The SUN HK : Music never ends for HKMU’s veteran members

By Daisy CL Mandap

85-year-old Clarin Ebron on fire

It was a musical treat like no other.

Imagine an 85-year-old keyboard player who hesitated at first when called to perform on stage, but as soon as he sat down to play, appeared to have shed not just his inhibitions, but also half his age.

Then there was also the 81-year-old lounge singer who retired ages ago, but stood upright as she took to the stage to sing in her alluring voice as if she were back under the spotlight of the Hong Kong Country Club, where she was the featured singer for decades.

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The keyboard whiz was Clarin Ebron, who used to play with, and was a close pal of the late musical legend Tony Carpio; while the singer was Lulu Valiente, who performed with both men when they were all much younger.

Ebron and Valiente were among a select group of long-retired musicians who were invited to get together on Tuesday, Dec 6, for the so-called Veterans Day of the Hong Kong Musicians Union, held at their headquarters in Mirador Mansion, Tsim Sha Tsui.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

According to HKMU chairman, Lito Castillo, he and his fellow officers decided it was time they paid tribute to their more senior peers.

“We noticed we have been seeing each other only during funerals, so we thought we should gather our veteran musicians and have fun instead,” Castillo said.

And fun they did, with the invited vets hitting their instruments with pure joy, or singing to their hearts’ content. They included Paul Candelaria who tirelessly played bass, crooner Anita Barce-Ledesma who has kept her sexy singing style at age 77, vocalist Boying Sinacsi who would have given Louis Armstrong a run for his money, and several others who would have been happy just catching up with each other.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

As it turned out, Ebron was not even the oldest among them. Band leader Ding Herrera, a former HKMU chair who also jammed with the other vets, is a sprightly 86-year-old.

Ebron, Herrera, Bedana, Galagar are happy to see each other again

Happily serving as their back-ups were Castillo, vice-chairman Bong Galagar, secretary Maricel Bedana, and the seasoned drummer of the renowned Family Birth Control band in the Philippines, Alex Ahongon.

Bedana, who took charge of feeding and looking after the guests, said she took the initiative of calling them up one by one after seeing them at Carpio’s funeral last month.

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Thus, even while all HKMU officers were busy doing pre-Christmas gigs, they pushed ahead with the gathering, much to the delight of the retirees who had not been on stage for years.

For Ebron, who traveled alone from his home in Lantau, it was double the happiness as he told everyone it was his first time to see the HKMU office, which has been home to its members for more than seven decades.

BASAHIN ANG DETALYE

But the feeling was mutual. Bedana said she was so overjoyed to see the invited musicians giving it all and having fun.

Candelaria with the show organizers: Bedana, Galagar and Castillo

“Nakakaiyak sa saya na mabigyan sila ng chance na makatugtog at makakanta ulit,” she said. (It makes me weep with joy, thinking how we have given them the chance to play and sing again).

The HKMU now plans to stage a second round of the happy reunion to accommodate the others who could not be invited to this initial stage, as their office is not big enough to hold them all.

The only problem is, the lucky ones who just got invited so enjoyed themselves that they are asking to be included in the next gathering as well.

It's a happy aftermath that the HKMU would certainly find a way to accommodate.