MINDANAO

MINDANAO

Mindanao
Min = Land
Danao= Lake
Mindanao
means
Land of the Lakes

Geography
2nd largest island in
the Philippines
19th biggest island
in the world
(101,998 sq. km)
Just above equator,
part of the Pacific
Rim of Fire

Population
18

million

13 million non-

indigenous groups
3.6 million indigenous
peoples
(18 ethnolinguistic tribes or lumad)

1.4 million Moro

(13 tribes)

A Land of Contradictions
Abundant
resources
agriculture
sea products
Minerals
Liguasan
Marsh
Philippine
Deep

A Land of Contradictions
But people living in
extreme poverty
1.4 million
families hungry
60% live below
poverty threshold

A Land of Contradictions
But people living in
extreme poverty
1.4 million
families hungry
60% live below
poverty threshold

 largely retained and practiced by about 10 percent of

the population concentrated mainly in three regions:
Northern Luzon, the Central Philippine islands of
Mindoro and Palawan and the southern islands of
Mindanano and Sulu. In Mindanao and Sulu, two musical
and cultural traditions may be noted the Islamic,
consisting of such groups as the Maguindanao,
Maranao, Yakan, Tausog and Samal, and the pre-Islamic
which is composed of the Bagobo, Manobo, Bukidnon,
Tagakaolo, Bilaan, Mansaka, Subanon and Mandaya,
among others.

 Music style varies region to region

Often the music is Polyphonic &
uses highly interlocking repeated
patterns.
Most musical instruments are
Percussion Instruments
Some belong to the wind and string
family

The muscial form/style of the

Philippines can be grouped into
two : the southern style and the
northern style. But as a whole,
instruments could be distinguished
by their equivalence in wind,
string, percussion.

Southern Style
ethnic groups in the Mindanao
Tausug in the Sulu
Acrhipelago is known for their
sophisticated musical
repotoire called Kulintang
The main instruments used for
Kulintang is similar to the
gongs used in Indonesia.
Often the music in Mindanao
is similar to the tribes in
visayas

Examples of Southern Instruments

Aerophone instrument: Palendag

Chordophone instrument: Kaltsang

Idiophone (percussion) instrument:

Kulintang

Gong ensembles have varied functions but are mostly

used for celebrations and rituals. The gong ensembles
in Mindanao are mainly divided into two types :
1) Kulintangan, Kwintangan - Gongs in a row
2) Tahunggo, Agung, Salmagi, Blowon Semagi Suspended Gong Ensembles in various names
according to each tribe

KULINTANG

is a modern term for an ancient instrumental

form of music composed on a row of small,
horizontally-laid
gongs
that
function
melodically,
accompanied
by
larger,
suspended gongs and drums.
Kulintang music generally could be found as
the social entertainment at a host of different
occasions.
It is used during large feasts, festive/harvest
gatherings, for entertainment of visiting
friends and relatives, and at parades.
Kulintang music also accompanies ceremonies
marking significant life events, such as
weddings and returnees from the Hajj.

AGUNG

is a set of two wide-rimmed, vertically

suspended large gongs used by the
Maguindanao, Maranao, Sama-Bajau and
Tausug people of the Philippines as a
supportive
instrument
in
kulintang
ensembles.
The main use for the agung in Maguindanao
and
Maranao
society
is
as
a
supportive/accompanying instrument of an
orthodox kulintang ensemble.
It is played in some occasions such as giving
warning to people in times of emergency,
announcing the times of the day, and other
important occasions in the community.

DABAKAN
~ is a single-headed Philippine drum,
primarily used as a supportive instrument
in the kulintang ensemble. Among the
five main kulintang instruments, it is the
only non-gong element of the
Maguindanao ensemble. The main use
for the dabakan in Maguindanao and
Maranao society is as a supportive
instrument in the kulintang ensemble,
keeping the tempo of the ensemble in
check like the babendil.

