CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE Music of Pre-­‐‑colonial and Spanish Colonial Philippines, and the Filipino Rondalla A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree in Master of Music in Music, Performance By Justin Cydrick Gaffud Cabales May 2015 The thesis of Justin Cydrick Gaffud Cabales is approved: _________________________________________ ______________ Dr. Alexandra Monchick Date _________________________________________ ______________ Dr. Lawrence Stoffel Date _________________________________________ ______________ Dr. Julia Heinen, Chair Date California State University, Northridge ii Table of Contents Signature Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii Abstract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Chapter 1 Ethnic Tradition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Ethnic Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Ethnic Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Chapter 2 Spanish Colonial Tradition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Spanish Colonial Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Spanish Colonial Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Choral Music and San Pedro’s Sa Ugoy Ng Duyan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Chapter 3 The Rondalla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Rondalla Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Instrumentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Works Cited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 iii Abstract Music of Pre-­‐‑colonial and Spanish Colonial Philippines, and the Filipino Rondalla By Justin Cydrick Gaffud Cabales Master of Music in Music, Perfomance With over seventy-­‐‑one hundred islands counted within its border making it the second-­‐‑largest archipelago in the world, the Philippines is a diverse nation that possesses many unique cultures and customs. Along with its deep tribal origins, Filipino music and its practices are heavily influenced by Western traditions. This music has existed long before Ferdinand Magellan and his crew set foot on Philippine soil in 1521. It was not until four decades later when the Spaniards conquered and colonized the islands, that change in culture, religion, and music took place. Over three centuries of Spanish rule, ended through the Treaty of Paris in 1898, this study will not only survey pre-­‐‑colonial Filipino music and its Western influence, but also will primarily focus on the plucked iv string ensemble that Spanish colonists introduced to the Philippines, known as the rondalla. What were some of these changes in culture? What are some other Filipino musical styles before the Spanish reign? What kind of influence did the Treaty of Paris, when the Spaniards relinquished the Philippines over to United States governance, have on the music? Moreover what did it have on the rondalla, what are its characteristics, and what are the differences between the Filipino rondalla and its Spanish counterpart? What makes it distinctly Filipino? Through archival research and performance recordings, this research will aim to define the Filipino sound. It will also examine Lucio San Pedro’s Sa Ugoy ng Duyan as an example of the Spanish influence and its legacy of producing successful musicians and composers. v Introduction Spanish Traces in the Islands Many aspects of Philippine culture is a fusion of Spanish and native Philippine traditions. For over three centuries of Spanish rule, many of its customs have woven itself into the indigenous Filipino culture, and evolved a people with a unique blend of east and west. Spain and the Philippines also share many cuisines and clothing. The Philippine language of Tagalog shows traces of Spanish with shared words that may be different only in spelling. In the southern region of the Philippines, the island of Mindanao is populated with purely Spanish-­‐‑speaking Filipinos, but the people of the Philippines find a way to cook, dress, and speak that is distinctly Filipino. Filipino music has long existed before Ferdinand Magellan and his men set foot on Philippine soil in 1521 ending their circumnavigation expedition around the world. Magellan’s assistant, Antonio Pigafetta, recorded evidences of native vocal and instrumental music.1 Categorized into four different eras, ethnomusicologists would call this pre-­‐‑colonial music as the Ethnic or Oriental 1
Eleizer Garanchon Yanson Jr., Philippine Choral Music: A Conductor’s Guide to Selected Works Composed between 1900 and 2010, (Columbia: University of South Carolina, 2010), 8. 1 tradition. The period during the Spanish crusade in the Philippines is simply known as the Spanish Colonial tradition.2 This paper will study the music of the Philippines and its development during these two eras. A description on the types of music and instruments will be given. It will also analyze Lucio San Pedro, one of the nations most prominent composers who benefited from Spanish music education, and his most famous work entitled, Sa Ugoy ng Duyan. A chapter will focus specifically about the rondalla, which is the plucked string ensemble that the Spanish colonists introduced to the Philippines. Along with its history, the paper will also explore into its instrumentation and its musical stylistic traits. 2
