General Fernando Canon (His Guitar and the Revolution)

There is so much to tell about the facets of the life of General Fernando Canon. As a multifaceted man (scientist, medical and wellness researcher and practitioner, musician, writer, entrepreneur, nationalist, politician, public servant, soldier), what little that has been known about his life was centered on his involvement in the Philippine Revolution of 1896 and thereafter. But capturing the essence of this man through these facets can be an attempt akin to untangling the “Gordian knot.” This book skews this effort by presenting the man in the singular lens of his music, specifically guitar music, which truly became the root of his cultural, artistic, and personal soul. The authors are well positioned for this effort. One is a blood relative, a granddaughter, a custodian of Canon’s memoir who took up guitar studies with his beloved student, and the other is a direct descendant of his musical lineage (the Tárrega school of classic guitar playing). Both combine their direct and indirect knowledge of the man and his work. While it is unavoidable to dwell upon Canon’s closeness to Rizal and his involvement in the revolutionary struggle, these are essential historical contexts that give nuances to what he essentially accomplished in the diverse fields of endeavor he has chosen. Some of these details have been mentioned in previous books and publications, but there are new ones derived from family chronicles and memories. This is also an attempt to dispel what previous writers have said about his being an “unsung and forgotten” hero.
“We are going to have a guitar celebrity, Canon; within a few years he may perhaps become the best in Madrid.” — Jose Rizal, 17 January 1883 “. . . not only a good compatriot, but also an old childhood companion, a rival, --------------------------a competitor from whom I learned much and whose name reminds me of many ------------------------------------------- happy days.” — Jose Rizal, 28 December 1883 “It is a fact that Canon possessed, besides a powerful intelligence, an extraordinary tenacity which he always exhibited when he set his mind to achieve a goal. He always bore in mind the words of the father of Rizal’s Crisostomo Ibarra: ‘Don’t you forget that if knowledge is a legacy of humanity, it is only inherited by those who have a heart.’” — Mariano Ponce, 28 November 1907 “Our subject cannot but be the best proof of the capacity of our people, because men of this culture can and should be honored for the glory of the motherland that saw them born, for they give others an idea of what a Filipino is capable of.” — Manuel Artigas, 14 May 1911
Authors: Raul Manikan and Teresa Canon - Garcia
ISBN/ISSN: 978971542949-8
Category: Social Science; History; Biography
Copyright: 2022
Pages: 284pp
Size: 6x9
Type: PB/SP