Tinikling!: Folk Dances of the Philippines

Nitoy Gonzales and His Manila Rondalla - Tinikling!: Folk Dances of the Philippines

released on LP

With the long-awaited independence of the Philippines in 1946, at the close of World War II, the culture of a nation comprised of more than 7,000 islands underwent a remarkable renaissance.

Long forgotten native dance patterns, songs, rhythms and painting and a revived interest in making ceramics all came to the fore in the most exciting decade the Philippines has ever known.

In this beautifully-recorded album produced in the renowned Mico Studios in Manila, Capitol is privileged to offer a top-drawer collection of pop music designed for dancing. All but two of the ten tracks are by Nitoy Gonzales' melodic rondalla orchestra.

A rondalla group is comprised of plucked instruments including the banduria, octavina, laud, bajo and guitar. The banduria is the most important. Shaped like an old English zither, the banduria has six pairs of double strings tuned in fourths from F-sharp to G. It is played with a plectrum. The laud is similar to the banduria except that it has a longer neck, a wider body and a lower pitch. Shaped like a small guitar, the octavina has a mellow tone quality and is tuned like the laud from F-sharp to G, an octave lower than the banduria. The Philippine guitar of the rondalla is a blend of the native kudyapi and the Spanish guitar. Its five strings are tuned E-A-D-G-B. The bajo is a four-stringed bass, tuned E-A-D-G, and played by plucking.

The second group of Philippine instruments are those of the Muslim Filipinos who live in the southern islands and still preserve their traditional culture. Basically, the instruments are an assortment of gongs made of brass. The gongs usually have turned-in rims and a protruding center knob which is struck with a bare stick or a stick with a rubber covered end. The major instrument is the kulintang, which is a set of eight graduated gongs, horizontally mounted on a wooden frame. This is a gong-melody instrument, somewhat like a gong xylophone. The gandingan consists of two pairs of large gongs with narrow rims, suspended vertically from a rack. Other gongs are called agong and babandil. The basic drum is the dabekan, which is played in an upright position and which has an animal hide covering held by rattan strips.

By far the most famous of the purely Filipino dances is the Tinikling, named after the long-legged "tikling" bird of the rice paddies. One or more couples dance, with superb skill and timing, between two rapidly clapped bamboo poles - a fascinating dance to watch (or try, if one has the courage). The world-famous Bayanihan troupe of Manila, which toured the U.S.A. so successfully in late 1959, invariably programs the exciting Tinikling dance as a colorful finale.

The musical conductor of the Bayanihan company, moreover, is the same excellent musician from Manila who conducts the rondalla unit presented in this album. Nitoy Gonzales is, indeed, the most popular musician in all the Philippines, with as many as eight records frequently in the Islands' "Top Ten Favorites." (from the liner notes)

A little over a year ago, I posted an instructional album that gave instructions on how to perform the Tinikling dance if you're interested in learning more about Tinikling. This album is all-instrumental despite references to singing and lyrics in the liner notes about the individual songs.

Tracklisting:

Side One

1. Polka Tayabas {2:42}

2. Ti Liday {2:55}

3. Biniganbigat {3:28}

4. Pantomina Part I {2:30}

5. Pantomina Part II {2:13}

Side Two

1. Basulto {1:48}

2. Kandingan {3:07}

3. Sua Sua {2:44}

4. Los Bailes de Ayer Part I {2:58}

5. Los Bailes de Ayer Part II {3:44}

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