Local music icon honored at CK Leadership Kiosku

Chamolinian music legend Candido Babauta Taman, popularly known as “Candy” or “Candy Man,” returned home to his final resting place on Saipan following a commitment ceremony in Guam’s scenic Marine Drive.

In 2004, Taman was honored by the 8th Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council leadership for Taman’s advocacy and advancement of school-aged children, families of school children and the surrounding communities in partnership with schools throughout Saipan in celebration of the National/CNMI Parent Leadership Month in February that year.

For the second time 10 years later, the 12th local council leadership honored the legendary musical genius as the awardee of the University of Guam’s coveted Honorary Master of Micronesian Traditional Knowledge during UOG’s spring 2014 commencement ceremony.

After nearly a decade of sharing his island music throughout Micronesia, Taman returned home to his native Saipan to stay permanently as he was laid to rest at the Chalan Kanoa cemetery this month.

Taman’s in memoriam also saw the Taman family return for the third time to the Chalan Kanoa Kiosku, where the Taman family was presented the 17th Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council commemorative posthumous in memoriam plague.

Since Taman’s passing, the council leadership joined Gov. Arnold I. Palacios and Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang in showing respect on the passing of Taman, when Palacios ordered on June 26, 2023, that the flag of the Commonwealth, together with the flag of the United States of America, are to be flown at half-staff at the Juan Atalig Sablan Memorial Building and upon all public buildings, instrumentalities, and grounds within the Commonwealth until the sunset of the day of Taman’s interment, which the local council extended at the Kiosku flags until Taman’s internment.

The council’s in memoriam resolution presented to the Taman family inscribed in special plague the life of the local music giant and cultural icon, Taman’s extensive accomplishments and contributions in strengthening the culture and cross-cultural understanding through Taman’s songs and music, and the University of Guam’s conferral of the Master of Micronesian Traditional Knowledge Honoris Causa to the cultural icon and music legend. Taman’s prodigious encore hit the record chart and radio stations with songs such as Koronan Flores, Pioneers of Guam, Estorian Taga, and Irensia, among scores of hit songs produced during Candy’s lifetime. (PR)