Joyful music from the Philippines
Perhaps the most irritating thing about the French is their disdain for immigrants. Many French people see immigrants as the source of France’s problems.
Ironically, any visitor to France will observe that virtually all the workers they come in contact with are immigrants — taxi drivers, hotel staff, restaurant servers, medical clinical staff. And as we know all too well, the Philippines provides care workers for French seniors and children.
One could validly ask whether the French ever work themselves, or do they spend all their time complaining.
Another contribution of immigrants is their cuisines, especially Asian and North African, which are often enjoyed more than French food.
One special contribution of Filipinos is music.
On Friday evening, the University of the Philippines Madrigal Singers, a major choral group based in the University of the Philippines, Diliman, offered a spectacular concert at the American Cathedral.
The Cathedral was the perfect setting, a beautiful building in the neo-Gothic style, designed in December 1880 by renowned Gothic Revival architect George Edmund Street.
The Madrigals then backed up for a short outdoor concert in front of the Paris’ Pantheon, an edifice built between 1758 and 1790, from designs by Jacques-Germain Soufflot, at the behest of King Louis XV of France.
Our musical weekend was completed by the Fête de la Musique, where the Philippines occupied la place Igor-Stravinsky, and belted out lively pop and rock music. The lively lady singer in the photos is my good friend, Rocsan.