Ryan Osal, Filipino Folk Music, Accessed April 4, 2015, aboutphilippines.ph/filer/Folk_music-­‐‑Philippines.pdf, 2. 2 Chapter 1 Ethnic Tradition (pre-­‐‑colonial, Ninth to early Sixteenth century) Located in Southeast Asia in the Pacific, the Philippine Islands was already a melting pot of Malay stock mixed with Chinese, Korean, Indonesian, and Arab people prior to becoming a Spanish colony in the mid 1500s.3 Being an archipelago of composing over seven thousand islands and having several waves of migration, the Philippines had resulted to a country with separate regional settlements. Merchants from the Insular Southeast Asia first settled in different parts of the country to establish trading systems. Most of the Chinese and the Arabs gravitated toward the southern region to start trading with the people of Ma-­‐‑i, a region that had already been occupied predominantly of Chinese descent. Aside from goods, these merchants also traded social and cultural ideas, as well as religion. There is a strong Muslim population in the south, especially in the island of Mindanao, that was introduced in the fourteenth century.4 3 Osal, 2. 4
Ibid, 8. 3 Ethnic Music Music during the Ethnic tradition mainly served religious and other ritual purposes. Some of these ceremonies marked rites of passage and life-­‐‑cycle events for the early Filipinos, while some are largely based on the Islamic practices. Heavy percussive instruments, interrupted by vocal hymns, often accompany these rituals. These characteristics are also true for early Filipino tribes, such as the Bagobo tribe of Davao and the Ifugao tribe of the Mountain province.5 Similar to the early western traditions, vocal music is regarded as more important than instrumental music. Vocal music is able to express thoughts and beliefs more clearly and vividly, while music enhances it. Singing was a central component of the Filipino culture and was mainly improvisational, considering they had very little practice in music theory. Celebrations would lead to impromptu concerts and is frequently filled with singing. Two types of unnamed vocal musical styles existed. The first one is an unaccompanied vocal song, what western music call an “a capella” (Italian for “in the manner of the church”). The other, what can be called a “cantata” (Italian for “sung”), is performed with a vocalist accompanied by an instrument. During 5
Osal, 3. 4 this time, the instruments are mostly percussive, with a handful of aerophones (wind instruments) and chordophones (stringed instruments). Most of the string instruments, like the mandolin or the guitar, were not introduced until later by the Spanish.6 6 Parnes, 2. 5 Ethnic Instruments During this era, there were mainly eight types of musical instruments used. Other than grouping them in families, they were also categorized by their volumes. The stringed kudyapi and the korlong, the wind tolali, and the subing instruments were considered as quiet instruments.7 They were often played indoors and at night. The loud instruments were the percussion and other auxiliary instruments and were originally intended for war but have since turned towards the purposes of dance celebrations and other public gatherings. The kudyapi is a small two to three-­‐‑stringed lute that were used by men to accompany the love songs they might have written. Its composition is entirely made of wood, and is usually attached with a belly of half of a coconut shell to increase resonance.8 The tip of the burubunkun (neck) is decorated with intricate designs of horns and scrolls (known as apil-­‐‑apil). Korlong is the female equivalent of the plucked instrument. It is made out of a single node of bamboo and is played with both hand like a lyre or harp.9 The 7 William Henry Scott, Barangay: 16th Century Philippine Culture and Society, (Manila: Ateneo de Manila University Press, 1997), 108. 8 Ibid. 9 Ibid. 6 strings are actually made from the skin of the bamboo and are raised and tuned on two small bridges. The tolali or lantuy is a nose flute with three to four finger holes and is used during wakes and funerals.10 When performed, the pure sound of this instrument could recreate that of a human voice. It is usually played with shakes and trills in imitation of a mourning person. Similar to a Jew’s harp, subing is a reed that is tucked between the lips and/or teeth and creates a “twanging” sound when plucked.11 The space in the mouth acts as a resonating chamber. This instrument was considered a courting instrument because its sound could be shaped into a kind of code words understood only by the player and his lover. With a limited range of just a pentatonic scale, it resembles the short melodic range of the vocal music at the time. Bodyong is an instrument made of bamboo or a conch shell that is played against the lips like a bugle or any brass instrument.12 As a very loud instrument, bodyongs were used to signal war or part of a ceremony of a babaylan, a religious leader. A babaylan also used tambourines, called kalatong, and a node of bamboo, 10 Ibid. 11 Ibid. 12 Ibid. 7 called tibongbong, in order to keep time. These ceremonies would also use membranophones, such as gambal and gadang. Agong, a type of gong, were ubiquitous and were considered the most important instrument.13 There has been a plethora of examples where it was referenced in old texts and writings. Antonio Pigafetta wrote about a rehearsal of a group of musicians in the island of Cebu playing these instruments in one of his journals.14 He noted that there were multiple gongs that were suspended in the air and were alternately struck by each musician. The agong served multiple purposes, ceremonial or warfare, and held different meanings depending on how it is played. For example, tapping