“Tagalog? I feel like it is family, no? When I see a Filipino, I feel like they are family. When I meet a Filipino, I am a Filipino at heart as well.” These were the words of Luis Eduardo Aute in the video concert “Con tu latido: Filipinas canta a Luis Eduardo Aute. A tribute,” during his 79th birth anniversary held on September 13th at Instituto Cervantes in Intramuros, Manila.
Born in the midst of Japanese
Occupation in 1943, Aute studied at De La Salle School. He spoke English and
Tagalog before settling down in Spain in 1954. If he didn’t leave the country,
he must have been one of the most famous artists from Manila. But he made it in
Madrid! And it’s about time that Filipinos get to know this artist even just
through his works. His avant-garde style and ability to write in original way
earned him a special place among Spanish singer-songwriters. As an artist born
in the Philippines, it is but right that his legacy be shared with the Filipinos
as well: the reason for this collaboration by Instituto Cervantes, the Embassy
of Spain in the Philippines, and Intramuros Administration.
Filipino artists performed some iconic
songs by the celebrated musician in the video concert made last year but only
shown to a live and larger audience this time. The Spanish songs with beautiful
lyrics were given subtitles and rendered by James Barbecho (Siento que estoy perdiendo, a song made popular by Aute in 1981),
Julius Sinoy (Dos o tres segundosde
ternura), Toma Cayabyab (Libertad),
Mark Anthony Carpio (La belleza), Sheila
Ferrer (Slowly, a popular theme
released by Aute in 1992), Ella Castro (Sin Tu Latido) and Spanish singer Rosa
Leon (Mirandonos los dos, a song
released by Aute in 1980). For the Finale, popular singer-actress Bituin
Escalante covered one of Aute’s first hits, (Rosas
en el mar which was released in 1966). Setting of the virtual concert were
Baluarte de San Diego, Casa Manila, Fort Santiago, and a lot more places around
the beautiful, historic Intramuros, Manila.
Who is Luis Eduardo Aute? A
respected artist and popular musician in Spain in the latter part of the 20th
century, his father was a catalan working for the tabacalera since 1919, who
married a Spanish Filipina. In the documentary concert where clips of
interviews were included, Aute noted that his grandmother was born in Valencia
and brought to the Philippines when she was around three years old during the
colonial era. Her house was in Roxas Boulevard, “a beautiful waterfront promenade,” he recalled, “it was the headquarters of the Americans
before I was born. Her house was like central point for people who came from
Spain.”
Aute’s musical career kicked off
in the 1960s and he continued composing and recording albums until the 2010s.
He had over 30 albums. His biggest hit is Al
alba (At Dawn), a homage to the victims of Repression during the decades
long authoritarian rule of Gen. Francisco Franco. A multi-talented creator, Luis
Eduardo Aute was a writer, poet, an accomplished painter, sculptor, and film
director. He has left behind a vast collection of works in the fields of
literature, music, cinema, and visual arts.
“For me, the Philippines is a bit like a dream, right? I haven’t
returned since I left in the year ‘54,” he said. Returning to his birthplace is indeed a dream, as he passed on in Spain
on April 4, 2020.
