A Filipino Christmas story

HONOLULU—The old Liberty House in Honolulu, which has become Macy’s, was an iconic department store that was especially popular during the Christmas season.

Part of the attraction was that a young Filipino pianist from Cebu regularly entertained customers by playing Christmas songs at the Ala Moana Center.

It would have been just another holiday gimmick except that the talented pianist, Chris Cerna, is completely blind and has been so since he was 18 months old. His only “eyesight” was his seeing-eye dog, Gib, who stayed by his side as he played the piano. Occasionally, Gib would be seen sleeping close to the piano, probably lulled by his master’s music.

Loyal Gib eventually died, and Chris was heartbroken. Fortunately, back in 2009 he had met Celeste of Honolulu who became his friend and guide and, later, his wife.

Chris lived in Honolulu from 1998 to 2008, when he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in music at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Completing a college education with his basic handicap was nothing short of astonishing.

After they got married, Chris and Celeste moved to San Bernardino in Southern California, where he is now a band pianist and recording artist.

But who is Chris Cerna and how did he get to Hawaii? His story is an inspiring, heartwarming and uplifting tale. You seldom hear of cases as incredible as this one.

Back in the Philippines, growing up in a poor family, Chris had a twin brother, Chuck, a child prodigy who inspired him to develop his love for the piano by just listening.

But tragically, Chuck died at age five of cancer of the retina. And according to Chris, it was as though he had “miraculously inherited” his twin’s gift as a piano virtuoso. “It just happened,” Chris would later say in interviews about his own talent at piano playing. He began to play Chuck’s piano pieces nearly a year after his brother died.

How Chris got to Hawaii is even more interesting. Dr. Jorge Camara, an internationally famous eye surgeon, traveled with the Aloha Medical Mission, a Hawaii-based humanitarian organization, to Cebu, where he met little Chris Cerna.  Himself a trained classical pianist, Camara offered to take Chris to Honolulu for medical treatment and observation when he was eight years old.

Camara, a highly trained ophthalmologist, performed surgery on Chris to implant a set of “artificial eyes” in his empty eye sockets. It was a historic feat as it was the first operation of this nature to be done in Hawaii. The surgery made Chris look normal even if he could not see. His mother accompanied him to Honolulu to help care for him before and after his operation, which gave him hope and a new life.

Because of their mutual passion for music, Chris Cerna and Jorge Camara became fast friends. The good doctor organized a concert to raise funds for the Aloha Medical Mission, titled “Four Doctors and a Patient.” This huge success before a sold-out crowd was followed by two more concerts featuring Chris as the lead pianist.  The mission raised over $130,000, and Chris became an overnight sensation in Hawaii’s entertainment world.

Macy’s later hired him every Christmas season to play the piano to entertain customers while they shopped. The customers would pause in their shopping and crowd around Chris as he played. When Chris left with his wife for California after several years in Hawaii, Macy’s missed him but did not hire a replacement. In time his mother passed away, and again Chris was grief-stricken.

He was even more distraught last August when yet another tragedy struck. Camara died suddenly, and Chris flew all the way to Honolulu from California to pay his last respects to his beloved doctor,  mentor, friend and benefactor.

He played a number of beautiful pieces at Camara’s memorial service. I saw a number of mourners fighting off tears, so touched were they by Chris’ haunting tribute to a departed soul brother.

But life goes on for this indestructible and awesome artist, who overcame poverty, adversity and much pain in life.  According to a recent announcement in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Chris has organized a band, called Lonesome Otis, which plays at festivals and special events in local communities.  His wife Celeste, also a musician, is a member of the band. For the past decade, Chris has released a number of solo and band albums. His latest one, titled “For the Love of Jazz,” is due out this Christmas.

Chris occasionally returns to play his music before audiences in Hawaii, his first home away from home, a place that he loves dearly and that will always remain a part of his remarkable life and career.

Belinda A. Aquino, PhD, is professor emeritus at the University of Hawaii at Manoa where she was professor of political science and Asian studies, and founding director of the Center for Philippine Studies.