Today we meet kulintang and “talking gongs….”
Filipino music tells the story of the Philippines‘ always-international history through its melodies, rhythms and choice of instruments. While some Filipino styles, such as Philippine gong music, retain distinct Asian origins, many traditional Philippine styles either originated during the Spanish period or became popular during Spanish rule by blending local traditions with Spanish melodies and rhythms. Among the most traditionally Asian of the Philippines’ musical styles, “Philippine gong music” comes in two general varieties — a “flat gong,” known as gangsa, that originates from Cordillera in the Northern Philippines, and a “bossed gong,” which comes from Islamic and animist groups in the Southern Philippines. In this video we see a kulintang gong ensemble, a tradition that exists in Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia among animist, Christian and Muslim groups.