near the edge slowly signifies bad news, while striking the navel swiftly summons the people. Warships would be also equipped with these gongs for intimidation purposes. Musicians developed special terms to describe each parts of the gong because they were used so often. They had names for each gong sizes, gong strokes, and even the cord with which they used to fasten and hang them. Introduced by the Chinese, agong’s are made of bronze and could get to sizes as big as one and a half meters (4’ 11”). Gongs also held another purpose besides music. Along with porcelain, gold, and slaves, gongs were required for any 13 Ibid. 14 Ibid. 8 Datu-­‐‑class dowry and men from each family mortgages themselves with these instruments as a sign of agreement.15 Gongs were also used during the event of the arrangement as a ceremonial device. Today, these gongs lost this distinguished value and are often found as part of a kulintang ensemble.16 15 Ibid. 16 kulingtang is 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. 9 Chapter 2 Spanish Colonial Tradition (early-­‐‑mid 16th century to last 19th century) The Spaniards finally settled in 1565, shortly after Magellan’s first descent, and the Philippine Islands became a colony of Spain. Among others, their main motive was to spread Christianity. They also introduced the Spanish language, “Ecclesiastical Latin”, and western European culture. As previously mentioned, the Philippine language, Tagalog, is infused with many Spanish words and it shares the “Ñ” letter in its alphabet. It is also interesting to note similar features in traditional clothing. The traditional female attire, the baro at saya, is a very lightweight garment, which is highly feasible outfit for the extremely humid and tropic climate of the Philippines. It is made with various thin fabrics, such as piña or jusi fabrics (hand-­‐‑loomed from pineapple leaf and banana fibers, respectively). Baro at saya is a two-­‐‑part gown or dress. The first part, baro, refers to the top blouse, and the second, saya, refers to the skirt. This dress resembles that of the traditional Spanish or Andalusian female clothing. Though often a one-­‐‑piece dress, the Spanish dresses are long and designed with flamboyant ruffles and intricate frills. Both dresses also have distinctly large and protruding shoulders that emulate the wings of a butterfly. The main difference is their usage. Baro at saya is 10 used in wedding and other formal events where the female need to look poised and elegant, and movements are at a minimum. This is especially because of the fragile material it was made of. The Spanish dress, however, is made of heavy fabric and is used for dancing, perhaps the fast-­‐‑moving flamenco.17 This shows the stark similarities between the two cultures but modified to adapt to each use. 17 Elizabeth Cook-­‐‑Romero, Great Flamenco Needs Great Costumes, Santa Fe New Mexican, 2004, 1. 11 Spanish Colonial Music Modern Filipino music is rooted by the music developed during this period. The Spanish church is mainly responsible for introducing music. With the intention to bring and spread the Christian faith to the indigenous people, the Spanish regime introduced many different types of music, namely Gregorian chant and polyphonic music, and numerous types of instruments. The swift spread of Christianity was so influential that church music extended to everyday living. Spanish friars also help teach the Filipino people about the western tradition of music, and provided music education that included vocal and instrumental instructions as well as theory and counterpoint lessons. Three main types of music were introduced, notably the harana, the kundiman, and the rondalla. Much like all of the cultural influences of the Spanish occupation, these forms were developed as a result of the fusion between indigenous tribal music styles and Spanish music. The harana is a traditional form of courting music, like a serenade, from Spain.18 A man is depicted wooing a woman by singing and playing his guitar beneath her window at night. The music borrows the rhythm from another Spanish dance music, called habanera, and is in duple meter, shown in figure 1. 18 Florante Aguilar, “The Difference Between Harana and Kundiman,” Guitarist Florante Aguilar’s Blog, November 9, 2010, accessed April 4, 2015. 12 figure 1. The syncopated rhythm of the habanera is in duple meter, and could be written in 4/4 time. Its form is very simple and songlike, and is commonly in a major key. It starts with a gentle guitar introduction as an invitation for the woman being wooed to come join and listen to his music. It is then followed by three short verses with a guitar interlude between the second and the third verse. Variations of the form might have instrumental and vocal exchanges during the second verse. Guitar is the preferred choice of instrument for a harana, highly because it is the most accessible. The violin and the banduria are also used.19 As for lyricsm, the Philippine harana contain no traces of Spanish word in them.20 It uses pure, unadulterated and antiquated Tagalog – words that are rarely ever used in daily conversation today. Words like idampulay (to give) or pagkagupiling (a light sleep).21 Another aspect of the lyricsm, though minor, is that it is written as a conversation. It is never a story or a free verse of wishful thinking, but it asks or implores. The man might ask “natutulog ka na ba, sinta?” 