ONE of the features of the Fifth International Rondalla Festival/Plucked String Music Festival (November 3 to 10, 2018) is an exhibit, “Cuerdas: The sounds in Silay history” that opened Wednesday, November 7 at Silay Puericulture Center. The said exhibit will stay until November 30.
The exhibit curator Dr. Cecilia De La Paz was assisted by her teams of researchers who made research on history and music of Silay. Congratulations teachers for the job done and still more jobs to be done.
Dr. De la Paz is clear in telling us that the presentation is taken from the notes of the researchers.
Outputs could still be validated and subjected to proper correction for future use. I agree with a smile, more could still be done. As research consultants, Modesto Sa-onoy, Neil Solomon Locsin, and yours truly have been considered.
The three of us agreed that the output still needs improvement. The exhibit is open to the public for free.
Mayor Mark Golez encourages Silaynons, all Negrosanons, and all those who are interested to know what we have in Silay, to come and see the exhibit that covers the story of the “hacendados” and the ‘jornaleros,” the “Legend of Princess Kansilay,” the sound of rebellion, and the ballad of hacienda life -- composo, canta, amba, palaoy-laoy, ugoy-ugoy, panihol, and kuting-kuting.
The life in Hacienda Adela Folklore Village will also be featured as empowered farmers make tradition as part of the excellent and dignified culture. The village sent their “obreros” as actors in the First National Theater Festival in 1992 held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. The zarzuela ‘Matam-is Man Gali Ang Kalamay’ served as their inspiration for human growth and development.
Viewers will know more about music and Silay community, the legendary but real Kabataang Silay Rondalla Ensemble, the Green House, Rondalla House, Silay City Cultural Group, and “Martsa Sang Silaynon” that I wrote in 1990 for Silay and first performed by Decs Cultural Group organized by Supt. Rosario De Guzman. The composition was done by Cecilia Medrocillo Barbasa and was beautifully arranged by her daughter, Maricel.
A section featuring “Reverberations: Town Life and Silay History” covers interesting information about ‘Living Under the Bell’ (Bajo a la Camopana), Silay Seaport (the longest in Asia), heritage houses, the old mills (molino de sangre, molino de fuego, molino de agua... and later, the ‘maquina vapor horno economico).
We have not neglected the sounds of World War II, the sweet migration that made Silay the “Paris of Negros” and “Banwa sang Dulce...” and later the ‘seat of arts and culture in Western Visayas.” Our composo singers are also given importance as the ‘divas’ of the glorious past.
Come to Silay. See our exhibit. Enjoy the Fifth International Rondalla Festival.