Czech Choir sings "Ikaw" with Ateneo College Glee Club

I can't remember if it was Sharon Cuneta or Regine Velasquez who made this song popular. In my opinion, Regine Velasquez may have strained her vocal chords singing her version of the song, but it seemed to me the equivalent of a constipated performance I have seen of some washed-up theater veteran. [Boy, do I feel a surge of hate e-mail flooding through from some Regine fans coming my way... but then again,nothing that anyone who consider themselves Regine fans can say actually matter to me... ]

"Ikaw" [You] is one of the few Filipino songs that could stir my emotions if I'm being...say...nationalistic? My words betray me now, but I'm sure the point I wish to get across is not that unfathomable.

And as a believer of the formalist critique that once a work of art is finished, it stands alone by itself; and no singer who screeches can ruin it. Ergo, in the simplest attempt, and no vocal theatrics than what is expected, this video of a Czech Choir singing the song with the Ateneo College Glee Club is probably one of the best renditions so far.

Looking back, a friend of mine who grew up in the united states came back to study college in Ateneo with but a few words of Filipino in her vocabulary, made me realize how beautiful this song is...

And that's all I wrote.