MassKara music gets Southeast Asian twist
Posted by on September 15, 2005
MassKara music gets Southeast Asian twist
Gerry Grey, the man behind the Silver MassKara Latino music that carried the theme, “Sige Lang…Sige Na! Bacolod, Bato Kita,” teamed up with arranger Bobby Aguirre in updating the festival song to incorporate the sounds of Southeast Asia, whose flavor accents the 26th MassKara Festival that officially opens Oct. 1, a press release from the MassKara Festival office said yesterday.
Grey and Aguirre researched on the Muslim, Oriental and Malay influences and various instruments that best represent the music of Southeast Asia to come out with an updated composition.
They identified Taiko and Shamisen of Japan, Sitar of India, Guetemala’s and Marimba and the Philippines’ Kulintang, the press release said.
The Taiko is a powerful and spellbinding drum sound popular in Japanese society, while Shamisen is a three-stringed instrument developed in the 17th Century.
Marimba, known for its buzzing or reverberating sound, is the national instrument of Guatemala but is believed to have originated in Southeast Asia in the 14th century. Sitar continues to be the most favored classical string instrument in India.
The Kulintang is considered Southeast Asia’s tribal and indigenous music unified by the use of gongs. Related to the Indonesian’s Gamelan, Kulintang is rooted exclusively in the Muslin culture in Southern Mindanao, the press release said.
The blended sounds from these instruments and the vocals lent by local talent Joshua Jamandron make for a vibrant “danceable” music that fuses together the sounds of Southeast Asia, the press release added.*
-Visayan Daily Star
