Music and visual arts come together in Kristine Lim and Jonathan Manalo’s collaboration project ‘Kuwento ng Alon’

With its archipelagic state, the Philippines is blessed with 7,641 islands, home to diverse cultures. What separates us is what binds us together, the sapphire sea. It is their friend. Men and women brave the vast water to explore new horizons, and with them are stories constantly told. That is the inspiration behind artist Kristine Lim and songwriter and producer Jonathan Manalo’s “Kuwento ng Alon (As Told By the Waves),” their latest work where music meets visual arts. 

“Kuwento ng Alon” depicts the tales of Filipinos inside and outside of the country, centering on the themes of faith, grace, hope, and above all, love. The collaboration exhibit features the songs created by Manalo with Lim interpreting them through her canvas. Set to be a multi-venue and multi-country art showcase, the exhibit is a testament to Lim’s missionary art movement and Manalo’s 20th year in the music industry.

“Waves are the central imagery which ties the whole project together, as it is a wonderful coincidence that emotions and sounds,” curator Ricky Francisco said. “Filipinos all over the world and from all times, both literally and metaphorically, traveled by them as we spread out through the world in search of livelihood for families in the home country, or permanently in the search of a better life. ‘Kuwento ng Alon’ is the story of our people, rendered in song and in visual art.”

Since 2020, Manalo and Lim have worked together in turning songs into something visual. “Kuwento ng Alon” presents 20 of the songwriter’s works turned into mixed media masterpieces. One of the captivating pieces in the collection is Lim’s artwork based on Manalo’s hit Tara Tena. Like looking at the sea during sundown, Lim’s artistic interpretation of the song presents gold leaves dancing in the waves as the sea kisses the sand. Heal, an empowering anthem released during the height of the pandemic is translated on canvas with waves in different shades of violet complemented by the metallic leaves. Luwalhati, meanwhile, puts the Philippines Eagle right at the center, echoing Filipino nationalism and devotion.  The aquatic elements in the artwork are also made to mimic the radio waves, a vehicle on which songs are transmitted and popularized.

“Jonathan’s music instinctively touched my soul, soaking me into the presence of the Creator. In there, I can conceive figures and images that my mind fluidly puts together in a well-founded symphony; for my hands to translate and form unpremeditatedly,” Lim said. “I saw different fragments of stories overlapping one another. I saw those belonging to others as part of mine, and mine in theirs. Some triggered a lurking emotion. Some brought me back to certain memories. All of them sparked and moved me to the comforting, and the familiar. All were a beautiful orchestration that muses our hopes, joys, triumphs, courage, and strengths as people, as nationalists, and as persons of faith.”

The project, for Manalo, was another miracle happening right before my eyes. “My dream to turn my music into something people could see and touch is about to come true. A collaboration of music and art is about to unfold,” he said. “We aim to spread Christian values, Filipino culture, and goodwill into different parts of the world. Music and art is an effective universal language that can transcend any barrier.”

During the launch of “Kuwento ng Alon,” the two also unveiled the series’ theme song and coffee book table of the same name. The song is written by the two artists while the book explores more about their creative partnership through essays. “Kuwento ng Alon” is also part of their missionary works, with the project’s proceeds benefiting charities such as ABS-CBN Foundation, Artists on a Mission Workshop, OM Philippines, and Sustainable PH. 

After its run in the Philippines, “Kuwento ng Alon” is set to be showcased in Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Japan, London, France, USA, Canada, and Dubai, from October 2022 to October 2023. 

To know more about Manalo and Lim’s project, visit  www.kuwentongalon.com or @KuwentoNgAlon on Facebook and Instagram.