19 Ibid. 20 Ibid. 21 Ibid. 13 or “are you already asleep, my love?” Perhaps he may tell her “dungawin mo, hirang” or “look out the window, beloved.” The words are always provoking and are in present tense, symbolizing or equating his longing and desiring to be with the woman right at that moment. The kundiman is sad song, like a melancholy or a blues type of music. The theme is ordinarily about hardships and heartbreaks. It is said to be the contraction of the Tagalog phrase, “kung hindi man” or “if not meant to be”. To get this effect, it is written in a minor key but modulates to the parallel major by the time it reaches the second verse. It is in a very slow triple meter in form and is often as short as two verses. Whereas men exclusively sang harana, men accompanied with a guitar also often sang kundiman.22 The kumintang is native song style that is found around the region of Batangas and is believed to be the predecessor of the kundiman. The addition of the guitar is what differentiates the two. Over the years during the advent of recording, the kundiman has appeared in concert halls nationwide and the kundiman art form were championed by composers such as Nicanor Abelardo and Bonifacio Abdon by arranging it for voice and piano or even a full orchestra. It has since turned virtuosic and operatic that it has been 22 Ibid. 14 transferred to female sopranos. Most recordings of kundiman found today are that of female vocalists. Just like the harana, kundiman lyrics show no hints of Spanish in it. There are lyricists and songwriter still writing in this manner. Other than books, perhaps these two song styles may be the last refuge of the ancient Tagalog language. The third type of music that was introduced in this period was the rondalla, which is a plucked-­‐‑string ensemble that consists of instruments in the mandolin family, guitars, and a bass. It will be further discussed in chapter 3. 15 Spanish Colonial Instruments Spanish colonists not only instructed the indigenous people of the Philippines in singing, but also instrumentally. Most of the musical instruments they brought over were primarily stringed instruments. They also brought over a pair of double-­‐‑headed drums, tambul and gimbal, as well as the wind instruments including the various types of flutes, pan-­‐‑pipes, and reed pipes. The tambul and gimbal are found in the northern region of Mindanao, which is located in the southern part of the Philippines, around the province of Bukidnon.23 The construction of the tambul suggests that of a Spanish military drum. It is made of thick, heavy wood that is covered with animal skin at both ends to maximize volume. It is played while hanging from the drummer’s shoulder and is suspended all the way to his waistline. The tambul is played with two unpadded wooden sticks with carved heads. The gimbal is essentially similar to a tambul, but it is smaller and it is played upright, where only one side is beaten. These drums are usually played alone but are sometimes played with the agong to accompany celebrations and dances.24 23 Hans Brandeis, “Traditional Musical Instruments of the Philippines,” Filipino Martial Arts Digest, special edition (2007): 1. 24 Brandeis: 6. 16 There are numerous variety of end-­‐‑blown or straight flutes found in the Philippines. What the Spanish and other Europeans introduced were the transverse flute models or the side-­‐‑blown, horizontal designs. Most Philippine transverse flutes are adaptation or imitation of the European versions evident in the borrowed names such as flauta, plawta, and palawta.25 25 Corazon Canave-­‐‑Dioquino, “Philippine Music Instruments,” Filipino Martial Arts Digest, special edition, Fallon: FMAdigest, 2007: 4. 17 Choral Music and San Pedro’s Sa Ugoy ng Duyan Choral music during the colonial period was heavily influenced by Western traditions. Taught by the Spanish friars, the native people of the Philippines were introduced to Gregorian chants and polyphony.26 These are evident in Marcelo Adonay’s mass entitled, Pequeña Misa Solemne, who is one of the earliest known Filipino composers. Born in 1848, Adonay studied with the Spanish friars of the Augustinian order at the San Agustin Church, He learned to play piano and other instruments, as well as compose new music. His Pequeña Misa Solemne follows the typical five-­‐‑movement structure of the Mass Ordinary: Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei. It also borrows the main motive from Henry Du Mont’s Cinq messes en plain-­‐‑chant, showing the Western influences in his writing. The Spanish missionaries established and found many schools with rich music education, including University of Santo Tomas (formerly known as Colegio de Nuestra Señora de Santisimo Rosario) and University of San Carlos. Even after the Philippine relinquishment of the Spanish, the American Civil Government built the University of the Philippines in Manila that still embraced the Spanish teachings of the western tradition. One the composers who benefited 26 Yanson Jr., 9. 18 from music education from these universities was Lucio San Perdro. Born shortly after the Treaty of Paris in 1913, he lived through an era still undergoing a sense of identity crisis and experienced the lasting effects of the Spanish influence.27 Known as a nationalist composer, San Pedro became of the country’s most prominent composers and certainly the most prolific Filipino composers. 