy, his doctors gave him permission to travel to Manila in September to attend the wedding of Chita's godson, June Fernandez to Donna Soriaga. Before the wedding, We took a trip to Palawan, enjoyed the city's tourist attractions and its beaches. We also experienced sailing through the famed underground river with interesting rock formations which make river cruise worthwhile.

While in Manila, we were able to visit friends and relatives especially those who were sick.

A happy event was the luncheon that Tetau (Cesar) and Carmen Sison hosted for Tony and attended by fellow Ateneo High School class 1948 at their residence.

The Pandamates (a group of friends we travelled with to China) hosted a luncheon for us. We regret to learn of the passing of Tom Tan one of the Pandamates last Dec. 11 from live cancer.

For the first time, we were able to see the newly constructed house of Cristina and Jowin at Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, a new development of the Ayala Corporation.  We were sorry to hear that Jowin’s father, Honore, passed away on December 15.

An unexpected event was that we were very happy to bond with Zenaida’s son and our nephew Chip, his wife Sarah and his son Soli whom we have not seen for a long, long time. Chip and Sarah are continuing their studies in Cebu. Soli is such an adorable kid.

We continue to pray for the victims of that terrible earthquake and supertyphoon that ravaged Leyte and neighboring towns as the poor survivors painfully try to rebuild their lives and livelihood. We pray that God give them much needed comfort and resignation for their lost ones.

We fervently wish that you have a Blessed Christmas and a more peaceful New Year filled with hope and love.

