Tribute Night: An Evening of Pete Lacaba's Translations, Poems and More

(SPOT.ph) The legendary Jose “Pete” Lacaba, poet, author of celebrated books (among them Days of Disquiet, Nights of Rage) and scriptwriter of cinema classics like Sister Stella L and Kapit Sa Patalim, will be feted for one special evening this October at premier folk house and bar My Brother’s Moustache. Called “Salinawit ni Pete Lacaba, A Tribute,” the event will feature performances by Mitch Valdes, Joey Ayala, Pat Castillo, Leah Navarro, Bayang Barrios, Cooky Chua, and more.

The Salinawit songs are Tagalog translations penned by Lacaba himself of English standards and other classics, and they go from “heartwarming to elegant to bawdy to tearful,” describes the editor and writer Jo Ann Maglipon who is putting the one-night-only event together for her friend. “If you hear these songs, you belong among the blissfully blessed and the plain lucky!” A couple of examples: Nat King Cole’s “That’s All” has been made into “Yun Lang” (“Alay ko sayo’y pamamasyal sa araw, at kamay na kakapitan sa ulan”) and Edith Piaf’s “La Vie en Rose” was translated to “Kulay Rosas” (“Nang ibigin mo ako, nagbago ang mundo, ito’y nagkulay rosas.”)

A few celebrities have also been invited to read from Pete’s book Days of Disquiet, Nights of Rage, his monologue for the lead character [the nun played by Vilma Santos] in Sister Stella L, and a couple of his poems from his books, according to Jo Ann. The two writer-editors worked together in various publications, among them YES! Magazine where Pete was copy editor for many years and writer of the column Carabeef Lengua which was all about language and pop culture. 

Lacaba himself, now 80, will be present during the event. Asked why she decided to put together a tribute, Maglipon tells Spot: “There are writers who give us reason to believe that CAREER and CHARACTER can rise from one and the same mold. That there can be brilliance and integrity in the person just as there can be in the creative work. Jose 'Pete' Lacaba is that writer. Now how many can we say that about?”

Salinawit ni Pete Lacaba, A Tribute will be on October 10, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets are at P1K and P1500 for a reserved seat near the stage. For tickets, visit My Brother's Moustache on Facebook or scan the QR code in the poster above.