Tuesday, January 23, 2007 Compostela assails ruling
A COMPOSTELA National High School (Lungsod sa Jumbo) official questioned why their contingent was assessed rule violations and deducted 20 points in last Sunday’s Sinulog grand parade.
Canned music
The official, who asked not to be named, said they did not use canned music but a recorded voiceover to simulate a radio report as part of their concept.
Compostela used as theme a celebratory dance after the liberation of the country from Japanese invaders by the Americans.
The presentation opened with a male dancer holding aloft a transistor radio, with the voiceover being broadcast.
“Canned music gani, kanang naay melody and notes. When did music become a voiceover?” she said.
And as to the allegation that Compostela left behind props, she explained that propsmen merely took their lunch and then got the props afterwards.
“They did not exit right after the performance. They ate first because they were so hungry. It was already 4 p.m. and they did not have lunch yet,” she added.
Compostela only copped fifth place in the Sinulog-based category because of the deduction.
Lumad Basakanon, this year’s free interpretation category grand winner, also complained last year after suffering the same fate for violating the rule against using wheels for its props.
Its carabao was mounted on wheels, which was explicitly forbidden. Basakanon did not win last year after ruling the category in 2005.
No justice
The Compostela official said that there was also no justice with how they were judged to have committed a rule violation.
She said the Sinulog Foundation should have first called their attention so that they could have explained.
She did not fault the judges, though, saying they were just sticking to the guidelines after being told by foundation officials.
In a separate interview, choreographer Michaed Dax Barlaan said they will just have to do better next year.
But he wondered why the foundation did not call their attention when they used the voiceover during the Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan last Jan. 14.
There was a choreographers’ advisory meeting after the said contest.
“Sagdi na lang to, mamawi na lang mi sunod,” he said. (RHM)
