(Eleventh of a series)

Something about trombonist Jose Aris “Isla” Antinero immediately suggests a solidity of spirit that goes deep beyond the full smile and firm handshake. His is a restful presence; with remarkable economy of movement, he holds the serene, thoughtful gaze of an apsara while waiting for his turn on stage. Off stage, his laughter is genuine, as one prays his signature greeting/goodbye is, as well: “Pinakamagandang buhay (the best life)!”

It does seem like Isla is living his best life, having recently released an original single titled “Mirang (Pinakamagandang Buhay),” with Wendell Garcia (drums), Kakoy Legaspi (guitar), Francis De Veyra (bass), and his partner Tonette Asprer (vocals). Isla describes “Mirang” as an “uplifting anthem” that celebrates hope, love, and connection, and features a blend of reggae rhythms and smooth swing. 

He says that in Rizal province, particularly in the municipalities of Morong and Cardona, “mirang” serves as the superlative prefix, equivalent to “pinaka” in standard Filipino. (All of Isla’s responses in this interview are in the Tagalog that he’d grown up with in Talim Island, just off Binangonan, Rizal. I hope the translation loses none of his story’s homespun charm.) 

“‘Mirang’ is a labor of love,” says Isla. “I have been hearing this melody play over and over in my head—it’s a positive and uplifting song that evokes ‘pinakamagandang buhay’. I believe this song will also help people raise their vibration.”

Calm is a superpower

His talk of “higher vibration” is not just some trendy take on the self-care zeitgeist that’s been blowing scented smoke in most every consumer space on the heels of the pandemic. In March 2019, Isla and Tonette went to Nepal to complete a Tibetan Singing Bowl Therapy and Sound Healing Course under Grand Master Shree Krishna Shahi at the Kathmandu Center of Healing’s instruction & healing arts program. In short order, the couple, already experienced yoga and meditation practitioners, explored Reiki, a Japanese technique that complements sound and energy healing. 

This would forever change their lives and their relationship with music: Last year, they opened the doors to V432 Wellness—a safe space in Quezon City where people can “reconnect and rediscover empowerment through mindfulness practices.”

Isla says their sanctuary is so named because “432 Hz is known as a healing frequency.” Many frequency healers believe that 432 Hz vibrations can significantly enhance the body’s healing capabilities, as well as slow heart rate and decrease blood pressure, reduce anxiety and stress, and enhance sleep quality.

“At V432 we combine music, meditation, and energy healing to help people reclaim their calm and restore their balance in everyday life,” he says. 

But doesn’t Isla precisely need to pack the intense energy that fuels every jazz performance? That trombone can growl like J.J. Johnson’s and Curtis Fuller’s, or resonate with the earthy warmth of Frank Rosolino’s, shifting effortlessly from mellow to powerful with breathtaking lyrical fluidity. 

Turns out the best way to channel that deep reserve of fiery spontaneity is from a still, untroubled space that hones one’s reflexes to deal with the unexpected. “Meditation is integral to my being a musician,” Isla says. “It deepens my connection to my instrument, so that I understand it better and thus help me improve my performance. Every mindfulness practice brings me toward a lighter and more open sound. Through sound healing, I help myself return to a calm place every time.”

It has taken Isla 41 years of playing, first the trumpet and clarinet in early boyhood, and then the trombone as a 10-year-old, to arrive at this clear-headed oasis. “My grandfather, father, and uncle all played the trombone,” he says. “My uncle played with the Philippine Navy Band. I played with the marching band and the school band where I fell in love with music—and the trombone, for its deep, warm sound that wraps around my heart, almost. It gives strength and body to the ensemble, rounding out the sound with depth and texture.” 

From ship to shore

Isla eventually attended the University of the Philippines College of Music, after which he played with Ugoy-Ugoy, the funk jazz-rock-R&B band, for 10 years, among other freelance gigs. “I think the ‘90s were the happiest and busiest days of live and recorded music in Manila,” he says. “Practically all genres were flourishing then—jazz, rock, funk, even fusion. The live music scene was bursting with life, hence the great many opportunities for musicians.”

In 2013, with gigs at home drying up, Isla signed up as a cruise ship musician. Initially, seeing the world while earning a living thrilled him. He recalls the early years of the 10 in total on cruise ships as being a true adventure, and learning from and playing with excellent musicians from all over the world was priceless.

But after a while the loneliness got real, with near and dear ones worlds away. “I felt my passion for playing falling off,” Isla recalls, “and playing a barely varying setlist did not help.” He adds with a laugh: “The day came when I felt I could run the ship backward and forward, and I knew it was time to come home.”  

He gradually reestablished his musical presence upon his return. Today, he plays with Brass Paspaspaspas, Route 70, AMP Big Band, Walotao, Dixie Sheikhs, 13th Boulevard, and Mabuhay Swingers. “These are my main groups now, but I also participate in other collaboration projects depending on my schedule,” he says.

Isla is also prioritizing his engagement with music education these days, particularly with youth programs in Eastern Rizal. Over the last couple of years, he and his fellow session artists, along with some college students and members of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, have been holding regular workshops to augment local youth music education. “This is the least we can do to help our talented youth go further on their musical journey,” he says.

He will never tire of reminding younger musicians already cutting their teeth on stages across the city of the need for flexibility (and discipline, one might add, such as making rehearsals on time and showing up prepared). “They need to be on top of emerging genres and trends without losing sight of their true roots, whatever these may be,” he says. “And, anyway, all of us should remain open to collaboration and experimentation.”

He enjoins all musicians that are able, to harness the power of social media and online platforms “to get their music across to their audiences, and keep the connection with their audiences at all times, live or online, as best they can.”

Easier said than done, to be sure, but at least the home shores are tuning up frequencies and tuning in to the music of our very own.

Read more: Portraits in Jazz: Tago is Nelson Gonzales’ happy madness