28 He has written numerous works for different instrumentations, including orchestra, wind band, choir, and vocal chamber pieces. He attended the College of Music at the University of the Philippines (UP) in 1938, where he received his Music Teacher’s diploma for composition and instrumental conducting.29 He continued to study composition with Vittorio Giannini and Bernard Wagenaar at the Juilliard School of Music in 1947 . His musical contributions awarded him the title of National Artist of the Philippines for Music in 1991.30 Among all of his works, his most famous piece is undoubtedly “Sa Ugoy ng Duyan”, meaning “In the Swaying of the Cradle”. The piece is coupled with 27 Christi-­‐‑Anne Salazar Castro, Music, Politics, and the Nation at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, (Los Angeles: University of California Los Angeles, 2001), 194. 28 Yanson Jr., 14. 29 Ibid. 30 Yanson Jr., 15. 19 the poem of another National Artist, Levi Celerio. Its rising popularity has led some regard it “as familiar as our national anthem.”31 Originally part of a bigger work entitled, Suite Pastoral, San Pedro entered the fourth movement in a music competition during the Japanese occupation as a composition entry in 1943, but failed to submit it because he could not find a lyricist to write the text. He boarded a plane home with his colleague, Celerio, who agreed to write the text for him.32 Composed in dedication to his mother, Sa Ugoy ng Duyan was premiered by the Manila Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in 1956. The lyrics are: “Sana’y di magmaliw and dati kong araw Nang munti pang bata sa piling ni Nanay Nais kong maulit and awit ni Inang Mahal Awit ng Pag-­‐‑ibig habang ako’y nasa duyan Sa aking pagtulog Na labis and himbing Ang bantay ko’y tala Ang tanod ko’y bituin Sa piling ni Nanay Langit and buhay Puso kong may dusa Sabik sa ugoy ng duyan mo, Inay” 31 Bong Godinez, “The Genius of Composer Levi Celerio,” Philippine Entertainment Portal. December 13, 2007, 3. Antonio C. Hila, “Remembering Maestro Lucio D. San Perdro, the Creative Nationalist,” Philippine Daily Inquirer, February 10, 2013, 3. 32
20 “I hope my former days don’t fade away When I was a young child in Mom’s arms I want Beloved Mother’s song to repeat Song of love while I was in the cradle In my sleep That is very peaceful The planets guard me The stars watch over me In Mom’s arms Life was like heaven My Heart that is hurting Yearns for the sway of the cradle by you, Mom” It is a short piece written in Tagalog in a very poetic way. It still shows no hints of Spanish but does not use archaic words that both haranas and kundimans employ. Written as a lullaby, Sa Ugoy ng Duyan has been adapted to many different genres ranging from full orchestra to solo instrumentalist or vocalist with piano accompaniment, and even in a rondalla.33 Its structure is song-­‐‑like and in verse-­‐‑
bridge form. In the piano and soprano arrangement, the piece starts out with a short but free introduction in the piano in the key of D-­‐‑flat major. It is followed by two strophic verses that feature a pair of grace notes as embellishments. 33
There is a well made live recording of Mimi Melegrito singing San Pedro’s Sa Ugoy ng Duyan with Cornell University’s own 14 Strings! Cornell Filipino Rondalla available on youtube. The recording could be accessed here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYuzpugPfKQ&. She begins the piece with the English translation of the song. 21 Another key feature is the use of the Neapolitan chord towards the cadence, shown in figure 2. figure 2. Excerpt from San Pedro’s Sa Ugoy ng Duyan, measure 13 to 20. Figure 2 depicts the two grace notes in measure 14. In measure 16, beat 1 is where the Neapolitan chord is found. 22 Chapter 3 The Rondalla Rondalla, (or rondalya, Tagalog spelling) is one of the three major musical settings brought from Spain. The term’s origin is not known but there have been several theories. As suggested by the former maestro of the Bayanihan Philippine Dancers, Nitoy Gonzales, it may have derived from the terms ronda, meaning guard, and alla, meaning over there. A bystander shouted, “A guard is there!” upon hearing a guard serenading a woman with his guitar, instead of protecting the barrio from the nearby threat of the Moslem pirates.34 Another suggests that it originated from the Southern Spanish town of Ronda. Some say it derived from the Spanish word rondar, meaning to court, while others say it refers to the rolling of the fingers across the string of the instruments. According to Antonio Molina35 mentioned that José Silos36 as the first to use and the one coined this 34
Samuel Will Parnes, A History of Filipino Rondalla Music and Musicians in Southern California, (Los Angeles: University of California Los Angeles), 1999, 1. Antonio Jesus Molina was composer, conductor and music administrator. Also a National Artist of the Philippines, he is regarded as the Debussy of the Philippines due to his impressionistic approach to music. 35
José Silos was a rondalla maestro in the early twentieth century. 36
23 term in a Philippine context.37 It is interesting to note that the rondalla has existed long before it became widely popular in the Philippines and has appeared in recordings from bands all over the world. With the uncertainty of its origins, rondalla is still essentially a courting music, a serenade, accompanied by plucked strings. The Grove Music Dictionary has defined rondalla as an ensemble of the Philippines that consisted of plucked string instruments with percussion. It continued to describe the varieties in size, where it could start from an ensemble of four to a larger group of more than thirty. Up until the end of the Spanish rule in the early twentieth century, ensembles with similar instrumentation would have contrasting names depending on the musical setting. If the ensemble were performing in a concert hall, it would be called a cumparsa. If the ensembles were students, it would be called estudiantina, and murga if the the members were beggars.38 If it was meant for casual entertainment and for serenading, it is referred to as a rondalla. Since then, the other names are forgotten and the term rondalla remained. They are performed during fiestas, weddings, and even in baptisms and funerals.39 37
