Leyte road worker wins DSWD music fest

CALBAYOG CITY, Samar, April 27 -- A road maintenance worker won the 2nd Kamurayaw (peace) Music Festival of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS).

Nazel Kalaque, 30, bested six other composers from the provinces of Southern Leyte, Biliran, and Leyte during the festival on Wednesday night held in this city to promote peace in the region.

His winning entry, Kapawa (light) talks on how to achieve peace by starting it from within one self.

“I was doing chores when the first stanza of the lyrics came into my mind,” Kalaque recalled. After writing the lyrics, he went on putting a melody to it.

The following day, Kalaque composed two more songs intended for the Kamurayaw Music Festival.

“I submitted three songs, but only two passed for the finals. I send it 11:30 p.m. just few minutes before the deadline,” he shared. Kalaque received PHP30,000 for winning the competition.

He also bagged three special awards - the people’s choice, best in musical arrangement and best interpretation.

Part of the amount he won will be used for the celebration of his daughter’s birthday next month.

He started composing in 2013, but he was still young when he discovered his talent in music. “My parents are against it as they said that there’s no money in music and I won’t achieve anything in it,” Kalaque shared.

But this did not stop him from pursuing his talent. In 2013, he joined a music festival in La Paz, Leyte where he was adjudged as champion. After two years, he joined another music festival in Tabon-tabon town where he also bagged the top prize.

“I don’t want to stop composing because music is my only way to share my talent to the people,” Kalaque said.

Kamurayaw Music Festival of Kalahi-CIDSS was first held in this city last year. Composition depicts the achievement of Kalahi-CIDSS and the community in fighting poverty and empowering community to participate in the local governance and rising above challenges like disasters, conflict and sectoral discrimination. (Roel T. Amazona/PNA)