FOR ALMOST TWO decades now, Anderson Go, a blind young adult, has led artistic talents like him to represent the country at the Wataboshi Music Festival, which started in Kyoto, Japan.

Recently, he again led the Philippines and brought the Ambassadors of Light (AOL) to the unique festival.

Participated in by artists with disabilities from 14 countries, the concert, now at Gyeonggido, South Korea, was a showcase of music and traditional dance numbers.

Go, who started attending the festival in 1991 at age 22, is the first-ever blind School of Music outstanding graduate of the Philippine Women?s University.

Despite his disability, he was accepted not as a special student but as a regular student in a class among visually normal students, majoring in Voice. He is a holder of a Music Teacher?s Diploma in Piano from PWU.

The Philippine entry to the festival was ?Ang Daing ng Kalikasan? (Cry of Nature), which Go composed and was interpreted by Grace Garrol, also visually impaired and the principal soprano and scholar of AOL, and Eduardo del Rosario Jr., who recently graduated from PWU with a degree of Bachelor of Music, Major in Voice.

Garrol, a 2nd year Music student of St. Paul University of Manila who been has cited for her involvement and contributions in the field of music for the visually impaired, also serves as an assistant musical director of AOL.

Their dramatic and powerful interpretation of the song elicited thunderous applause from nearly 1,000 audience that filled the Gyeonggi Arts Center.

Accompanying pianist was Joey Medina, conductor of St. Paul University Choir. Also a PWU alumnus, he is a student-faculty of St. Paul Manila. An arranger and a concert pianist, he serves as AOL?s assistant musical director and pianist.

Completing the Philippine delegation were Geraldine T. Osias, AOL?s board vice-chair and president of PWU Alumni Association; and this author.

Vietnam delegation

The Vietnam delegation composed of disabled Nguyen The Vinh, a lyricist and guitarist, and singer Thuy Tien rendered a poignant love song, ?Love Song in the Rain.?

Vinh said he composed the song to commemorate the love he had for a girl who gave him a strand of her hair as a token of her love after they had to break off as her mother objected to the friendship. ?I composed this song on one of those sorrowful rainy nights?it rained outside, it rained in my heart and in my mind,? he said.

Tien is afflicted with a strange disease that has deformed her beautiful face and speech. She has not allowed her malady to stop her passion for singing. She is now working on her second CD.

Representing the Malaysian team were visually-impaired Lui Chee Chan, a composer and pianist; and Pua Ming Hui, a lyricist and vocalist; and volunteers Ivonne Rah and Karen Denise de Silva.

Its entry, ?I Want to Know,? tells life?s conflict in ?letting go? of loved ones so they can fulfill their dreams and of ?holding on.?

?The chorus, bridge and end of the song try to depict the many conflicting emotions that one feels in this process: Reluctance, uncertainty, hope and love,? Rah explained.

From Japan and China

A haunting and touching song, ?Release,? was the entry from Nara, Japan, rendered by lyricist Sadahiro Harumi and composer Ueda Keijiro. Both suffer from higher brain dysfunction. The song tells the story of Saga Sadahiro, who has the same affliction after figuring in a car accident.

Keijiro explained it was ?possible and easy to work with Harumi and create this song because we share the same disability.?

In rendering the song, which expresses support of family and friends, giving them encouragement to face the world, both hope the audience ?are able to hear the voice of our hearts.?

Excerpts from the song runs:

The thing that unites us is pain

Together we?ll beat this harsh reality.

Thought they saw me as just one more joke

But I realize now I was wrong

As I looked up after looking back at myself

I saw people who smiled and reached out

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Just as beautiful and touching was the song ?Soundless Prayer,? composed by Luke Wong Ming Tsan from Hong Kong, who was born premature, causing vision loss and an intellectual disability.

?Although we may be different in abilities, music provides us a vehicle for social inclusion,? Luke said.

?Thanksgiving from the Heart,? the entry from Shanghai, tells about the strength of disabled people. It was sung by visually impaired Li Minzhong, a champion flutist.

It was written by physically disabled and multi-awarded artist Zhu Jiju.

Similarly enthralling the audience were the performances of artists from Seoul, Bangkok, Jakarta, Kaohsiung (China), Mongolia and Kathmandu.

The inspirational song ?I Am Alive? was the entry of Enable Lifestyle Support Spiritus, composed of physically and visually impaired artists from Brisbane, Australia.

A seven-member singing group with sighted and able volunteers compose and record songs in partnership with Access Arts QLD, which aims to provide opportunities for song writers with disabilities to participate in local and international musical events like Wataboshi Festival.

The festival was founded in 1976 by Harima Yaso, who named the festival after the seed of the dandelion. Thirty-three years after its founding, this unique musical event is now in full bloom and known worldwide.