DIPOLOG
CITY - The National
Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), in collaboration with the city
government of Dipolog hosted the very
significant artistic extravaganza, the First International Gongs and Bamboo
Music Festival held at Dipolog Sports Complex (DSC) on February 16-22, 2013.
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| Photo by: Ruel D. Tabada http://www.facebook.com/rueltabada |
The
Tunog-tugan Festival was made possible through the creative institutional
partnership of NCCA, Musicological Society of the Philippines, and the
University of the Philippines Center for Ethnomusicology headed by Dr. Ramon P.
Santos, who is also the festival director.
The
colorful event in the tradition of gongs and bamboo music which originated
thousands of years ago is one of the highlights of Dipolog City’s centennial
celebration. Dipolog was founded as a municipality on July 1, 1913.
Dr.
Ramon P. Santos lauded Mayor Evelyn T.
Uy for taking the formidable challenge to host this first ever International
Gongs and Bamboo Music Festival of NCCA to explore the richness of Asian
culture.
“We
are here to witness the first grandiose event. I am deeply grateful to Mayor
Evelyn T. Uy for all the support to ensure the success of this festival. Music
is the deepest expression of the soul and knowing each other’s feelings
strengthens our bond. The people of today are distracted by too much
entertainment. People now are more fond of their laptops, cellular phones and
other modern gadgets,” NCCA Chair Felipe de Leon said.
The
Dipolog City Marimba Ensemble, a smooth transition from rondalla to bamboo
marimba music and a national winner in the prestigious National Music Competition
for Young Artists, brought the house down with its performance in the opening
night.
Vietnam’s
Khac Chi Music captivated the audience as they brought traditional music to
their audience, coming up with lively arrangements of Vietnamese traditional,
folk tunes and creative stage antics to capture their listeners. The show was full of crowd-pleasing moments.
The
performers were Chi Ho and his wife, Bic Hoang who once taught at the
University of British Columbia in Vietnam, performing mostly on the instruments
that are indigenous to Vietnam.
Chi Ho received the first prize
in the 1982 Vietnam Competition of Professional instrumentalists on the Dan
Bau. He invented the Sao bop and named it in English as “squeezing bamboo flutes”
which he played during the opening.
Noreum Machi of South Korea specializes in the virtuosic
percussion music known as Samul-nori. This exciting music is a modernized-stage
adaptation of the ancient Pungmul-nori farmers ritual that had its origin in shamanism
and animism. Samul-nori (Samul meaning “four objects” and Nori meaning “play”)
is performed primarily on four traditional instruments; Jang-gu, Buk, Jing, and
Kkwaenggwari. Other instruments used are the Taepyongso and Piri. Each of the
four main instruments represents different elements of nature: the Jang-gu
represents Rain, the Buk Clouds, the Jing Wind, and the Kkwaenggwari Thunder
Storm.
For the final concert, performers included Ensemble Moderu Palu
of Indonesia, Maguindanao Kulintang Ensemble from Cotabato City and Taiwan
Bamboo Orchestra including all the 209 artists and musicians.
Other performers came from Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Lao
People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand and Canada. Local
tribes from Baguio City, Ifugao, Panay Islands, Cotabago City, Maguindanao,
Davao City, Sulu, Basilan, Siayan ug Dipolog City also participated in the
festival.
Mayor Uy expressed her profound thanks to all the working committees
and for making the festival a resounding success. (PIA9)