RED ROMERO'S DREAM

The government and civic leaders should give support to an uphill fight by the late great violinist, composer and symphony orchestra conductor Maestro Redentor Romero to preserve the beauty of our own music and culture amid western influences, which drown Pinoys 'round the clock, especially over radio and television.

Statistics show that the Philippine music industry is an over PhP11 billion a year industry, 65 percent of which are foreign recordings and 35 percent local. Out of PhP11 billion, barely 1 percent goes to classical music, which includes the Philippine classics.

Having won countless international recognition and accolades, Maestro Romero's music is perpetuated in timeless Pinoy romantic and classical pop music that have all touched our lives. His arrangements and orchestrations feature a totally different approach. His memory lives on forever.

The various radio stations would be doing a great service to its listening public by playing the type of music played by Red Romero and other great Filipino composers. We are simply too American-oriented in our radio programming. Even our local announcers would like to sound like American DJs, aping their pronunciation and slang. It only makes them sound like inebriated apes. For love of Filipino music gems and compositions, let us support the return of truly original Filipino classics in the airwaves.

(Image from http://www.titikpilipino.com/)