Kawayan Folk Arts




Philippine Music The Philippine Archipelago, dubbed the Pearl of the Orient Seas by Jose Rizal, is located in the center of the Philippine Sea, the South China Sea, and the Celebes Sea. To the east, lies the vastness of the Pacific Ocean. Between Asian and the Pacific, the Philippines lies at the crossroads of many Eastern and Western trade routes. With trade and colonization, multiple foreign influences have left indelible marks on the people of the Philippines. The unique geography of the Philippines ranges from mountainous tropical regions of the north, the sweeping lowlands in Luzon, and the numerous independent islands of the Visayas and Souther Philippines. These geographic barriers of land and water have allowed for the isolation of various cultural communities. Through periods of foreign influence and isolation, these communities were able to develop and thrive in their own fusion of cultural traditions and unique music and dance forms. In the north, Gangsa are the most important musical instrument in Cordillera celebrations. These flat gongs are played with either hands or struck with sticks. The gongs are played differently among different tribes and groups of the Cordillera utilizing different styles of damping and hitting the gongs as well as complicated orchestration. Related to much of South East Asia, the Kulintang ensemble of the southern islands Mindanao, Basilan, and the Sulu Archipelago is comprised of instruments featuring the gamelan-like gongs-in-a-row kulintang, a drum with skin-head called Dabakan or Dadabuan, and a series of hanging gongs: the wide rimmed agung, 4 graduated gongs in the Maguindanao ensemble called Gandingan, and a gong played on it's rim called babendil. In the 18th Century, stringed instruments from Spain were introduced to the Philippines. Filipinos enjoyed and thrived on the guitar and other western instruments, such as the mandolin. Except for the Guitarra and the Bajo de Unas (now a Double Bass), the instruments of the Rondalla use 14 strings arranged in 6 sets: bandurria, octavina, laud.
Musicians

James Bartolomé	Ray Bernal Bass, Guitar, Octavina	Reginald Cabael Agung, Banduria, Guitar, Kulingtan	Robert Guillermo Bass, Gandingan, Kulingtan, Laud

RJ Payomo Agung, Laud, Octavina	Mark Trinidad Drums, Guitar, Octavina	Lendl San Jose	Victor Trinidad Banduria, Drums, Kulingtan, Octavina
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