Rhythms of Mindanao
FEATURING T'BOLI, TALAANDIG, IRANUN, AND MAGUINDANAOAN MASTER MUSICIANS
Tuesday, July 23, 2024
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Oakland Asian Cultural Center
388 9th St Ste 290, Oakland
Join us for Rhythms of Mindanao, a concert featuring music performances by Indigenous Philippine Master Musicians and Culture Bearers: Talaandig Artists Marcelino Balugto P. Necosia Jr and Datu Rodelio ‘Waway’ Saway; Maguindanaon Artist and Farid Guinomla; Iranun Artist Sata Egal Abdullah; and T’boli Artist Joel Ganlal.
With special guest musicians Ron Querian aka Kulintronica, Rogelle Zamora, Gean Vicent Almendras, and Conrad J. Benedicto.
Co-presented with House of Gongs.
About the Artists
Datu Rodelio ‘Waway’ Saway
TALAANDIG MASTER ARTIST & CULTURE BEARER
Datu Rodelio ‘Waway’ Saway is a Philippine Tribal Leader of the Talaandig people in Bukidnon, shares and expands on tribal tradition as a composer, singer, instrument maker, and visual artist. A co-founder and teacher of the Talaandig School of Living Traditions, he has performed throughout the Philippines and Asia with his musical group, and with Grace Nono's Tao Music. He is the creative force behind the development of sustainable livelihood in tribal arts, including soil painting and instrument-making. He has performed at Lincoln Center, performing in the Grammy-nominated DEORO: THE BROOKLYN MANILA PROJECT, Featuring Dave Eggar and Chuck Palmer.
Farid Guinomla
MAGUINDANAON MASTER ARTIST & CULTURE BEARER
Farid Guinomla is currently engaged in development works in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. He is a Kulintang Solo Artist and an Ensemble Performer. Coming from families with astounding tradition and heritage, he is immersed in the music of his culture and learned his kulintang musicality through oral tradition, being a nephew of the great Kulintang Master Artist Danongan Kalanduyan and a grandnephew of the 1955 Smithsonian Folkways recording artist Maguindanaon Master Artist Amal Lemuntod. He received various opportunities to share his music in both national and international arenas. In 2018, he represented the Maguindanao Province in the NCCA and KX Philippines’ 6th Katutubo Exchange Program Bridging Cultures, Bridging Future held in Ilocos Provinces.
Joel Ganlal
T’BOLI MASTER ARTIST & CULTURE BEARER
Joel Ganlal, T’boli culture bearer, healer, and master artist in t’nonggong drum, s’loli flute, hegalong lute, and dance, was the Special Guest in Florante Aguilar's 'Utom' music project. He has performed internationally with the Helobong Cultural Troupe and for projects by the National Commission for Culture and Arts in California, New York, and Taiwan.
Marcelino Balugto P. Necosia Jr.
TALAANDIG MASTER ARTIST & CULTURE BEARER
Marcelino Balugto P. Necosia Jr., is a Talaandig artist specializing in soil painting, music, and crafting traditional instruments. Balugto has recently launched a compact disc to exhibit his percussion skills. Notably, Balugto performed at the opening and award ceremonies for the Second Annual Indigenous Peoples’ Visual Art Exhibition in Davao. His artwork titled “The Unseen World” received recognition in the juried competition and also earned an award at the regional Philip Morris Arts Competition, qualifying him for the national level competition in January 2008. In 2019, Balugto and Datu Waway Saway performed and exhibited their art works in San Francisco CA, New York, Virginia Beach, Singapore, and South Korea.
Sata Egal Abdullah
IRANUN MASTER ARTIST & CULTURE BEARER
Sata Egal Abdullah, is a full-blooded Iranun from Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao, Philippines, and a proud member of the Magui Moro Master Artist group. Bapa Sata participated in the Musical Travelogue of The Philippines, where he performed at prestigious venues such as Kaplan Concert Hall Center at Towson University in Maryland, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, Galeria Posada in Sacramento, Bayanihan Community Center in San Francisco, and Edith Coliber Festival of Cultures at Berkeley, all in 2006. In 2008, he further showcased his expertise in traditional instruments used in a Kulintang Ensemble during a teaching demonstration at Skyline College in San Bruno, California. His commitment to cultural promotion was also evident when he attended and performed at the Hinabi Project Exhibit, Weaving Peace and Dreams Textile Arts of Mindanao, held in San Francisco in 2017.
Gean Vincent Almendras
GUEST MUSICIAN
Gean Vincent Almendras is a musician, educator, and arts administrator based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Currently, Gean is a performer and college lecturer at the University of Michigan Center for Southeast Asian Studies (UM-CSEAS) where he teaches music courses on Philippine Music Ensembles such as Rondalla and Kulintang. He also teaches music lessons in his own studio while serving as the music director and vice-president of PACE-MI, and also performing as a mariachi violinist/vocalist and outreach coordinator with EBFE. He also volunteers his time teaching community music classes on Philippine traditional music at the Philippine American Community Center of Michigan’s Paaralang Pilipino.