Location: Baguio, Luzon, Philippines
Date: November 29, 2017
Ethnic Group: Mountain Province Group
Ensemble Group: Body of Easter Students Advocates of Traditions (BESAT)
Type: Flat Gong
Note:
Baguio, located in Northern Luzon Island, Philippines, there is a number of ethnic groups ,such as Kalinga, Kankanaey, Ifugao, Ibaloi, Tingguian, and Isneg, inhabiting and coexisting in this province. Although they are different ethnic groups, people in Philippines, they call these groups as mountain province people. For mountain province, they are specialized in flat gong music ensembles called Gangsa. This Ganga has almost same inter-locking system as mainland Southeast Asia. However, for Kalinga and Ifugao ethnic groups, they have particular style of holding gong. Because they were used be warriors and famous for headhunting tribes before, their gong holders are based on the shape of human jaws.
For mountain province people, they often play for festive occasions such as wedding, thanksgiving, harvesting and courtship dance. While mainland southeast asia and some islands of maritime Southeast Asia have gong music for the ritual like funerals, for mountain province people in Luzon, they don’t play gong for this occasions.
Information: Ifugao Ethnic Group(Mountain Province)
Language group: Austronesian - Malayo Polynesian
Nestled in the heart of the Cordillera is the landlocked province of Ifugao. The province is generally characterized by rugged mountains, massive forests, rivers, and gently rolling hills and plateaus in the east and south.The province is composed of 11 manicipalities, namely, Banaue, Hungduan, Kiangan, Lagawe, Lamut, Mayoyao, Potia, Anguinaldo, Hingyon, Tinoc, and the newly created manicipality of Asipulo. Despite the smallness of the province, it is rich in natural resources such as mineral and forest products.
The term Ifugao is derived from the word "ipugo" which means "people of the earth," "mortals" or "human beings" as distinguished from the spirits, deities and other supernatural beings. In the old days, the Ifugao made their villages on elevated places, and people from such locations were referred to as ipugo meaning "from the hill."
The gangsa (gongs) are made of brass or bronze played in any occasion such as death and sickness or special ceremonies like the hagabi and uya-uy. The general public may be enjoined to dance whenever the gongs are played.
*(p.79-81/Ethnography of the major Ethnolinguistic Groups in the Cordillera/newday publishers/2003)
NOTE:
Dinuyyah- In the dance, ladies represent sparrows while gentlemen represent eagles