MANILA, Philippines—To mark the 35th year of the CCP’s Outreach Program, a series of regional cultural exchanges and community tours billed “Sining ay Buhay, Buhay ang Sining” has been organized by the CCP Cultural Exchange Department.
The series began last September and will continue until November 2014 featuring the most prominent regional cultural groups.
The “Sining ay Buhay, Buhay ang Sining” series highlights the flourishing of arts and culture in the regions, and how art has made an impact in the lives of the people and the creative industry in the local communities.
Through this program, the CCP CED endeavors to support and motivate local cultural performing groups to achieve artistic excellence and promote local art and cultural expressions in various venues and communities. The program will certainly be a fitting celebration of the center’s regional cultural work in the last three and a half decades.
Last September 21-29, three exceptional performing groups from Luzon toured the Visayas region Barasoain Kalinangan Foundation Inc. (BKFI) of Malolos, Bulacan; Lahing Batangan Dance Troupe (LBDT) of the Lyceum University of the Phils. Batangas City; and the Baao Children and Youth Choir (BCYC) of Baao, Camarines Sur.
More than 6,000 audiences attended the five full performances, three move-over shows and three lecture-demonstrations conducted by the three featured groups in Bacolod, Iloilo and Sta. Barbara. The Luzon production concept evolved around the theme “Luzon: Art is Life, Art is Alive”—The Making of Bayanihan.
Some of the crowd’s favorite and well applauded numbers are BKFI’s storytelling of the legends of Lam-Ang, Bernardo Carpio, Bul-ul, Ulo ng Apo, the romantic kundimans and balagtasan. The regional viewers delightfully enjoyed the traditional dances performed by the LBDT such as Bendian & Palook from the Cordilleras, Sala Ti Mais from Isabela, and Subli from Batangas.
The young choristers from Baao, Camarines Sur added more excitement to the whole production as they showed their musical prowess in the local songs like Scenes from the North, Chua-ay, & Ang Maya. The performance finale had all the performers sing Salamat sa Sining at Musika, composed/arranged by Ato del Rosario, with lyrics by Chinggay Bernardo and chorale rendition by the Philippine Madrigal Singers.
The outreach performance tour in Visayas was made possible thru the support and partnership of the Negros Cultural Foundation in Bacolod, Central Philippine University in Iloilo City, the Municipality of Sta. Barbara and SM City Iloilo.
Following the Luzon groups, the Visayas performing groups led by the Kabataang Silay Rondalla Ensemble of Silay City, Dagyaw Baile of Iloilo National High School and the University of Visayas Chorale of Cebu City will Tour Mindanao from November 4-9.
Dagyaw Baile, formerly known as Dagyaw Theatre and Dance Company, is the Flagship of Cultural Excellence of the Iloilo National High School. Dagyaw is composed of high school students enrolled in the School for the Arts, majoring in dance.
It was organized in July 16, 1990 through the efforts of Dr. Riza S. Amaguin. With its present Artistic Director, Ria B. Española, Dagyaw maintains a 35-member troupe, which required to attend major classes, offered by the program in acting, ballet, folkdance, modern ballet and contemporary dance.
Kabataang Silay Rondalla Ensemble was founded in 1993 with 36 primary school students who successfully passed the auditions conducted by the cultural staff of the city, the KSE served as the LGUs advocates in the promotion not only of Silay City’s cultural and tourism potentials but also the rich culture of the province and the country through traditional folk dances and music.
The group won 1st Place in the Children’s Rondalla of the National Music Competitions for Young Artists (Namcya) Regional Level in 1998, and again in 1999. The KSE Rondalla is under the guidance of Mr. Jegger Anjao, conductor and Mr. Achilles Corteza III, cultural affairs officer.
The University of Visayas Chorale, with Anna Abeleda Piquero – Choirmaster, was founded in 1999 by Jose R. Gullas to grant scholarship and opportunities to musically talented students. The group represented the Philippines in various international choral festivals and competitions, winning silver and bronze awards in the Busan Choral Festival and Competition 2007 in Korea, and bagged three gold awards in the 1st Tomohon International Chorale Competition 2009 in Indonesia.
It was the only Filipino Choir to perform in the World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney, Australia. It achieved three gold Awards at the CCP International Choral Competition 2009 in Manila and became grand champion in FEUropa 2011. A two-time grand champion of the Manila Broadcasting Company National Choral Competition 2009 and 2011, the group won several awards in various prestigious international choral competitions in Europe in 2012.
The last leg of the regional exchanges will feature performing groups from Mindanao – MSU Kabpapagariya Ensemble of Gen. Santos City, Helubong Community Dance Troupe of Lake Sebu; Mebuyan of Davao City; RMMC Teatro Ambahanon of Gen. Santos; and Bayang Barrios will tour in Luzon from November 12-19, 2014.
For more information, contact the CCP Cultural Exchange Department at telefax no. 832-3674 and 832-1125 locals 1708-1709 and email address ccp.ced2014@gmail.com