MUSIC OF PALAWAN

Palawan music is characterized by limitation of sounds from nature

and the environment. It is also highly influenced by the native
language of the province.
Music, performed by the gong ensemble, plays an important role in
the life of the community because it is performed in rituals such as the
tambilaw and the tinapay.
For it is the music of the basal that collectively and spiritually connects
the Palawan with the Great Lord, Ampo and the Master Rice, Ampo’t
Paray. The basal enlivens the night long fast of the drinking of the rice
wine, bringing together about one hundred guests under the roof of
the kolon banwa (big house).
MUSIC OF PALAWAN
Tambilaw
- is a collective cooking and sharing of rice which is a ritual offering to the
Lord of Rice, Ampo’t Paray

Tinapay
- is the rice wine drinking ceremony. It is during such occasions that the
basal, or gong music ensemble, plays a vital role in the life of the
community.
VOCAL MUSIC OF PALAWAN

• Kulial (Songs)
• Tultul (Epic chant)
• Ulit (Shamanic chant)
VOCAL MUSIC OF PALAWAN
• Kulial
- it is a lyrical poem expressing love. His/her vocal music is accompanied by
kusyapi ( two-stringed lute ) and played by man and pagang ( bamboo zither )
played by woman.

• Tultul (Epic chant)

- To sing tultul is to be possessed by a Täw Tultultulän. These “Epic Heroes” are
a type of humanity who live in the median space and intercede between people
on this earth and Ämpuq. They are a Benevolent Humanity protecting the “Real
Men.” Epics are always chanted at night, ending at daybreak; it is forbidden to
sing when the sun shines and during the day. This prohibition links the epic to
the night and a sacred world.
VOCAL MUSIC OF PALAWAN

• Ulit (Shamanic chant)

- the shaman sings the difficult experience of the voyage of his
double, kuruduwa, by a specific chant, the lumbaga, whose
melody is in all points assimilable to any epic melodic line. And
it is precisely the ordeals that the soul of the shaman overcomes
in the course of his voyage that constitute the shamanic chant.
INSTRUMENTS

• Suling (banded flute)

• Babarak (ring flute)
• Basal (gong)
• Aruding (Jew’s harp)
• Kusyapi (lute) or Kudyapi
• Pagang (bamboo zither)
Suling (banded flute )
Mostly, suling is made of
'tamiang' bamboo a long tube
bamboo which has very thin
surface. The head of suling,
near a small hole, is circled with
a thin-band made of rattan or
rotan to produce air vibration.

Traditional Instrument - Suling.mp4

Babarak (ring flute)

Ring flutes are end-blown flutes with

a ring wrapped around the hole at the
blowing end of the flute. The ring is
usually made of a strip of rattan;
however some other materials such as
a leaf may be used. Ring flutes have
open ends.

Ring flute.mp4
Basal (gong)

The set of one or two big gongs,

agung, and a pair of small ringed
gongs, sanang, hang from the wall
plates, while the drum, gimbal, rests
on the lateral platform ready to be
played, mainly at dusk and at night
time. This collective ownership,
enhances the consanguinal ties and
the solidarity binding the people
together.

80 Paiste Symphonic Gong - Played by Michael

Bettine at Memphis Gong Chamber.mp4
Aruding (Jew’s
harp)
The Jew's harp, also known as
the jaw harp, mouthharp,
Ozark harp or juice harp, is a
lamellophone instrument, which is in
the category of plucked idiophones:
it consists of a flexible metal or
bamboo tongue or reed attached to
a frame.

Jammin on the Jaw Harp!.mp4

MUSICAL CONTEXT
• The subtle threads between Mankind and Nature involve all our senses and more
particularly our auditive sensitivity. Capturing tonalities, rhythms, and melodies, we can
like a bird fly down from the celestial vault to the Earth, dwelling-place of Highlander-
islanders known as the Palawan who live in the southern part of the island by the same
name.
MUSIC OF PALAWAN
• Lantege (a Palawan Tagbanua Love Song).mp4
From the music you have heard ;
How can you describe the style of singing ?
What are the instruments you heard ?