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Our Review

Paskong Pilipino is a cross-cultural holiday experience that is inviting and exciting. Ray Sison (flute) and Lionel Valdellon (guitar/arranger) present this sweetly-executed and soothing instrumental album of the most popular Pilipino Christmas music. Popular in the Philippines, but not in the United States, the 11 tracks will be totally unfamiliar to most domestic ears, but these lovely, lyrical pieces are completely accessible.

The flute and guitar are such gentle companions on these journeys. Often, the guitar opens the show, providing a foundational few bars before the flute introduces the lilting melody. Because the numbers are not readily identifiable (by most Americans) as holiday tunes, the album could be played at any time of year to good effect. The mood is calm and comforting throughout, and the musicianship is first-rate.

Although this is an instrumental album, the ample liner notes do a very nice job of presenting full lyrics in both Pilipino and English, and these are a revelation. For example, the beautiful opening track, "Himig ng Hangin," translates into "Melody of the Wind." Having an appreciation of the underlying sentiment for each number makes the Paskong Pilipino concept more fully realized.

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2005)

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From the liner notes:

Ray Sison, Flute
Lionel Valdellon, Guitar/Arranger
Executive Producer: Iggy Sison

Ray Sison started playing the flute while at the Ateneo de Manila High School and then furthered his music studies at the extension program of the University of the Philippines College of Music .

At the University of the Philippines, Mr. Sison received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Humanites and then entered the College of Music as a flute major under Professor Eric Barcelo. He was then invited to be the accompanying flutist and business manager of the UP Concert Chorus for their 1988 World Tour of the United States and 11 countries in Europe. Immediately after the tour, he pursued his Masters Degree in Business Administration at The American University during which he was also a flute student of Karen Johnson.

Ray performs and records sacred music such as Vespers which was produced by the Jesuits. After considerable success of Vespers I, Vespers II followed suit. Another meditative recording is SILENCE which accompanies a book of the same title produced by Jaime Zobel and written by Randy David. For 2003 he is preparing a Christmas recording in the style of Vespers.

Lionel Zivan S. Valdellon is a writer, editor, guitarist, keyboardist, ex-drummer, composer, arranger, producer, pen & ink artist, amateur web designer, photographer, and all-around busybody.

He cut his teeth as musical director for 5 church choirs in his lifetime, as musical director and keyboardist for the defunct cover band ANIMA, and the electronica group CLONE, as freelance musical director for several top-rated TV shows on ABS-CBN, as instrumentalist for Bukas Palad Music Ministry and even as a recording artist on the Vespers albums. Currently he is concentrating his efforts on electronic dance music as ACID42.

It all started in high school when Mr. Onofre Pagsanghan taught him that music can be prayer. He hasn't stopped praying since.

Ray Sison & Lionel Valdellon

Paskong Pilipino

Track List