Rosas Pandan , a classic Filipino original (OFM) performed by Canadian in British Columbia UBC
went viral online.
Thanks to the composer and of this song, It appears that Rosas Pandan was originally written by Lopez as the theme for a zarzuela (in Visayan) with a libretto by Piux Kabajar, called “Rosas Pandan.” The zarzuela never saw the light of day, but the song caught the attention of the Manila recording world in 1973.Strangely, however, the first known exposure of the song is the Tagalog version by Pilita Corrales, which was quite odd since Corrales was originally a Cebuana. But then, to honor her Visayan roots, a Visayan version of the song eventually came out later.
Following are over twenty versions of Rosas Pandan, sung in at least four continents (including a Russian boys choir. I have noted the number of singers where relevant.) These are all presently viewable on YouTube):
1. The original Tagalog version by Pilita Corrales: [ Ссылка ] (there is no visual to this video.)
2. The Spanish: [ Ссылка ]
3. The original Bisayan (solo vocals; singer uncredited):
[ Ссылка ]
4. 2002 – Cultural Cup Competition, China - [ Ссылка ]
5. Dec 5, 2004 – Philippine Madrigal Singers (@ a concert in Seoul, So. Korea) [ Ссылка ]
6. July 2008 – Lala Vocal Ensemble (Austrian quartet @ the 5th World Choir Games in Graz, Austria) - [ Ссылка ]
7. 2009 – New Mexico High School All-state Mixed Choir - [ Ссылка ]
8. Dec 12, 2009 – Spanish choir, Los Corrales de Buelna (40 voices, soloist: Loli Rojo. Sung in Tagalog; performed at Villava, Navarre, Spain) [ Ссылка ]
9. Feb 2010 – Moscow Boys’ Choir (45 voices) [ Ссылка ]
10. May 20, 2010 – Dawson High School Choir (Pearland, Texas; about 100 voices) - [ Ссылка ]
11. Dec 2011 – Jeju National University Choir (So. Korea; 32 voices) ) - [ Ссылка ]
12. Feb 2012 – Univ. of British Columbia, Canada (48 voices) - [ Ссылка ]
13. August 2012 – Brazilian choir: Associação Canto Coral Porto Alegre (Porto Alegre, Brasil, 16 voices) [ Ссылка ]
14. Dec 2012 – Univ. of North Texas College of Music (Denton, Texas) : [ Ссылка ]
15. Dec 2012 – a not-to-be-believed rendition of RP w/ Pilita Corrales and some horsing around with Elizabeth Ramsey: [ Ссылка ]
16. Feb 2013 – MMEA Central District Choir, Worcester, MA (nearly 175 voices) - [ Ссылка ]
17. January 2014 – Pacific Ridge School Choir (Carlsbad, CA) - [ Ссылка ]
18. March 2014 – Brown University Choir (76 voices) - [ Ссылка ]
19. Sept 2014 – San Diego (CA) Mandolin Orchestra (25 musicians) - [ Ссылка ]
20. March 18, 2015 - Aloha High School Choir, Aloha, Oregon (42 voices)
[ Ссылка ]
21. Nov 2015 – Macleans College Choir (Auckland, New Zealand) - [ Ссылка ]
22. July 9, 2016 –Ensambal Vocal de Medellin at the XV Festival Coral de Medellín, Columbia (26 voices) [ Ссылка ]
Much of the belated success of Rosas Pandan as an international choral favorite goes to the intricate vocal arrangements by George Gemora Hernandez, a fixture in the San Francisco Bay Area choral and classical music scene. Hernandez is a graduate of the University of the Philippines School of Music in Piano, Composition and Choral Conducting, 1981; he holds another degree in Vocal Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he is also on the faculty. In addition to the SF Conservatory job, Hernandez also teaches at his own George Hernandez Academy of Music in Walnut Creek, California and is also the music director of the Saringhimig Singers choir of the Bay Area. Hernandez recalled that in 1995, he was at the Festival Internacional de Cant Coral Catalunya Center, an international choral festival at Puig-Reig, a small town north of Barcelona. Somehow, he was hurriedly asked if he could put together an easy song, preferably, a new original piece for all the choirs gathered together, comprising more than 1,000 voices, to sing at the close as a celebration of joy and music. He acceded, and using Rosas Pandan came to him as an inspiration. Thus was born this now world-famous arrangement of the rather “newish” Filipino choral favorite.Jr
