The late great Levi Celerio attracted the spotlight to the art of playing tunes using leaves as musical instruments, Rico De Guzman, a native of La Union, brought it to the masses.
This morning, he was spotted playing his unique music, which he claims is God-given, to students of UP Diliman who are eating their lunch under the towering mahogany trees outside barbecue haven Beach House.
Ever the showman, he punctuates his tunes with a timely gyration of the hips here and a little stomp of the foot there. Like a jukebox, he also plays music on request. His library of tunes is remarkably wide and varied, from the novelty Boom Tarat Tarat to the romantic Beautiful Girl, Sinatra's all time favorite My Way to Bruno Mars' anthemic Just the way you are.
His weapon of choice is the fortune plant leaf because its length is ideal to hold with both hands, and its fiber strength can withstand the rigors of the finger pressure he exerts and the calibrated breaths that he slides on the leaf. But he claims that he can coax music in just about any leaf.
Just like other musicians who consider playing before a crowd as their bread and butter, Rico takes his business on the road, bringing his talents to schools and universities in and around Metro Manila. He need not be invited, he just shows up when he feels like it.
He, at times, gets booked to perform in birthday parties and corporate get-togethers. He has appeared on TV several times; once as a contestant in Pilipinas Got Talent and several more as a featured personality in shows like Korina Sanchez's Rated K.
A gaggle of students invited Rico to their table to play the Happy Birthday song to a girl in their group. This was met by a chorus of claps and a clamor for more, to which the Leaf Musician gladly obliged. After the performance, several notes of 20 pesos and 50s exchanged hands. Rico stayed a while with the group to mingle some more.
Rico says that he started making beautiful music with leaves when he was 10. Now that he is probably in his 60s (he jokingly claims he is just 18), he still has no plans of retiring.
Long leaves, Rico!
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HI, I would really want to get in touch with him Do u have his contact details? Please reach me at 091771661598. It will be greatly appreciated. Thanks again and God bless
ReplyDeleteHi Miahmi, unfortunately I don't know Rico personally. I only chanced upon him. But I'll keep in mind to get his contact number if and when I bump into him again in UP, then I'll get back to you. Thank you for reading.
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