"Enchanting Melodies on Native Instruments" was the phrase used to introduce the Ne Pomoceno Quartet to mid-western audiences in 1917. Nowadays, those words are ironic, considering that, outside of the International Expositions, Filipinos playing in clubs and chautauquas rarely played native instruments, although they did play Philippine adaptations of European string instruments. This website is dedicated to Filipino musicians in the United States, especially those "old-timers" who performed during the early 20th century. My father was one of them: he played in a band in New Orleans and other cities during the 1930s. My grandfather and granduncle played in the Philippine Constabulary Band in international expositions. Filipinos have been entertaining audiences with their music since at least the early 20th century. Considering that "Manilla Men" first began settling in the Louisiana territory during the 18th century, it's possible that Filipino musicians have been making music in the Americas since the 19th century or earlier. My aim for this website is to post information on these little-known and under-appreciated musicians, and update as often as possible. This is a labor of love. Thanks to the "Redpath Chautauqua Collection and Traveling Culture exhibit, Special Collections, University of Iowa for making some of this material (photographs and documents about Filipino musicians in the Chautauqua) available.
If you have information or photos of Filipino musicians or bands from the early to mid-20th century (1960s) and would like it posted on this site, contact me at okir2k@gmail.com.
Saturday, August 07, 2004
Let's face it; it's difficult to listen to early 20th century U.S. Filipino music without sooner or later having to pursue all the different threads of world music that are somehow linked to this "genre." So, after wondering what kind of string instruments were played before the Spanish and Portugese came to the Philippines, I now find myself listening to Fingguy Flang and Luming Tuan, two T'boli women from the mountain province of South Cotabato in Mindanao. As the liner notes in this French recording (Altamira)explain, the two are the best players of the hegelung lute in their village. As the CD begins, one can hear forest birds twittering in the background, and through every track. The hegelung is a long, narrow boat or leaf-shaped, two-stringed instrument which, to my hearing, sounds much like a koto. It's tuned with wooden pegs, and the strings are plucked with a plectrum. The sound is light and charming.
"As young teenagers, [Fingguy and Luming] were both approached in their dreams by the Hegelung Custodian. This prettily adorned supernatural young lady offered them her friendship and invited them to become true players of the hegelung, the instrument she is the depositary of...Under this patronage, our two teenagers accomplished an important ritual: they caught a small insect called bulung hemgelung, which they crushed under the index of their right hand, the finger used to strike the hegelung strings. This allows one to become a talented interpreter" (liner notes, 18).
