The UP Diliman (UPD) College of Music staged a rare moon viewing musical event, with traditional music from the Philippines, India, and Thailand filling the air, at Buwan ang Tanglaw: An Asian Music Concert Under the Full Moon (Buwan ang Tanglaw) at the UPD College of Science Amphitheater.
The nine-part musical event featured CMu’s UP Tugtugang Musika Asyatika (UP TUGMA), Padayon Rondalla, and guest dancers Sarah Maria Samaniego and Gebvelle Selga; India’s Guru Jina Rajkumari Ensemble (GJRE); and Thailand’s Mahasarakham University Cultural Ensemble (MUCE).
According to the CMu, the event was to boost the “cultural exchange among the visiting musicians and scholars,” and aimed to connect with them “in line with the University’s goal and mission of fostering and strengthening international linkages.”
The first half featured Indonesian gamelan presented by the UP TUGMA Gamelan Ensemble, followed by Indian folk songs and classical dances by the GJRE, Japanese koto with traditional dance by the UP TUGMA Koto Ensemble, Thai music with traditional dances by the MUCE, and rondalla by Padayon Rondalla.
The second half had Indian folk songs by the GJRE. Next were kulintangan music by the UP TUGMA Kulintangan Ensemble, and Thai folk music and dances by MUCE.
Capping the night was Cordillera music presented by the UP TUGMA Cordillera Ensemble. Its highlight was the community dance Kalinga Pattung, where the performers invited the audience to participate.
Held on April 23, with the CMu Department of Musicology (DMusicology) Chair Arwin Q. Tan as project proponent and director, and UP Center for Ethnomusicology Director LaVerne David C. de la Peña as artistic director, Buwan ang Tanglaw was presented by DMusicology, in partnership with the UPD Office of the Chancellor and the UPD Office for Initiatives in Culture and the Arts, as part of the UPD Arts and Culture Festival 2024, Pamamalagi at Pamamahagi.