Jose Corazon de Jesus, a.k.a. Huseng Batute (CCP Photo)
The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) will commemorate the 86th death anniversary of Jose Corazon de Jesus with Pagbabalik-tanaw sa Unang Hari ng Balagtasan (Looking Back at the First King of Balagtasan) on May 26 at 1:30 p.m. at the Huseng Batute Theater, named after the Filipino poet’s pen name.
De Jesus was born in Manila’s Santa Cruz district on November 22, 1894 to Dr. Vicente de Jesus and Susana Pangilinan. He wrote his “Buhay-Maynila” (Manila Life) column in verse at the Taliba newspaper for 10 years.
His poems were published in the books Mga Dahong Ginto (Golden Leaves), Gloria, Mga Itinapon ng Kapalaran (Dumped by Fate), Sa Dakong Silangan (To the East), Ilaw sa Kapitbahay (The Light Next Door), and Maruming Basahan (Dirty Rag).
He also penned lyrics, mostly for kundiman, or traditional Filipino love songs. He translated the song “Nuestra Patria” to “Bayan Ko” (My Country), considered the second (unofficial) national anthem of the country.
Besides writing poetry and lyrics, de Jesus also excelled in performing in the Balagtasan. Named after Francisco Balagtas, who wrote Florante at Laura and Orosman at Zafira, Balagtasan is a Filipino literary form of debate in which rhymed verses are created spontaneously under topics ranging from Philippine politics to culture.
De Jesus received numerous recognitions for the Balagtasan. He won the title Hari ng Balagtasan in 1926 and again in 1929, when he beat his closest contender, Florentino Collantes.
“The Center is honoring Jose Corazon de Jesus, or Huseng Batute, through this event because his works exemplify artistic excellence, cultural values, Filipino aesthetics and our national identity. These are embodied in our performance pledge to attain a humanistic global society,” said Arsenio J. Lizaso, president and board member of the CCP.
“In this digital age, we would like to introduce the millennials to traditional poetry, the Balagtasan, and kundiman, which are the precursors of spoken word, rap battles, and modern Filipino love songs,” Lizaso added.
Pagbabalik-tanaw, done in cooperation with the provincial government of Bulacan, has two segments: (1) a forum, where invited speakers, including Bulacan Gov. Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado, would discuss the works of de Jesus and their relevance today; and (2) Pagtatanghal (performance), where 10 of de Jesus’ works would be performed.
These works consist of five poems, including sections from the first-ever Balagtasan held at the Instituto de Mujeres in Tondo, Manila on April 6, 1924, and five songs that he provided lyrics to. The Philippine Opera Company (POC); rappers Beware and Negatibo; actors John Arcilla, Ronnie Lazaro, and Lou Veloso; ventriloquist Ony Carcamo; and traditional mambabalagtas from Bulacan are among the performers in the Pagtatanghal segment.
Award-winning poet and performance artist Vim Nadera and Louise O. Lopez will host the event, which is spearheaded by the CCP Office of the President and implemented through its Intertextual Division.
For more details on the Pagbabalik-tanaw sa Unang Hari ng Balagtasan, call Kimberly Lim at (632) 551-5959 or 0919-3175708, or send an email to ccpintertextualdivision@gmail.com.
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