By: Atty. Marlo T. Cristobal
Let us take a breath-rescuing respite from the suffocating highly charged political issues that currently torments our country stemming from the unstoppable massive banditry, in broad daylight, of the people’s money right in the very august halls of government power, triggering a starker polarization of people girded — this time — at each other’s throats. Our poor country may be likened to a beautiful woman of chaste and demure that is gang raped non-stop, in a manner so merciless and beastly — in the middle of the street where everyone can see. Yet this woman would prefer to suffer the outrage in silence, as the people take no collective, decisive action to legally redress their agony. This is the very reason of my irrepressible expression in my recent commentary (Catalyst, 2024 Japan Travel Notes, Part l: Reflections on Philippines’ Politicians, January 2, 2025), “We have to endure our perdition as we deserve God’s curse for being plain “bakero” citizens.” In the strongly condemning words of a manifesto attributed to Justice Carpio, they “stand paralyzed — too terrified” by the evildoers. Incredibly, a number of the citizens, including the old mainstream media that has consistently served for long years as the bastion of righteous activism from its inception, even champion now this plain and clear wickedness in our midst. What a heart-wrenching government-sponsored grand thievery to behold. It has sharply split the people into two varieties, the good, on one hand, and the evil, the bad and the ugly, on the other, depending on whom their hearts give sympathies to.
This, my readers, is our country’s political situation that is so utterly depressing that l need to break off from by breaking into the unwinding and lighter world of entertainment, and here none beats my appropriate and relaxing subject, my blue-chip singer: Elvis Aaron Presley.
Not only because Elvis is my prize singer but l feel the need to honor his memory this month — January, it being his birth month like mine. l was born on the 7th; Elvis was born on the 8th of the month. No wonder l get the urge of ceaselessly and arduously keeping on aping his voice and pelvis moves — by force perhaps of Astrology (a belief though that my religious doctrine frowns upon) — but l get only dismal failure. We may have been born on almost the same date, but he was born about 12 years ahead of me, clearly denying me, again through the works perhaps of Astrology, that talent needed to impersonate him, but only giving me the right to idolize him. I have read many comments on YouTube that no singer can match Elvis’ voice quality, that he is the best singer our age has produced so far. No wonder his impersonation as a singer or the aping of his voice is a non-stop affair even of our younger generation. Ask America’s Got Talent, not Frank Sinatra’s or other Elvis generation singers’ music get the kind of attention that Elvis’ songs do in this world-followed show. Elvis’ voice and style are the very quintessence of showmanship and entertainment that’s why.
Sometime last year, a dear classmate from the U.P. College of Law, Diliman, Quezon City, sent me an audio of an Elvis gospel song with a heads up that it is an unreleased one. I sent him this reply: “Thanks for sharing with me above Elvis’s song which you described as ‘not released in the market.’ Elvis, not everybody knows, was a gospel singer who rendered no less than 24 gospel songs. As an intense, true-blue admirer of Elvis, l absolutely agree with you that his song above is not one of those officially released to the public.
“For all Elvis’ velvety and soul-swaying and enchanting pious songs, l have been constantly listening to all his gospel songs, and his spiritual song you just sent me l have discovered to be alien to my hearing, not being one of those gospel pieces of Elvis l unceasingly listen to. And during those times that Elvis’ gospel rendition captivates my soul and spirit, l sing over his singing with full feelings. That’s how l have jelled well with his gospel music, and l can tell you that his unmarketed gospel song you shared to me, while it comes off as virgin and lacks the full orchestra sounds, is nonetheless a flawless beauty to my ear as it is imbued with Elvis’ unique and patented well-rounded deep voice gliding in a velvety tone and inflection.
“What is more, Elvis’s gospel songs, especially that unmarketed song you forwarded to me are truly [religious and/or biblical]. Elvis could have made a good pastor based on his biblical songs, but he regretfully ended up later the Pastor of beautiful and shapely women. I envy this guy Elvis, really. No, not his being the pastor of girls, but by his being a pastor-like savvy in biblical messages!”
Indeed, Elvis had actually recorded about 42 gospel songs that dealt on God’s words and commandments, conveying their deep meanings in a unique melodious, soul-tugging music that can certainly disarm wayward souls and spirits. His gospel songs seek to share God’s words with others, and thus their spiritual guidance and strong faith in God. All these strictly define the function of an evangelist. Did this not then make Elvis a one-time evangelist in his own right?
(Next will be our paean to the ABBA music)
