Levi Celerio

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Levi Celerio (April 30, 1910 – April 2, 2002) was a Filipino composer and lyricist who is credited to writing not less than 4,000 songs.

Celerio was recognized as a National Artist of the Philippines for Music and Literature in 1997. He is also known for using the leaf as a musical instrument which led to being recognized as the "only man who could play music using a leaf" by the Guinness Book of Records.

This led to him making guest appearance in television shows recorded outside the Philippines. Aside from being a musician, Celerio is also poet.

He was also a film actor who appeared in various Philippine films of the 1950s and 1960s.

Early life and education

Levi Celerio was born on April 30, 1910, in Tondo, Philippines to Cornelio Cruz and Juliana Celerio and was born to a poor family. Celerio's affinity for music was a result of influence from his mother who is a harpist and a member of a church choir. He was estranged from his father who is involved in the real estate and jewelry business. His father was never married to his mother.

His mother encouraged him to be involved in music as a distraction from the squalid conditions of their neighborhood. Despite this, Celerio became a close acquaintance of gang leader Asiong Salonga. At his mother's encouragement, Celerio started playing the violin at age 11 taking lessons from a member of the Philippine Constabulary Band. Celerio later performed with the band as its member while simultaneously attending Torres High School. It was during his high school years that Celerio learned about his father.

He also attended the Academy of Music Manila Conservatory of Music to study violin for two semesters. Then director Alexander Lippay recommended him for a scholarship at the Academy of Music in Manila. He received scholarship and became the youngest member of the Manila Symphony Orchestra.

Personal life

Levi Celerio was married to Lina Celerio and has 4 children. He had four failed relationships. Singer-comedian Veronica Palileo is a half-sister of his and director-actor Tony Cruz was a half-brother. He also played the piano at a past time but not in a professional capacity.

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Career

Levi Celerio, a member of the Manila Symphony Orchestra, had been playing with the orchestra but he had to leave the orchestra when he fell off a tree and broke his wrist. He began as a comic illustrator and then moved to songwriting.

Celerio was involved in poetry and was a humer in Premiere Productions' orchestra before deciding on songwriting. Jose Corazon de Jesus, the poet, had a high regard for him. His poems, on the other hand, were unreceived and his collections were described as "lacking in style." Later in his career, he had Filipino Palindromes and Take It From Levi, a collection of love poems that he wrote, and later in his career.

Levi Celerio has been praised for writing more than 4,000 songs, many of which are dedicated to his wife and children. He wrote Filipino folk, Christmas, and love songs, and some of his songs were used in feature films.

"Ikaw," "Kahit Konting Pagtingin," "Saan Ka Man Naroroon" is one of Original Pilipino Music (OPM) songs he wrote. (1968)" The poet himself wrote a story about "the people who were never made." He composed the lyrics of the Filipino lullaby "Sa Ugoy ng Duyan." "Ako singsing," "Itik-Itik," "Pitong Gatang," "Matong Gatang," "Waray Woet," and "Sa Ugoy ng Duyan," in particular, was a joint effort by Lucio San Pedro, a fellow National Artist.

Vicente Rubi and Mariano Vestil's "Ang Pasko ay Sumapit," officially titled "Maligayang Pasko at Masaganang Bagong Taon," is an example of a well-known Christmas song by Celerio, which was the Tagalog version of the original Cebuano song "Madya Ning Taknaa." He wrote "Pasko Na Naman" and "Noche Buena" in 1965 with composer Felipe Padilla de León.

Proclamation No. 9 was released on October 9, 1997, pursuant to Proclamation No. 1. President Fidel V. Ramos named him a National Artist for Music and Literature in 1114. According to his essay, his music "was a perfect embodiment of the Filipino people's deep feelings and revered traditions."

Celerio was known for using the leaf as a musical instrument, which culminated in the Guinness Book of World Records' recognition of him as "the man who could play music with a leaf." He first learned to play the leaf as an instrument during World War II, according to his mother. According to the story, he had to prove himself as a musician after having an encounter with Japanese soldiers. He was able to pick a young leaf and sing them a tune, but he was left unscathed.

In 1991, the University of the Philippines awarded him with an honorary doctorate degree in Humanities. In 1989, the Film Academy of the Philippines gave Celerio the Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1991, he was also the recipient of the CCP Gawad Para Sa Sining Award and 1993 Gawad Urian Award.

Celerio appeared in many Philippine films as a character actor in the 1950s and 1960s. He played a variety of roles, including a beggar, a rapist, a liquor picker, and a palm-reader. His Guinness recognition resulted in his appearance in The Ed Sullivan Show. He also appeared in The Merv Griffin Exhibition, which is quite impressive.

(1970s)

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