FOR some people, music is a bridge between two cultures. Join (Clint Holton P. Potestas) as he meets a young man whose love for music overcomes differences.
To begin with, he was never a shy guy. Back in Norway, he performed at a rock concert – yes, headbanging in tight leather pants before a multitude of music fans. Right now, this husky-voiced performer is set to go all the way up: from a sleepy town to the main stage.
Tugging along a chaperon – someone who accompanies him to a nearby store – is a Filipino practice he finds a little bit odd.
“My mom always asks someone to accompany me to the store, even if it’s just steps away from our house,” shares Daniel Korneliussen, 24, who now lives in Consolacion with his Filipino mother.
“I was used to the life in Norway where I lived alone in an apartment,” Daniel reflects, then comments about his mom’s little whim, thinking that probably “It’s something very Filipino. My mom has lived in Norway, but she hasn’t really forgotten her Filipino roots. She teaches me how to eat with my hands, and has taught me to hear mass almost everyday.” He compares it to the life he used to have, “In Norway, I can go out anytime, anywhere.”
With his multicultural background and views, entering the entertainment industry might seem very easy because of his ability to adjust to various types of audiences, race, and preferences. He and his band mates might have championed at Eggstock, a metal rock competition in Norway, but it doesn’t mean he can’t groove to the rhythm and blues like Jay-Z, or pull off a male version of Lady Gaga’s Poker Face, or croon a classic Hans Simmons.
For him, all music genres aim for one objective, pleasing the listener, because music has a soul that connects to the one who hears it. Like all forms of art, it has a story and a life of its own. The singer’s role is just to interpret the language.
In Daniel’s case, he creates his own music that reflects people’s aspiration, saying: “It has metaphors in my lyrics.
I always want to inspire people. “
“Filipino and Norwegian listeners have different preferences.
Filipinos are very open to different types of music, but I notice they like to listen to songs that have happy themes.
In Norway, they like head-banging sounds.”
Next month, Daniel is flying to Manila to present his music to producers. Perhaps, in the next few weeks, you might see him on television and hear his music on the radio. And if ever he gets an acting job? It’s a yes, of course, he agrees.
So move over, Christopher de Leon. Here’s a new breed of actor, but for Daniel, first things first: “I like dramatic roles, but I have to learn Tagalog and adapt to its accent. They (producers) told me to learn the language so it would be easy to connect with the audience.”
He further says: “I am not really after the fame because it could fade away any minute. At any rate, I just want to share my music. I believe in my music, and it has truly inspired me. My growth. My identity. My future.”
“There’s life in music,” he discloses.