MALAYSIA - Before the year 2021 ended, a YouTube video came out featuring a De La Salle Brother from LEAD. He is singing a Tagalog song, but he is not a Filipino. Who can pull this off? Well, he’s none other than Br. Egbertus (Jaikul Severinus Tating) FSC, a Malaysian Brother currently assigned in Sabah, Malaysia. Let’s find out more about him and his original composition.
LEAD Story (LS): May I know how the song came about? What's the story behind it? Br. Egbertus (E): The song comes from my reflection during the pandemic and I thought of putting that experience in a song. In the time of the pandemic schools in Malaysia were closed and our hostel at De La Salle Butitin was also closed and that left me in a one-man-community most of the time. The pandemic brought a feeling of anguish, desolation, fragility, discouragement and all kinds of experiences of ups and downs. In spite of all these, I still see a light which becomes a source of inspiration, hope and encouragement to continue to live even being alone. In my personal prayer and reflection, I experience God as the light.
LS: Why compose this song in Tagalog? E: It was composed in English and I thought of singing it in other languages and what came to my mind was Tagalog. I have asked Brother Butch and his friends to have it translated into Tagalog. I have some other recorded songs in different languages such as Malay, Kadazan, Dusun, Murut and English.
LS: What message would you like to share with the listeners? E: When we experience sadness or emotional pain associated with feeling of disadvantage, loss, despair, grief, helplessness, disappointment and sorrow, we can turn it into prayer. In prayer we will be able to see a light. We experience God’s love.
Tagalog Version
English Version