Parnes, 92. 38 Parnes, 92. 39 Parnes, 103. 24 It is interesting to note that the rondalla was seen as a distinctively Filipino music and was encouraged as a means of expressing a distinctly Filipino identity. The fact that it is now advertised and recognized as a uniquely Filipino phenomenon is a massive undertaking given that it was brought by Spain and other former Spanish colonies. Antonio Molina has mentioned in a pamphlet: We had, in the Philippines, the development of a kind of music that relates to the tribal music, with its stringed instruments, and to Western music. I am speaking of the Rondalla. It’s a very typical organization—I think it bears no similarity to any group in any other nation in the world. True, it is related— perhaps derived directly from Spanish “Bandurias”.40 Molina embraced rondalla, along with many others, as Philippine’s own and believes that it resembles no other music. Descriptions of this music are seen in surveys of Filipino dance, such as Reynaldo Alejandro’s Philippine Dance: Mainstream and Cross-­‐‑Currents (1979) and Molina’s Music in the Philippines (1967).41 40 Eric Hobsbawm et al, eds., The Invention of Tradition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983), 5. 41
Parnes, 8. 25 Rondalla Music The musical style of the rondalla is simple triadic harmony and shifts between parallel major and minor modes without modulation. The bases for the repertoire are popular nineteenth century rhythms, such as the paso doble, polkas, waltzes and marches, and the habanera.42 Little has been written about the actual music form and structure of the rondalla. This is because it has undergone so many changes. Perhaps the better explanation is that the term has lost its meaning as a courting music but has led to describe a genre or instrumentation. Much like a jazz combo, the plucked string ensemble is so versatile that they could perform in various different styles. Old recordings of rondalla suggest that rondallas were typically faster and more upbeat. Often in a major key, it resembles the kind of vitality of a typical Mariachi band. The music is loud, rarely soft, and is quintessential folk music. Aside from its very unique instrumentation, the rondalla features rapid plucking with the use of a plectrum or a pick. As with most string instruments, the sound cannot be sustained if plucked. Thus if a melody calls for a slow 42
Ricardo D. Trimillos, “Philippine Music as Colonial Experience and National Culture,” The Age of Discovery: Impact on Philippine Culture and Society, second edition, (Manoa: University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1993), 20. 26 moving line, the musicians are instructed to trill, or tremolo, the note as fast as they can to produce a continuous “ringing” musical line rather than just a plucked one. It is, of course, done with plucking the same string or, in this case, a course of strings and not trilling to the next note in the diatonic scale. The music is created by plucking the strings, yes, but it is wrong to describe write is as pizzicato, especially because of the use of the plectrum and the continuous tremolo. It is unknown as to where, when, an in what setting that the earliest rondalla was performed. The first recorded references to the existence of plucked-­‐‑
string ensemble came from the early accounts of Spanish priests in the late seventeenth century. It did not mention, however, the type of music they performed. There has also been an account of a healing ritual involving trance that called for a mixed chorus accompanied with male rondalla.43 By the nineteenth century, where harmony in every type of music has evolved entirely, rondallas virtuosity gained a foothold. Double stops and fast runs were developed and integrated to the music. This in turn made certain rondallas perform for entertainment. Several instruments, such as tambourines, castanets, and double harps, were added to the group. Short-­‐‑lived competitions between 43 Parnes, 103. 27 two ensembles, known as tambakan,44 were developed in each town. They are now featured in concert-­‐‑style performances, playing repertoire ranging from folksong to arrangements of western art music. The rondalla repertoire is quite diverse. People recognize it as Filipino folk love songs, which is a holdover of its original function. People also associate this music with dance music, most notably the Philippine national dance, tinikling.45 Lastly, people could associate it with dances not limited to just the Philippines like the cha-­‐‑cha, calypso, mambo, and rock and roll. 44
Tambakan is a competition of two ensembles alternately playing their entire repertoire by memory. They could last from three days to a week, and band members were expected to play continuously for at least eight hours. Tinikling is the most popular and best known of the Philippine dances and honored as 45
