Over a month ago, up in the skies on an Emirates flight, a group of men went “NUTS”.
No, there were no security concerns; just a delightful impromptu performance by a group of young men from the Baylor University School of Music Men's Choir returning from a chorale competition in Kenya. The upbeat melody and the group’s infectious joy and energetic choreography caught on. The video clip went viral when the airline proudly posted it on the company's Facebook. As of today, the video had garnered 14 million views. That’s nuts!
The “Da Coconut Nut” song started from across the ocean, in a land where slender trees tower over rice fields. The dwarf trees reach up to 20 feet and the tall ones grow up to 98 feet. The song was popularized by Smokey Mountain, a group of young singers from the Philippines in the 1990s. The song written by Maestro Ryan Cayabyab, songwriter/arranger/musical director has since become a favorite piece in chorale compositions around the world.
Mr. Cayabyab (Mr. C.) himself marveled how the song that he wrote almost thirty years ago as a novelty song has become the most popular song he has ever written. He disclosed that he had consented for his song to be played in American choirs since 2008.
The acclaimed composer wrote the song “to channel master songwriter Yoyoy Villame's spirit and style.” The "Da Coconut Song" conveyed exactly that, a joie de vivre, an exuberance for life. It is a proclamation of the Filipinos' love for music and the simple things in life and their resilience for whatever life brings, just like the resilient coconut trees which can live up to 20 years, even 100 years in the wild.
The coconut (which is a fruit and not a nut, or is it?) is versatile. It can be used as milk for exotic dishes, flakes, jam, cooking oil, firewood, shampoo, and even beauty products. The husk can later be saved to polish the wooden floor (done that). The tree can be used to build a small house, and also as “cannonballs up against the eaves” (will never try this one).
The song celebrates the many uses of the coconut, which is "a coco fruit from the coco tree of the coco palm family". If you drive along the Philippine countryside, you can see kids scurrying up and down the tall trees with the prized coconut which they will then present to a thirsty tourist with a straw for the cool juice, and maybe, a plastic spoon for the fresh white meat, all for less than a dollar. The kids made cracking open a coconut look so easy.
And please, just watch out for the falling coconut. Concussion beware.
How to crack open a coconut? How about "clumsily"? As my own son showed in this video (psst, he's the young man in a tan shirt with the orange glove at the 0:47 mark).
"Da Coconut Nut" song through the years...
Original version, Smokey Mountain
The coconut nut is a giant nut
If you eat too much, you'll get very fat
Now, the coconut nut is a big, big nut
But its delicious nut is not a nut
It's the coco fruit (it's the coco fruit)
Of the coco tree (of the coco tree)
From the coco palm family
There are so many uses of the coconut tree
You can build a big house for the family
All you need is to find a coconut man
If he cuts the tree, he gets the fruit free
It's the coco fruit (it's the coco fruit)
Of the coco tree (of the coco tree)
From the coco palm family
And behold, there are several Youtube versions of the “Da Coconut Nut” song as performed by Filipino choir groups as well as by other international choirs who were bemused by the light-hearted song about the coconut fruit. This song has crossed over to the prestigious world of choral music.
The University of the Philippines Madrigal Singers is one of the world’s most awarded chorale groups, and the first choir in the world to win the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing twice. Their repertoire includes folk music like “Rosas Pandan” (another popular chorale composition) and of course, the “Da Coconut Nut” song.
Philippine Madrigal Singers
RCHS Chamber Singers
The St. Mary's Varsity Ensemble
Festival No.6 2013 presents The Brythoniaid Male Voice Choir - 'Chic - Good Times'
No, there were no security concerns; just a delightful impromptu performance by a group of young men from the Baylor University School of Music Men's Choir returning from a chorale competition in Kenya. The upbeat melody and the group’s infectious joy and energetic choreography caught on. The video clip went viral when the airline proudly posted it on the company's Facebook. As of today, the video had garnered 14 million views. That’s nuts!
The “Da Coconut Nut” song started from across the ocean, in a land where slender trees tower over rice fields. The dwarf trees reach up to 20 feet and the tall ones grow up to 98 feet. The song was popularized by Smokey Mountain, a group of young singers from the Philippines in the 1990s. The song written by Maestro Ryan Cayabyab, songwriter/arranger/musical director has since become a favorite piece in chorale compositions around the world.
Mr. Cayabyab (Mr. C.) himself marveled how the song that he wrote almost thirty years ago as a novelty song has become the most popular song he has ever written. He disclosed that he had consented for his song to be played in American choirs since 2008.
The acclaimed composer wrote the song “to channel master songwriter Yoyoy Villame's spirit and style.” The "Da Coconut Song" conveyed exactly that, a joie de vivre, an exuberance for life. It is a proclamation of the Filipinos' love for music and the simple things in life and their resilience for whatever life brings, just like the resilient coconut trees which can live up to 20 years, even 100 years in the wild.
The coconut (which is a fruit and not a nut, or is it?) is versatile. It can be used as milk for exotic dishes, flakes, jam, cooking oil, firewood, shampoo, and even beauty products. The husk can later be saved to polish the wooden floor (done that). The tree can be used to build a small house, and also as “cannonballs up against the eaves” (will never try this one).
The song celebrates the many uses of the coconut, which is "a coco fruit from the coco tree of the coco palm family". If you drive along the Philippine countryside, you can see kids scurrying up and down the tall trees with the prized coconut which they will then present to a thirsty tourist with a straw for the cool juice, and maybe, a plastic spoon for the fresh white meat, all for less than a dollar. The kids made cracking open a coconut look so easy.
And please, just watch out for the falling coconut. Concussion beware.
TV Report and interview with Mr. C.: (added 8/8/21)
Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho: Novelty songs na likhang Pinoy, world-class
How to crack open a coconut? How about "clumsily"? As my own son showed in this video (psst, he's the young man in a tan shirt with the orange glove at the 0:47 mark).
"Da Coconut Nut" song through the years...
Original version, Smokey Mountain
The coconut nut is a giant nut
If you eat too much, you'll get very fat
Now, the coconut nut is a big, big nut
But its delicious nut is not a nut
It's the coco fruit (it's the coco fruit)
Of the coco tree (of the coco tree)
From the coco palm family
There are so many uses of the coconut tree
You can build a big house for the family
All you need is to find a coconut man
If he cuts the tree, he gets the fruit free
It's the coco fruit (it's the coco fruit)
Of the coco tree (of the coco tree)
From the coco palm family
And behold, there are several Youtube versions of the “Da Coconut Nut” song as performed by Filipino choir groups as well as by other international choirs who were bemused by the light-hearted song about the coconut fruit. This song has crossed over to the prestigious world of choral music.
The University of the Philippines Madrigal Singers is one of the world’s most awarded chorale groups, and the first choir in the world to win the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing twice. Their repertoire includes folk music like “Rosas Pandan” (another popular chorale composition) and of course, the “Da Coconut Nut” song.
Philippine Madrigal Singers
RCHS Chamber Singers
The St. Mary's Varsity Ensemble
Festival No.6 2013 presents The Brythoniaid Male Voice Choir - 'Chic - Good Times'
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete