The Source of Sound 101 The Islands of Mindanao and Palawan in the Philippines
This Source of Sound episode is all about music from the islands of Mindanao and Palawan in the Philippines. These two major southern islands of this country share many similarities with neighbouring countries Malaysia and Indonesia. In terms of music, these islands are home to the boat-lute and gong orchestras, which are called kolintang orchestras in Mindanao and resemble the gamelan orchestras in Indonesia. We will kick off this episode with a boat lute, also known as a faglung, used by the Ubo people in Mindanao. The instrument gets its name because the lute is shaped like a boat. It is also compared to a crocodile, and the maker of the first recording you hear, Hans Brandeis, refers to the instrument as a ‘singing crocodile’. Hans Brandeis is a German ethnomusicologist who studied this instrument extensively in the Philippines and has published much about it. He is a driving force behind the Boat Lutes of the Philippines society, and many of his videos can be found on Facebook and YouTube. The next recording of this instrument is a track from the recommended CD Utom Summoning the Spirit, Music in the T’Boli Heartland, recorded and produced by Manolete Mora. It’s an instrumental piece by lute player Bendaly Layul, about a woodpecker. This track is followed by a song from Palawan about a cackling chicken, accompanied by a lute and a bamboo zither. This track is from the CD Musiques des Hautes-Terres Palawan, recorded by Jose Maceda, Nicole Revel, and Charles Macdonald. The next track is another song from Palawan, featuring two lutes and a bamboo zither. This song is also from a video by Hans Brandeis. It is followed by two solo bamboo zither pieces from the CD Utom. Next, there’s another lute-zither song from Palawan. This segment featuring the boat lute concludes with a rocking solo boat lute piece by Lowan L. Saway.
The second part of this Source of Sound episode is about percussion, drums and gongs. It begins with women rhythmically pounding rice, creating a musical piece. This is followed by a solo performance on the five large gongs of the T’Boli by Danilo Kasaw, which imitates the sound of the wind. Both recordings were made by Manolete Mora and are from the CD Utom. Next, there are several Kolintang pieces. The first two of these are by the T’Boli people and come from the CD Utom. The next five pieces are from LPs Muranoa Kakolintang: Philippine Gong Music from Lanao 1 and 2. In these pieces, the main gong soloist is always a woman, even though the rhythms are related to Islamic traditions. These recordings are by Steven W. Otto, with each track’s style and significance noted. The themes range from specific regions, like the Sulu archipelago, or a creative rhythm invented by a woman who wanted her neighbors to intervene in an argument with her husband, and to others representing themes like wandering, solitude, a cricket, and a new combination of old and new playing styles. This segment concludes with a celebration of Indigenous Heritage month through a dance by Aljun Cayawan. He is the Datu agong and Babaylan, or shaman, of the Manobo Agusanon. The final song features lute player Datu Alobo Bago and Bae Bulaw, a blind singer and bamboo zither player. Together, they sing about the challenges facing today’s youth.