the Philippine national dance. The dance imitates the movement of the tikling birds as they walk between grass stems, run over tree branches, or dodge bamboo traps set by rice farmers. Dancers imitate the tikling bird'ʹs legendary grace and speed by skillfully maneuvering between large bamboo poles. 28 Instrumentation Traditional rondalla groups are made up of the bandurria, la-­‐‑ud, octavina, gitara, and bajo de uñas (string bass), in any proportion or size.46 All fretted, these instruments are played with a plastic plectrum. In the past, the plectrum was made of turtle shell.47 All of these instruments originated in Spain, but they were adapted to local instrument-­‐‑making practices that went through minor evolutions over the years. Similar named instruments are found in Spain as well as parts of Latin America, but the string configurations are string intervals between open strings vary.48 The leading instrument is the 14-­‐‑stringed bandurria, which is shaped like a pear, from the mandolin family. They are the pitched very high among the rest of the ensemble and often play two parts with one another, the principle melody and a simple harmony.49 Divided into six sets of strings, with open strings tuned 46
David Joseph Kendall, Spanish Colonial Liturgical Music in the Philippines: Inventing a Tradition, (Riverside: University of California Riverside, 2010), 121. 47
J. Sonny Santos, 1996, Accessed April, University of the Philippines Alumni and Friends Rondalla, based in Clark, New Jersey. http://www.geocities.com/sunsetstrip/1939. Castro, 82. 48
Parnes, 93. 49
29 from highest to lowest: G, D, A, E, B, and F sharp.50 There is also a 12-­‐‑stringed bandurria but is slowly getting replaced by the fourteen-­‐‑stringed version. A rondalla ensemble often includes the piccolo bandurria and would replace the regular bandurria of the principal melodic line because it allows highly decorative passages in the upper range. Occasionally, it plays the main melody an octave lower than the regular bandurria as a secondary voice. The piccolo bandurria is pitched a perfect fourth higher than the regular. Serving a similar purpose to the piccolo bandurria, the octavinas and la-­‐‑uds play an octave lower than the bandurrias and typically play the harmony or countermelodies.51 Tonally very different to the bandurrias, these two instrument types are sometimes featured and assume the melodic line.52 The strings of both instruments are pitched and configured similarly, but are different only in shape and timbre. Octavina looks almost identical to a guitar, where the la-­‐‑ud is also pear-­‐‑shaped but longer and wider neck than the bandurria. The resonance holes of the octavinas and bandurrias are round, but la-­‐‑uds utilize two f-­‐‑holes similar to those found on a violin. The relationship between the octavina and la-­‐‑uds are that 50
Castro, 80. Castro, 81. 51
Ibid. 52
30 of the violin and the viola, in which la-­‐‑uds are quieter and much darker in timbre. These two instruments were the latest addition to the plucked string ensemble.53 The gitara is identical in form with their steel-­‐‑stringed Western counterpart, the guitar. Their purpose is to provide rhythm for the ensemble. They also supply the arpeggiated or chordal underpinnings of the ensemble. As for the bajo de uñas (Spanish spelling), or baho de unyas (Tagalog) provides the bass and harmonic accents.54 Its four strings, pitched as G, D, A, and E, are played also with a plectrum or struck with a wooden mallet. It borrows several aspects from different kinds of instruments. It sounds very similar to the Mexican guitarrón, and utilizes an adjustable standing peg of wood or iron very similar to the cello or the double bass.55 They are later on replaced with the Western double bass of identical range and have turned to be plucked with using the fingers. Some say the declining use of the bajo de uñas was due to the Bayanihan Philippine Dancers predilection of the string bass sound, and also the fact that the bajo de uñas struggle to resonate in large auditoriums. 53
Parnes, 98. 54
Parnes, 98. 55
Ibid. 31 Several instruments are added over time but the five original instruments were never removed, unless replaced as previously discussed. The bandalon, invented in 1910, is round-­‐‑shaped. Another bass instrument added to the ensemble called, the mandola, is held like a cello. Diatonic harps and several percussion instruments, like various types of drums and other auxiliary percussion instruments, are recent addition. Mallets like marimba are common, too.56 Symphonic rondallas, which have an average of sixty musicians, are developed. Most of the added instruments are percussion, such as bass drums, snare drums, cymbals, triangles, and timpani.57As always, the ensemble always featured solo instruments, solo voice, or choruses. 56
Parnes, 104. Parnes, 105. 57
32 Conclusion Over the three centuries of Spanish rule, more than just education was shared. The influence of the Spanish occupation on the Philippines is readily seen in many aspects of the Filipino culture, largely in music. During the early years of the colonization, education in the Philippines was mostly religion-­‐‑