Boat lutes are an important part of the music history of the Philippines.
The major names of the boat lutes are:
1. Kudlung
2. Kudyapi
Some trace the origin of the name from the Indian kacchapi and Sanskrit kacca
which means turtle. The scales used by the instrument varies with a scale with
whole steps used for music inspired by nature (D,E, F#, A, B, C#, E, F#, G#, B, C#,
E) and music with half steps inspired by human emotions (D, E, F, A, B, C, E, F#,
G#, B, C#, E) (Maceda 1998).
Below is a picture of the Gawad Manlilikha ng Bayan Samoan Sulayman playing the
boat lute.

KUDYAPI
~ is a Philippine two-stringed, fretted
boat-lute. It is the only stringed
instrument among the Maguindanao
people, and one of several among other
groups such as the Maranao and Manobo.
It is four to six feet long with nine frets
made of hardened beeswax. The
instrument is carved out of solid soft
wood such as that from the jackfruit tree.

Sideview
The head, decorated with
floral motives, 'okiran'

The tail, decorated with

the 'crocodile' motive

Ethnic group: Marano

Location: West Central Mindanao (muslim south)
Classification
Chordophone, two stringed boat lute

The bridge, made of wood and

carabao horn

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According to Philippine legends, the first man and woman were

borne out of bamboo. Bamboo is not only abundant in our country, it
is also considered among early Filipinos as a spiritual connection
from our physical world to the spiritual world (Santos, 2008). Many
bamboo instruments were made for this purpose while some
bamboo instruments were also used for entertainment and personal
expression. Different manners of playing bamboo instruments
include:

blowing (aerophones)

GABBANG
~ also known as bamboo
xylophone, is a musical
instrument made of
bamboo widely used in
the southern Philippines.

KUBING
~ is a type of Philippine jew harp from bamboo
found among the Maguindanaon and other
Muslim and non-Muslim tribes in the
Philippines and Indonesia.
The kubing is traditionally considered an
intimate instrument, usually used as
communication between family or a loved one
in close quarters.
Both genders can use the instrument, the
females more infrequently than males who
use it for short distance courtship

Ethnic group: Atta

Location: SE Mindanao
Classification: Idiophone, jaw harp

Description
Made of bamboo; Made of bamboo; the
instrument is held horizontally with the bamboo
tongue in front of the opened mouth. The left
end is hit by the thumb of the right hand. This
makes the bamboo tongue vibrate which causes
a sound. The mouth serves as a resonator and by
changing the shape and size of the mouth
opening, the overtones can be changed, thus
creating a melody. By strongly breathing in or
out the volume can be changed as well.
Dimensions: length: 20,8 cm., width: 1 cm.

Quintik Ofong plays the kubing (T'boli)

Ethnic group: Maranao

Location: West Central Mindanao
(muslim south)
Classification
Idiophone, jaw harp;
Description
Made of bamboo; Made of bamboo; the instrument is held horizontally
with the bamboo tongue in front of the opened mouth. The left end is hit
by the thumb of the right hand. This makes the bamboo tongue vibrate
which causes a sound. The mouth serves as a resonator and by changing
the shape and size of the mouth opening, the overtones can be changed,
thus creating a melody. By strongly breathing in or out the volume can be
changed as well. For a picture of the instrument in use: see
the Kubingfrom the Atta.
A thin piece of bamboo of appr. 2 cm. length on the left side, for hitting
and causing the tongue to vibrate, is broken off.
Dimensions: length: 23,6 cm. (or. appr. 26 cm.). , width (widest): 2,4 cm,
(smallest) 1,2 cm.

SULING
~ The Maguindanaon suling is the smallest bamboo
flute of the Maguindanaon and the only one
classified as a ring-flute (the other two bamboo
flutes of the Maguindanaon, the tumpong and the
palendag are both lip-valley flutes). Air is passed
through the suling via a blowing hole found at the
bottom of the instrument and pitch is controlled via
five finger holes on the top and one finger hole
located on the bottom. Traditionally only the
palendag was commonly played but because of the
difficult nature of playing the palendag, both the
tumpong and the suling have come to replace the
palendag as the Maguindanaons most common
aerophones.

shaking or hitting (idiophones)

GABBANG

plucking (chordophes)