our gain, and our loss...
the last few days has been exhilarating. the spirit of t'nalak is strong at the asian art museum's samsung hall. when ganay plays the hegelung, amidst the fabrics, people come and watch, amazed. i can not explain in words the feelings that wash over me when she picks up her instrument and the hall is filled with this music, music i've only heard in the hillsides of Lake Sebu.
two filipino families visited yesterday. the young boys, maybe 9 or 10 years old, looked like they had some kind of assignment. they told me they had to write about a musuem visit for school. they were taking notes in notebooks as they looked at the fabrics. ganay happened to be playing the hegelung while they were there. it was a joy to see these young boys fascinated by the exhibit, they urged their parents to buy them anklets and keychains, trinkets we had on display, for sale. as they left the hall, i heard one of the boys say, "that was the best exhibit i've seen here!" at that moment, i knew we've succeeded in what we've set out to do. a new generation of filipinos know about T'nalak and the T'boli now. they might not remember all that they've seen, but they'll know it was there.
i received some incredibly upsetting news today. Datu Landas died last year. he is one of the last Bagobo master musicians. this is a great loss for all of us, as we will no longer hear truly beautiful and moving Bagobo music, as played and created by this man. Bagobo culture is all but completely vanished. with his passing he has taken with him a legacy, a tradition that many of us will never hear or know of. it is with immense and tremendous sorrow that i write this.
R reminds me that we are lucky we met him when we did, and that we heard him play when we did. there is a reason we met him and spent the few days we did with him. i am once again reminded of the urgency to value what is quickly disappearing. so many of us will never hear the music of this gifted man. a great part of Bagobo culture is gone. this is a significant loss to all of us filipinos everywhere.
i urge all my friends to come see the T'nalak exhibit, come meet Ganay, hear her play. tomorrow, all this can be lost forever. no T'boli can play the way Ganay plays. just like no Bagobo could create music as Datu Landas did.
two filipino families visited yesterday. the young boys, maybe 9 or 10 years old, looked like they had some kind of assignment. they told me they had to write about a musuem visit for school. they were taking notes in notebooks as they looked at the fabrics. ganay happened to be playing the hegelung while they were there. it was a joy to see these young boys fascinated by the exhibit, they urged their parents to buy them anklets and keychains, trinkets we had on display, for sale. as they left the hall, i heard one of the boys say, "that was the best exhibit i've seen here!" at that moment, i knew we've succeeded in what we've set out to do. a new generation of filipinos know about T'nalak and the T'boli now. they might not remember all that they've seen, but they'll know it was there.
i received some incredibly upsetting news today. Datu Landas died last year. he is one of the last Bagobo master musicians. this is a great loss for all of us, as we will no longer hear truly beautiful and moving Bagobo music, as played and created by this man. Bagobo culture is all but completely vanished. with his passing he has taken with him a legacy, a tradition that many of us will never hear or know of. it is with immense and tremendous sorrow that i write this.
R reminds me that we are lucky we met him when we did, and that we heard him play when we did. there is a reason we met him and spent the few days we did with him. i am once again reminded of the urgency to value what is quickly disappearing. so many of us will never hear the music of this gifted man. a great part of Bagobo culture is gone. this is a significant loss to all of us filipinos everywhere.
i urge all my friends to come see the T'nalak exhibit, come meet Ganay, hear her play. tomorrow, all this can be lost forever. no T'boli can play the way Ganay plays. just like no Bagobo could create music as Datu Landas did.
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