During
the second half of February, the Philippines
will be the host of the very first International Gongs and Bamboo Music Festival. Dubbed as the Tunog-tugan Festival, this festival will gather some of
the Philippines ’
and Asia ’s finest gongs and bamboo ensembles and
scholars. The festival starts in Dipolog
City February 16-22, 2013 , will journey to Maasin, Iloilo
from February 22-26, 2013 .
Participants
from the Philippines include Bagobo Clata of Davao City, The Cordillera Music
Tutorial and Research Center of Baguio City, Dipolog City Bamboo Marimba
Ensemble of Dipolog City, Ifugao Performing Arts Group, Ingat Kapandayan Artist
Center, Tausug of Jolo, Sulu, Maguindanao
Kulintang Ensemble of Cotabato City, Panay Bukidnon of Iloilo, Roxas Ahadas
Yakan Music Cultural Group of Basilan, Subanen of Lapuyan of Zamboanga del Sur,
Subanen of Siayan and Subanen of Sindangan of Zamboanga del Norte, and Teduray
Agong Ensemble of Maguindanao.
Participants
from other parts of Asia include Central Conservatory of Music Konghou and
Bamboo Music Ensemble of Beijing, China, The Vayali Folklore Group of Kerala,
India, Ensamble Modero Palu of Sulawesi, Indonesia, Persatuan Seni Budaya Sabah
of Sabah, Malaysia, Noreum Machi of South Korea, Taiwan Bamboo Orchestra, Prasarnmit
Performing Arts Alliance, Bangkok, Thailand, Khac Chi Bamboo Music of Vietnam
and Canada.
I
find it very interesting to see and hear various configurations of gongs and
bamboo instruments coming from the various participating nations. The variety
of the bamboo instruments out there is vast that even Dr. Ramon Santos,
Tunog-tugan Festival's director, is excited to discover the unusual instruments
that the participating artists from other nations will bring.
 |
| Dr. Ramon Santos, Festival Director of Tunog-tugan |
During the press lunch for Tunog-tugan, I learned from Dr. Santos that gong and bamboo music is more than just the sound of it. There is another layer of experience attached to the music which is a characteristic of Asian cultures. Gongs are usually used to communicate with the spirits putting more significance with the power of its sound. On the other hand, Bamboo instruments which are pitched and measured, are used to communicate with fellow human beings. Playing these instruments in Asian cultures is closely tied with social life as it is not just purely for entertainment.
The
main highlight of the Tunog-tugan Festival will be the concerts to be held at
the Dipolog Sports Complex (DSC) and at the Dipolog
Boulevard . The general public will be able to see
the various performing ensembles at these concerts. Dr. Santos expects that the various gong and bamboo ensembles will showcase the changing breadth and structures, as well as modern techniques of performances during the concerts at the festival. The
conferences and the workshops will be held at the Top Plaza Hotel while the
exhibit will be held at the second floor of the DSC.
After
the initial stop at Dipolog City Iloilo on February 22-26, 2013 with concerts happening at
the Maasin Gym. Metro Manila audiences will not be left
out as outreach concerts will be held on February 27-28, 2013 at the University of the East in Caloocan ,
St. Paul University Manila , University of the Philippines
in Diliman, and University of Asia and the Pacific.
The first ever International Gongs and Bamboo Music Festival or the Tunog-tugan Festival is a project of The National Commission for Culture and the Arts-National
Music Committee (NCCA-NMC) through the Musicological Society of the Philippines
(MSP) in partnership with the Dipolog City Government in cooperation with
Municipality of Maasin-Iloilo and the UP Center for Ethnomusicology (UPCE).
For
inquiries:
926-0028,
gongsandbamboofest@gmail.com
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