oriented and controlled by the Roman Catholic Church. Spanish friars and missionaries educated the indigenous people through religion with the intention of converting the native population to the catholic faith. Music of the Philippines is divided into four traditions, namely the Ethnic, Spanish Colonial, American Colonial, and Contemporary. Focusing only on the first two traditions, this study has described pre-­‐‑colonial and colonial music and instrumentation. The Ethnic tradition of music was essentially tribal and the instruments were also primitive. During the Spanish Colonial period, the colonists brought over many different musical ideas and instruments to the islands. Spanish music education founded numerous schools and produced countless of successful composers, such as the National Artist Lucio San Pedro. His Sa Ugoy ng Duyan has grown in popularity and has been arranged for various instrumentation. The Spanish introduced harana, kundiman, and rondalla to the islands. Haranas are serenades that are performed by men, where they 33 stand beneath the window of the woman they are trying to woo. Kundimans are the Filipino equivalent to the western blues. Both song styles are often accompanied with a guitar, because it was the cheapest and most accessible instrument to the masses. The rondalla referred once to another type of courting music that is performed with a plucked string ensemble, but has since lost this original meaning. It now refers to the very unique instrumentation of fretted instruments belonging to the mandolin family. These are the bandurria, octavina, la-­‐‑ud, gitara, and bajo de uñas. For a while, it was the preferred sound of Filipino folk music and was in the forefront of any type of celebration, until the next wave of music introduced by the Americans. Thus, the rondalla had undergone many evolutions to cater or allow them to perform any genre and to keep up with the forever-­‐‑
changing music scene. There is still much to be said about this music, especially since it is still being played by ensembles worldwide. Filipino migrants who moved to nearby countries, like Vietnam, Thailand, and Korea, have developed their own form of the plucked ensemble. In the United States, there are innumerable performing groups of rondalla in Boston and in Southern California. For further reading, refer to Samuel Will Parnes’ extensive dissertation, A History of Filipino Rondalla Music 34 and Musicians in Southern California.58 Parnes listed groups and performing ensembles located in Southern California and described in further details the interactions between the institution as an individual and as a whole. What is great about this genre, and music in general, is that there are countless different avenues it can take and evolve to a new kind of music. Already having a expansive presence in the United States, the rondalla could very well have a significant presence in Western art music and appear in orchestras and concerti. 58 Samuel Will Parnes, A History of Filipino Rondalla Music and Musicians in Southern California, Los Angeles: University of California Los Angeles, 1999. 35 Works Cited Agcaoili, Angelito Sy. The Guitar in the Philippines: A Recording of Selected Music for the Guitar by Contemporary Filipino Composers. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Arizona, 2002. Aguilar, Florante. “The Difference Between Harana and Kundiman.” Guitarist Florante Aguilar’s Blog. November 9, 2010. Accessed April 4, 2015, http://florante.org/blog/2010/11/09/harana_kundiman_difference/. Anupol et al. Philippine Music. Accessed April 4, 2015, aboutphilippines.ph/filer/toledo_cebu/PHILIPPINE%20MUSIC.pdf. Brandeis, Hans et al. “Traditional Musical Instruments of the Philippines.” In Filipino Martial Arts Digest, special edition. Fallon: FMAdigest, 2007. Canave-­‐‑Dioquino, Corazon. “Philippine Music Instruments.” In Filipino Martial Arts Digest, special edition. Fallon: FMAdigest, 2007. Castro, Christi-­‐‑Anne Salazar. Music, Politics, and the Nation at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of California Los Angeles, 2001. Cook-­‐‑Romero, Elizabeth. Great Flamenco Needs Great Costumes. Santa Fe New Mexican. 2004. Godinez, Bong. “The Genius of Composer Levi Celerio.” Philippine Entertainment Portal. December 13, 2007. Hila, Antonio C. “Remembering Maestro Lucio D. San Perdro, the Creative Nationalist.” Philippine Daily Inquirer. February 10, 2013. Hobsbawm, Eric et al. The Invention of Tradition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983. Kendall, David Joseph. Spanish Colonial Liturgical Music in the Philippines: Inventing a Tradition. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of California Riverside, 2010. 36 Mendonça, Maria. “Rondalla.” Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, accessed April 4, 2015, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/46040. Osal, Ryan. Filipino Folk Music. Accessed April 4, 2015, aboutphilippines.ph/filer/Folk_music-­‐‑Philippines.pdf. Parnes, Samuel Will. A History of Filipino Rondalla Music and Musicians in Southern California. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of California Los Angeles, 1999. San Pedro, Lucio et al. Sa Ugoy ng Duyan. Music manuscript, facsimile reproduction. 1947. Santos, J. Sonny. 1996. Accessed April ?. University of the Philippines Alumni and Friends Rondalla, based in Clark, New Jersey. http://www.geocities.com/sunsetstrip/1939. Scott, William Henry. Barangay: 16th Century Philippine Culture and Society. Manila: Ateneo de Manila University Press, 1997. Trimillos, Ricardo D. “Philippine Music as Colonial Experience and National Culture.” In The Age of Discovery: Impact on Philippine Culture and Society, second edition. Manoa: University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1993. Yanson Jr., Eleizer Garanchon. Philippine Choral Music: A Conductor’s Guide to Selected Works Composed between 1900 and 2010. DMA Dissertation, University of South Carolina, 2010. 37