Hans Brandeis
I'm an ethnomusicologist by profession, with a primary interest in the traditional music of the Philippines. In the 1980s, my research focused on the musical culture, vocal and instrumental music, ceremonies and other traditions of the Higaonon (Bukidnon, Talaandig, Banwaon). My favorite musical instruments are the boat lutes (kutiyapi, kotapi, hegelung, faglung, kuglung, etc.) found among almost all ethnic groups in Mindanao and Palawan.
If you want to know more about me, please visit my websites about Philippine music and culture and other things:
https://www.facebook.com/boatlutesphilippines/?fref=ts
http://boatlutesofthephilippines.weebly.com/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXCTlyeMiixlGT56bLkdZIQ
If you want to know more about me, please visit my websites about Philippine music and culture and other things:
https://www.facebook.com/boatlutesphilippines/?fref=ts
http://boatlutesofthephilippines.weebly.com/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXCTlyeMiixlGT56bLkdZIQ
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Videos by Hans Brandeis
The video was made by Hans Brandeis for a webinar on the teaching of Philippine boat lutes organized by Grace Nono and TAO Foundation.
Copyright © 2021 by Hans Brandeis.
All rights for text and video reserved.
Video by Claus Deubel.
Copyright © 2017 by Hans Brandeis.
All rights for text and video reserved.
Papers by Hans Brandeis
Abstract:
The most important musical forms of expression of the Bukidnon (Higaonon, Talaandig, Banuwaen) can be found in the vocal music: the ceremonial songs kaligà of the male priests and the responsive choral songs tabúk of the women, the speech-song prayers pandalawit, the epic songs ulagíng with their promise of human immortality, the improvised songs limbay and salâ with philosophical contemplations and the rhythmically interesting speech-songs dasang of the tribal leaders. A short introduction into the belief system of the Bukidnon is followed by a myth about the origin of the kaligà songs, which indicates that singing was invented by humans and not by deities. Thereafter, all the vocal genres are explained regarding their religious implications and influence on the performance of a Bukidnon singer. This is to make clear how spiritual and religious aspects imbue many spheres of daily life and, therefore, of music making as well.
Of special importance with all vocal genres is the relationship between the performer and his or her spirit guides. Aside from being helpers and advisers, these spirits also function as messengers between the worlds of the humans and of the deities. Moreover, the interaction between spirit guides and humans is considered responsible for the characteristic variations in content and musical forms of the vocal genres, e.g. of the singing styles of the ulagíng epic. All performances of songs should traditionally start with an introduction called pamadà, in which the spirit guides of the performer are asked for help. In this respect, each traditional song performance of the Bukidnon establishes anew the relationship between the human and spirit worlds.
Abstract:
Bukidnon and Tigwahanon (Tigwa Manobo) are neighboring ethnic groups in the province of Bukidnon, Mindanao island, Philippines. Both peoples are considered to belong to the Manobo family of languages, with Binukid, the language of the Bukidnon, representing the oldest assumed stage in the development of the 15 Manobo languages. The Bukidnon, together with the linguistically closely related Higaonon, Talaandig and Banwaon form a common cultural complex just like the Tigwahanon with the Matigsalug, Talaingod and Ata Manobo, and the Bagobo peoples in the Davao provinces. By presenting evidence from the musical cultures, this paper tries to clarify the degree and character of the cultural relationship between the Bukidnon and Tigwahanon.
Both peoples share many similarities with other ethnic groups on the island of Mindanao, especially regarding their instrumental music and their inventory of musical instruments (jaw harp kubing, bossed gong agung, bamboo drum zither takumbê, boat lute piyapi / kuglung, ring flute yangyang / lantuy, lip-valley flute pulalà / pulendag). These similarities can, therefore, hardly be considered as evidence for a close cultural relationship between the two peoples. Moreover, in both ethnic groups, musical instruments can be found that are not used by the other one, respectively (Bukidnon: spike fiddle dayuday, several flutes; Tigwahanon: plucked bamboo tube zither salurey, hanging gong chimes tagunggê, planting sticks with attached clappers palakpak, percussion log bangkakawan, flute without fingerholes pulalû).
