This year is the birth centennial of Teresita “Mama Sita” Reyes,   founder of the food and condiments company which bears her name.      

To celebrate the occasion, the company is presenting “Harana para kay Mama Sita,” a concert featuring composer-conductor Jerry Dadap’s Andres Bonifacio Concert Choir (ABCC).

The concert will be held on Sept. 29, 5 p.m., at the UP Film Center in Diliman, Quezon City.

Stage direction is by Vic Sevilla. Also participating is the Rizal Technological University Rondalla headed by Lino Mangandi.

It will be a mélange of religious, patriotic, harana (serenade),  classic, love and regional folk songs.

The ABCC members are an eclectic group whose ages range from 3 to 76; Dadap himself is pushing 80 and should have been a National Artist a long time ago.

There are three precocious child soloists: Reine Guanlao, 12; Theia Bilolo, 9; and Eumie Maurin, 3.

Adult soloists include soprano Bettina Dadap and tenor     William Serrano.

The concert opens with two religious songs by Dadap: “Ama Namin”  and the challenging “Aleluya.”  This will be followed by folk songs such as “Inday, Pamutos Na” and classic, timeless songs such as “Sa Kabukiran.”

Lend an ear to the works of our composers inspired by love of country, like Dadap’s “Awit ng Pagkakaisa” and the mighty “Alay sa Inang Bayan,” “Kayumangging Malaya” (Lucio San Pedro), the immortal “Bayan Ko” (1928, Constancio de Guzman), and the equally iconic “Pilipinas Kong Mahal.”  

“Awit ng Pagkain” (Mama Sita March), one of Dadap’s latest   compositions, with an irresistible tempo, is a  tribute to Mama Sita and her food products and condiments, which are known here and abroad wherever there are Filipinos.

The concert ends with the inspirational hymn “Let There Be Peace on Earth,” performed both in the original English and in Filipino translation.—CONTRIBUTED