Art 2 Art Episodes in March

Featured guests: Ligaya Amilbangsa, Joseph Esmilla, Ray Sison;

Tribute to National Artist Francisca Reyes Aquino

ART 2 ART, the 2009 Catholic Mass Media Awardee for Best Educational Program on Radio, continues to bring “usapang sining at kultura para sa lahat” this month as host Lisa Macuja interviews an array of interesting personalities from various art disciplines.

Art 2 Art is aired nationwide every Sunday, 3:30 to 4 p.m., on dzRH, 666 khz on the AM band. It can be viewed simultaneously on Channel 9 via Cablelink cable television and accessed on the Internet through the website http://dzrh. tripod.com.

Produced by the Manila Broadcasting Company, Art 2 Art next features the following episodes:

March 7 — For its episode marking International Women’s Day (March 8), Lisa welcomes to the program Ligaya Amilbangsa, one of the most respected names in the field of Philippine indigenous dance. Amilbangsa is a dancer, teacher, researcher and choreographer. As artistic director of the Alun-Alun Dance Circle, she gets to promote and propagate the “pangalay”, a traditional dance originating in Sulu that dates back to pre-Islam and Christianity periods. Since first witnessing the pangalay and being entranced by its movements decades ago, Amilbangsa has become an active proponent of this dance form.

March 14 — Violinist Joseph Esmilla relates how being exposed to music at a young age convinced him to pursue a career in this field. Described as one of the country’s child prodigies in the 1970s, Joseph obtained a scholarship at age 14 to the prestigious Juilliard School where he would eventually finish both his Bachelors and Masters of Music. He then took a post-graduate course at the Mannes College of Music, also in New York. After years of being based abroad and establishing himself as a recitalist and chamber musician, Joseph is back home for concerts and to explore options in the local classical music scene.

March 21 — Another accomplished musician, flutist Ray Sison, shares his own story in music. Taking up the flute as a member of his high school’s Citizen’s Military Training Band, Ray later decided to pursue serious studies as a flute major at the UP College of Music. Coming from an entrepreneurial family, he later took up his master’s degree in business administration in the United States, but simultaneously enrolled in flute classes. Aside from being featured as solo artist or as part of an orchestra in innumerable concerts, Ray has recorded four music albums. He is currently principal flutist of the Manila Symphony Orchestra.

March 28 — Art 2 Art caps the month with a tribute to National Artist for Dance Francisca Reyes Aquino. Resource speaker is Salud Datoc, the late Aquino’s student and later her colleague as a researcher/educator . Datoc pictures “Lola Kikay” as an exemplary teacher, generous in sharing her knowledge and unflagging in her research into folk dances for which she traveled the length of the archipelago. Aquino’s books are still considered the definitive reference materials when it comes to folk dance and include the likes of the Tinikling, Lubi-lubi and Maglalatik which she herself would popularize.

For inquiries and more information about Art 2 Art, please e-mail art2artdzrh@yahoo.com.ph.