City gov't endorses 'National Artist' nomination for violin virtuoso

ILOILO CITY – The local government here is endorsing the official nomination of violin virtuoso Gilopez Lopez Kabayao to the "Order of the National Artist."

"The Order of National Artists is the highest honorary title given to Filipinos who have made significant contributions to the development of Philippine arts, jointly administered by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the Cultural Center of the Philippines and conferred by the President of the Philippines," the city government said in a statement on Tuesday.

It said the Iloilo City Local Culture and Arts Council (ICLCAC), with City Planning and Development coordinator Ronald Cartagena as Executive Director and secretariat, passed a resolution "acknowledging the artist as a conduit between the skills of the past and the future."

"His National Artist nomination highlights the contribution of an Ilonggo to local and international music," the city government said.

In a separate statement, Mayor Jerry Treñas said the contributions of Kabayao have a deep, lasting impact on the country's cultural heritage.

"With the city government being one of the custodians of the nation's cultural legacy, the endorsement is also a celebration of the rich artistry of the Filipinos," he said.

Kabayao, whose roots are in Iloilo, was born in Negros Occidental and is currently residing in this city's Molo district.

He is the first Filipino to play at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York. He earned a Presidential Award of Merit in 1969 and a President Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1972.

He was dubbed "Father of Outreach for Classical Music," bringing the music of the masters to the masses for more than six decades starting in the 1950s, holding concerts of classical music for the grassroots in even the most unconventional venues from Aparri to Jolo.

The Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation, Inc. (IDFI), a private organization committed to preserving, promoting, and developing Ilonggo identity through public-private-community convergence, initiated the nomination of the artist in December last year. (PNA)