THE Fifth International Rondalla Festival to be hosted by Silay City will be on November 3 to 11, 2018. This is the first international event that will happen in Silay, the “seat of arts and culture in Western Visayas.”
This is an anchor event of the “Cuerdas sa Paghiliusa: Strings of Unity” (14 years of promoting peace and unity through music) “Sustaining and enhancing musical diversity by means of renewing and celebrating a shared heritage in the musical tradition of the world’s culture.”
“Strings of Unity” is meant to bring people together with different music and musical ideas but belonging to one common heritage - the legacy of the plucked string ensemble tradition; celebrate the rich diversity of musical expressions; strengthen network and sustain rondalla initiatives around the world; provide opportunity for musical exchange; establishment of plucked string ensemble international organization; and encourage trainings, workshops and interactions, and develop new repertoires.
For Mayor Mark Golez, the festival is the best opportunity to strengthen the position of Silay as an important heritage site; to bolster the arts and culture program of the city, especially its initiative on music; to promote Silay to global community; and to provide opportunity for the participating artists and guests to experience the dynamic culture of Silay and the province (sight, sound, taste).
The festival components include formal concerts at the Natalio G. Velez Sports and Cultural Center; outreach performance that will be held in schools, communities, prisons, orphanages, hospitals, towns and cities; conference and workshops having venues at Senator Jose C. Locsin Cultural and Civic Center, Kabataang Silay Rondalla House, and the newly restored Puericulture Center; exhibition on Silay arts, history, culture, tourism and food; and special events (tours, music interactions and exchanges, among others).
The events are in partnership with National Commission for the Culture and the Arts (NCAA), Musicological Society of the Philippines (MSP), National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA), City Government of Silay, Provincial Government of Negros Occidental, University of the Philippines College of Music, and UP Center of Ethnomusicology.
This will come in not just nice and easy. Those involved will be provided special training on cultural research and mapping, stage management, front of house management, technical direction, liaison officers’ training, tour guiding seminar, and other related preparations.
Participating groups are from the following countries: France (Quatuor Eclisses-guitar quartet); India (Maluica Chopra and Muthu Kumar-Indian setar and tabla; Iran (The Eishan Trio-Persian tar/sitar); Israel (Ensemble NAYA-Praltery, Viola de Gamba, Harpsichoral, Theorbo, Voice); Japan (Sangen Udashima Ryu-Samishen), Russia (The Russian Renaissance-dombra, balalaika, accordion); Taiwan (Fu-shing) Chinese Orchestra (pipa,ruan, guzheng); Uganda (Hope to Hop); Africa (African fiddle and harp).
Other participating groups are coming from South Korea, Spain, Australia, Thailand and Vietnam. There will be ten rondalla groups from the Philippines including our own Kabataang Silay Rondalla. There are 26 rondalla groups from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao that apply. Only 10 will survive.
Representatives of invited institutions will come to Silay-National Commission for the Culture and the Arts (NCCA), International Music Council (IMC) of Unesco, International Council for Traditional Music, International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Arts, World Music Expo (Womex), Musical Instruments Museum, and Hamamatsu Museum of Musical Instruments.
Watch for the date! Watch for the event! Welcome to Silay!