Moudifa the Al musical: I have seen the future and it is not AI

AN UNFINISHED production titled Moudifa the Musical is serving as the proof of concept for artificial intelligence (AI)-generated music and lyrics, created by its executive producer, entrepreneur and budding writer-composer Margarita Marquis.

- By Brontë H. Lacsamana

DIRECTOR JAG CRUZ (left), executive producer and writer Margarita Marquis (center), and the cast of Moudifa the Musical.

At a preview of the musical on Nov. 4, held at the RJ Bistro in Makati’s Dusit Thani Hotel, Business World saw some of the work-in-progress material, helmed by TV director Jag Cruz.

The title of the musical, Moudifa, refers to the Arabic word for servicewoman — in aviation, a flight attendant. The musical follows a Filipina working in the Middle East, a novel, Moudifa!: Culture Shock from the Top, which was inspired by Ms. Marquis’ real-life story, published in 2007.

Ms. Marquis told the press that they need producers for her vision to come to life — and that vision is to be “the next Miss Saigon.”

Aside from advocating for the empowerment of women and overseas Filipino workers, proceeds of the show will go to the Mother and Child Foundation, which she also heads.

“[To be like] Miss Saigon, we need a lot of money,” she explained. “There’s a purpose, there’s advocacy, so it should be done.”

One thing she was proud to say about the musical is that she wrote all the music and lyrics herself — with the aid of AI.

“At the beginning, a hundred songs I created with AI. I said, ‘Okay, I will use AI, no soul, kasi sabi nilang lahat walang soul daw, diba (because everyone says that it has no soul, right)? So I created [it] like this. And then, at 3 o'clock in the morning, pwede na (it was okay),” she said, when we asked what her creative process was.

“After 50 songs, AI was following my feelings, my soul! I said, ‘Okay, AI, can you cry? Al can cry!” Ms. Marquis explained at the press conference. “Did you hear the lyrics? It is not AI. It is from my soul.”

A REVIEW OF THE SONGS