Tony and Chita

December 2013

--

Jose Mari Avellana, 70

"When I turned to the audience to call for a doctor in the house (a phrase I never dreamed I’d use one day; I mean how clichéd is that?) I was faced with an uncomprehending audience, glued to their seats. I later learned that many had thought it was all part of the show . Mari’s family rushed up onstage, his daughters near hysteria. When they sat him up, he vomited what looked like at least a bucket of blood. I yelled instinctively. I’m not sure if it was in horror or fear, or panic, but at that moment, the very real prospect of losing my friend hit me like a gale-force blow to the guts. I gave in to my tears." This was how Bart Guingona, co-actor, recounted the truly dramatic but real moment when the lead actor JOSE MARI AVELLANA in the Repertory play TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE collapsed while on stage. Mari suffered from an attack of his ulcers. Mari later got an award for his superb acting in the play. Not long after, Mari did a splendid job of directing Nick Joaquin’s classic play A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS FILIPINO as presented by REPERTORY PHILIPPINES INC. Mari’s stage directorial assignment for A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino was cited by Gawad Buhay, the PHILSTAGE Awards for the Performing Arts for the year 2009. Jose Mari Avellana, played the major role of a professor named Morrie who was dying of Lou Gherig’s disease and in the process was teaching his student about life. At first “Tuesdays with Morrie” was a novel and later one it became a movie in the U.S. the major role played by Jack Lemon which won acclaim for Lemon. In speaking about the play, Mari said that he identifies with the role of Morrie because he said that he also went after the wrong things in his life. Mari interprets the character that he portrays in this manner: “I’m not going to look at death—I’m going to look at life; see its good side.” Yes, he will accept that he is dying. His objective is to make his life useful and meaningful, if not for him then for other people.” For fifteen years, Mari managed to stir clear of doing Philippine film directions and dwelt mostly in stage, television and low budget films for export working with Cirio Santiago who started as a young film director. Among his projects included his work on films for export known also as Class B films which the elder Avellana dubbed as the “kiss-kiss, bang-bang,” type. In contrast, he, was producing prize winning films classics like “Anak Dalita,” “Badjao” and “Kundiman ng Lahi” – all winning awards in foreign film festivals as well as in the Philippines When asked why he didn’t enter the Philippine movie industry over the past fifteen years, Mari replied, “My father (the first dual category National Artist Lamberto Avellana for stage and screen) was, since before the war, a towering figure as a leading film director in Philippine cinema.” He adds, “You don’t fool around with the maestro.”I didn’t want my films to be compared to his and hear comments like ‘anak pa naman ni Direk, nakakahiya!’” Santiago, a veteran producer and director, saw the potential of developing Mari for production work and therefore gave him full latitude and exposure in the world of low budget films as an actor, production designer, writer, and director. Mari Avellana’s work as writer and director for “BlackBelt 2: Fatal Force” was awarded two stars by the Video Movie Guide – an internationally respected movie database publication. is one of the few Filipino Directors included in the international filmography of films available on video. Jose Mari’s varied and multi disciplinary career began with his first job as an announcer with DZFM radio in the early part of 1960, while still pursuing a college degree. After his graduation in 1962, Mari became the first TV director for PBS Channel 4. In the next year, his uncle Jose “Totoy” Avellana, organized an advertising agency, Avellana and Associates, and recruited him to work as an Account Executive, AND later promoted to the position of Director of Radio-TV. In the 80’s, he joined his father, National Artist for Film and Theatre, Lamberto V. Avellana in his business- DOCUMENTARY INC. As Producer-Director for Documentary Incorporated, he was responsible for a number of award-winning documentaries and specialized films. He also produced cultural, advocacy, and tourism-oriented films, as well as technical and informational audiovisual presentations for the National Media Production Center and other government agencies. When his father died Mari Avellana finally decided to enter the Philippine film industry where he began to carve a small niche for himself as a actor, writer and director. His initial directorial venture into commercial filmmaking, titled “Kung Mawawala Ka Pa”, bagged the Best Film Trophy at the Metro Manila Film Festival of 1993 for Reyna Films. As an actor, Avellana won the Best Supporting Actor award during the Manila Film Festival 2003 for his role in “Operation Balikatan”. He admits, though, that he got interested in film just by watching his father at work. He confessed that as a child, he marveled at his dad staging a battle scene on the grounds of UST, or directing actors armed with guns shooting at each other on top of a hill. Once, Mari decided to play horsey-horsey with a broomstick on their street. He strayed into the movie set two houses away from where they lived, not knowing that the camera was rolling. Suddenly, he could hear his dad shouting at the top of his voice, “Sino ’yang p****g i**ng nag-iingay na ’yan!?” The biggest thrill of his life was when Quentin Tarantino visited the Philippines and came looking for him. It seems Tarantino was a fan of Mari’s films. When they finally met, the “Pulp Fiction” director told Mari that he ripped off a dialogue from his movie, “Black Belt 2,” and used it in “Kill Bill”! “He even recited the lines!,” recalls Mari. In 1991. Armida Siguion-Reyna’s son, Carlitos, was busy with another project, and so Armida asked Mari to direct “Kung Mawawala Ka Pa,” which won at the Metro Manila Film Festival. In 1993. Later, he would win other acting and directing awards from Famas, Urian and the Film Academy of the Philippines. But, Mari’s love for the stage never waned. Even while shooting a film, he and Leo Martinez would ask permission from Cirio Santiago to attend rehearsals of a play. Mari admits that he honed his acting talents on the stage at Far Eastern University, where he worked with theater veterans, Nick Agudo and Sarah Joaquin the university’s well known drama coach. Eventually, his mom, Daisy Avellana (National Artist for Theater), asked him to join Barangay Theater Guild, where his first assignment was a non-speaking role in “Macbeth.” Mari says one reason he said yes to acting the role of Morrie with the Repertory Theatre Philippines ‘“Tuesdays with Morrie” was to prove that he could still memorize long lines despite his age. He was happy he did it and won an award to boot. Among his laurels, Mari Avellana are several award winning specialized films, documentaries and short features; a Famas and NCC Centennial Awardee because of his direction of “Damong Ligaw”. a Best Screenplay award for the same film; and a Golden Globe Award for Best Specialized film with “Geothermal Energy Now”, Mari was given an Oscar Special Award for Foreign Soap Operas because of “Salisalising Buhay”; and he brought home an Emmy Award for Best Foreign Docu-drama with “The Lenny Villa Story”. Referred to as an Actor’s Director, because he can draw out the best in each performer; Avellana’s passionate nationalism, his deep sense of history, extensive theatre experience, especially his background in journalism, photography, broadcasting, did him well. Definitely Mari brings out the legendary “Avellana Touch” that his father was known for. His mother, Daisy Hontiveros Avellana has herself been conferred the National Artist Award for outstanding work in theatre. Digressing a bit, the Avellana family members do have their own specialties starting with Ivi who, with husband Alan Cosio, have been presenting paintings exhibits for several lyears and getting honors in the process. Batat the youngest of the Avellanas, who does musical background scoring has worked with his father as well as for his older brother in both stage and film projects. I still recall the first time my uncle Nick’s PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS FILIPINO was presented at the Aurora Gardens open air theatre in 1955. Mari and his siblings were still very young but they were there as excited to see the readjusted script courtesy of his mother Daisy Avellana as every one was in the historic walled city under the stars. They were moved as most of the audience when Bitoy (Jose Avellana Jr.) gave his opening long soliloquy that opened the play itself, while standing atop the Intramuros walls. So dramatic under the stars and with one strong spotlight shining on him. My wartime moments as well as post liberation production involvement with the Avellana family helped provide for me in my own acting and directing roles for television and stage with the proper depth and range – thanks to Tito Bert and Tita Dai who will forever remain my constant reminders on the craft of drama. +++