The Philippine Rondalla Festival

The more than three centuries of Spanish colonization have marked Philippine society and culture, from the buildings around us to the words we speak. Most of these influences have been adapted and reclaimed through the infusion of Filipino flavor.

An example of this is the Filipino rondalla, an ensemble of stringed instruments that are played using the plectrum or pick. All are made from locally available materials like tortoise shell and indigenous wood.

This source of national pride and identity was showcased at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) last February 13-16, 2014. The best rondalla groups here and abroad put together their bandurrias, ukuleles, and guitar.

Strings were humming with celebratory music for the Philippine Rondalla Festival—an apt musical salvo for the National Arts Month and a prelude to Cuerdas Global: 4th International Rondalla/Plucked String Festival.

The Festival was presented by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the CCP, in partnership with the Musicology Society of the Philippines and in cooperation with University of the Philippines Center for Ethnomusicology.

In the opening ceremony at the Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino, CCP Vice President and Artistic Director Chris Millado emphasized the importance of music in forging camaraderie between communities, even nations, thus highlighting the festival’s theme “Kuwerdas ng Pagkakaisa” (Strings of Unity).

According to him, the music of the rondalla is the music of the Filipino’s everyday life, with each string plucked to make a whole ensemble. This spirit of harmony was also pointed out by Commissioner Victorino Manalo of the NCCA when he compared the Western string ensemble to the Filipino rondalla since the latter’s jovial tempo allows the musicians to smile at each other between beats.

Quite importantly, especially in these post-Typhoon Yolanda times, the rondalla’s festive music aligns with the National Arts Month’s campaign for 2014 to use art activities for healing and uplifting the spirits of those who were affected by the recent calamities.

Before formally opening the three-day affair, Festival Director Ramon P. Santos recounted the Kuwerdas’ decade-old history which spans the entire archipelago, from Luzon to Mindanao. The Festival was born in Naga City in 2004 and the following editions were held in Dumaguete in 2007, Tagum in Davao del Norte, Quezon City in 2011.

These past festivals were not only participated in by the best Philippine groups, but also by plucked string ensembles from Russia, USA, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Myanmar, and North and South Korea, among others.

For 2014, the seven selected Philippine rondalla groups that have undergone rigorous auditions were the Celso Espejo Rondalla from L  as Piñas City, Dipolog Community Rondalla from Zamboanga del Norte, Harmonya: The String Ensemble of the University of the Philippines-Los Baños, Kabataang Silay Rondalla Ensemble from Negros Occidental, Lucban Pahiyas Community Rondalla from Quezon, Maco Heights Central Elementary School Rondalla from Compostela Valley, and the UP Rondalla from Diliman.

They were also joined by the Fu-shing Junior High School Plucked String Band from Yilan, Taiwan, the Nationa    l Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) Chinese Plucked Instruments Ensemble from Taipei, the Phong Nguyen Ensemble from Vietnam, and Sundanese Kacapi Ensemble from Indonesia.

Aside from the concerts and recitals by these groups, other highlights of the festival were the forum on rondalla instrument development, an exhibition on the Philippine rondalla, and a recognition ceremony for distinguished rondalla masters, composers, and musicians.

With such interest in preserving the rondalla tradition, the spirit of Filipino music will not falter and each plucked string will continue to echo the music of the Philippines’ identity across international borders.

Source/s: https://sssip.wordpress.com/2014/01/25/international-rondalla-festival-kicks-off-in-                             manila/

                http://www.choosephilippines.com/do/history-and-culture/1185/philippine-rondalla                                     -festival