https://boatlutesofthephilippines.weebly.com
01 Faglung of the Ubo people 1’04
of South Cotabato, Mindanao
Datu Kiting Diongal – Boat Lute
YouTube Boat lutes of the Philippines
Recorded by Hans Brandeis, 2010
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctna_yUiB_E
02 Flying Woodpecker – 4’23
Utom K’letet Moyong
Bendaly Layul – Boat Lute
CD Utom Summoning the Spirit. Music in the T’Boli Heartland
Rykodisc RCD 10402, tr. 2
recorded Manolete Mora
03 Kulilal ät pakpak ät manuk 5’56
Kulilal of a cakling chick
Mälä – Lute, Antonita – Voice, zither, Kalmia – zither
CD Philippines Musique des Hautes-Terres Palawan
Le Chant du Monde LDX 274 865, tr.1
recordings Jose Maceda, Nicole Revel-Macdonald, Charles Macdonald, 1983
04 Kusiyapi of the Pala’wan 4’17
Maging Dandallo & Mugi Dandallo – Kusiyapi (boat lute)
Mirit Dandallo – Pagang (zither)
facebook Boat lutes of the Philippines
recorded by Hans Brandeis, 2006
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=212681698292068
05 Gongs Of The Lemlahak Man 1’45
Utom K’lintang Tau Lemlahak
Lendungan Simfal – Bamboo zither
CD Utom Summoning the Spirit. Music in the T’Boli Heartland
Rykodisc RCD 10402, tr. 5
recorded Manolete Mora
06 Reed Pipe – Utom Feu 3’45
Lendungan Simfal – Bamboo zither
CD Utom Summoning the Spirit. Music in the T’Boli Heartland
Rykodisc RCD 10402, tr. 6
recorded Manolete Mora
07 Kulilal ät puguq 4’00
Kulilal of the quail
Bunjag – Lute, voice; Lamuna – Zither
CD Philippines Musique des Hautes-Terres Palawan
Le Chant du Monde LDX 274 865, tr.4
recordings Jose Maceda, Nicole Revel-Macdonald, Charles Macdonald, 1972
08 Praktis, explore, enjoy 2’40
Lowan L. Saway – boat lute
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1044601296546555
09 Call of the Cicada 5’01
Utom Udel Kuleng Helef
Women rice pounding
CD Utom Summoning the Spirit. Music in the T’Boli Heartland
Rykodisc RCD 10402, tr. 4
recorded Manolete Mora
10 Sound Of The Wind 2’46
Utom Luk Lenos
Danilo Kasaw – gongs
CD Utom Summoning the Spirit. Music in the T’Boli Heartland
Rykodisc RCD 10402, tr. 14
recorded Manolete Mora
11 Sendulug 2’13
Utom Sendulug
Ye Juni, Ye Jewe, Awey Meyen, Blahing Mil – drums, gongs
CD Utom Summoning the Spirit. Music in the T’Boli Heartland
Rykodisc RCD 10402, tr. 18
recorded Manolete Mora
12 Fast Tenintu 1’24
Utom Tenitu K’let
Ye Juni, Ye Jewe, Awey Meyen, Blahing Mil – drums, gongs
CD Utom Summoning the Spirit. Music in the T’Boli Heartland
Rykodisc RCD 10402, tr. 19
recorded Manolete Mora
13 Kasinolog 1’57
LP Muranoa Kakolintang: Philippine Gong Music from Lanao
Vol. 1. The villages of Romayas and Buribid
Lyrichord LLST 7322, B 11
recorded by Steven W. Otto
Burubidid. About the Sulu archipelago.
Murugat style with foreign connotations.
14 Katitik Panday 3’27
LP Muranoa Kakolintang: Philippine Gong Music from Lanao
Vol. 1. The villages of Romayas and Buribid
Lyrichord LLST 7322, A 3
recorded by Steven W. Otto
Creative beating. Andung, old style. Of a woman who
summoned the neighbours to intercede in the quarrel
between her and her husband.
15 Katunatanao 2’19
LP Muranoa Kakolintang: Philippine Gong Music from Lanao
Vol. 2. The villages of Taraka, Molondo and Bagoaingud
Lyrichord LLST 7326, B 5
recorded by Steven W. Otto
To Wander or To be alone. Andung, old style. From Molondo
16 Kangginawagawai’I 1’10
LP Muranoa Kakolintang: Philippine Gong Music from Lanao
Vol. 1. The villages of Romayas and Buribid
Lyrichord LLST 7322, B 7
recorded by Steven W. Otto
A kind of cricket, the way the day breathes
Andung, old style
17 Kapaginandung-a-onor 3’40
LP Muranoa Kakolintang: Philippine Gong Music from Lanao
Vol. 2. The villages of Taraka, Molondo and Bagoaingud
Lyrichord LLST 7326, B 9
recorded by Steven W. Otto
Combination of Kapaginandung and Kapagonor, of Andung, old style and Bago, new style in the village of Bagoaingud
18 Happy Indigenous Peoples Month 2’11
Aljun Cayawan – dancer
He is the Datu Agong and Babaylan of the Manobo Agusanon of Sibagat and takes care of the traditions
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=280578304929245
19 What will happen to the next generation 4’29
Datu Alobo Bago – boat lute; Bae Bulaw – voice, bamboo zither
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=3672187123001027