On the other hand, the unaccompanied solo songs of both peoples are very similar (Bukidnon: epic songs ulagíng, improvised songs limbay and salâ; Tigwahanon: epic songs ulagíng / man-ulurun / tulalang, improvised songs uranda and kumapey). Regarding the Tigwahanon, these vocal genres refer to an older stage in the development of their musical culture which seems to be closer to the one of the Bukidnon, while the dancing songs of the Tigwahanon, which are accompanied by the boat lute kuglung and bamboo zither salurey and which are completely unknown among the Bukidnon, refer to a more recent development.
In a tentative summary, one could say that the musical cultures of the Bukidnon and Tigwahanon compared with each other, despite their close geographical neighborhood, show less similarities than compared with the musical cultures of those peoples belonging to their respective cultural complexes, even if the settlement areas of these might geographically be located farther away.
--- ABSTRACT:
Aside from the gong ensembles of northern Luzon using the flat gongs gangsa, and the kulintang ensembles of the southern islands Mindanao and Sulu using the bossed gong chimes kulintang, the big agung and other instruments, boat lutes are the most important traditional musical instruments of the Philippines. They show a broad range of construction features and differ from one ethnic group to the other. There are at least 25 different types of boat lutes used among 38 indigenous peoples on the islands of Mindanao and Palawan. They are usually referred to as “kudyapi,” as a generic term, but the names actually differ, depending on the place of origin and type of lute, e.g. kutiyapi, kusiyapi, kotapi, piyapi, faglung, fuglung, hegelung, kudlung, kuglung, or kudiyung. This article provides an overview of the most important aspects of Philippine boat lute traditions, presenting sections on the structure of the instruments, their construction, the origins of Southeast Asian boat lutes, indigenous terminology, distribution in the Philippines, a preliminary typological classification of Philippine boat lutes, symbolic meanings, playing techniques, and performance practices. The available data clearly show that boat lutes in the Philippines serve as “cultural identifiers” indicating the individual ethnic groups’ cultural identity and uniqueness, and, in the national Philippine context, their unity in diversity.
https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=!AOFi2sAEA9GlX18&cid=53F92505F3BC9C7F&id=53F92505F3BC9C7F!2051&parId=53F92505F3BC9C7F!1840&o=OneUp
The first page of the original printed publication from 2012 can be found here:
http://journals.upd.edu.ph/index.php/musika/article/viewFile/3433/3170"
The video was made by Hans Brandeis for a webinar on the teaching of Philippine boat lutes organized by Grace Nono and TAO Foundation.
Copyright © 2021 by Hans Brandeis.
All rights for text and video reserved.
Video by Claus Deubel.
Copyright © 2017 by Hans Brandeis.
All rights for text and video reserved.
Abstract:
The most important musical forms of expression of the Bukidnon (Higaonon, Talaandig, Banuwaen) can be found in the vocal music: the ceremonial songs kaligà of the male priests and the responsive choral songs tabúk of the women, the speech-song prayers pandalawit, the epic songs ulagíng with their promise of human immortality, the improvised songs limbay and salâ with philosophical contemplations and the rhythmically interesting speech-songs dasang of the tribal leaders. A short introduction into the belief system of the Bukidnon is followed by a myth about the origin of the kaligà songs, which indicates that singing was invented by humans and not by deities. Thereafter, all the vocal genres are explained regarding their religious implications and influence on the performance of a Bukidnon singer. This is to make clear how spiritual and religious aspects imbue many spheres of daily life and, therefore, of music making as well.
Of special importance with all vocal genres is the relationship between the performer and his or her spirit guides. Aside from being helpers and advisers, these spirits also function as messengers between the worlds of the humans and of the deities. Moreover, the interaction between spirit guides and humans is considered responsible for the characteristic variations in content and musical forms of the vocal genres, e.g. of the singing styles of the ulagíng epic. All performances of songs should traditionally start with an introduction called pamadà, in which the spirit guides of the performer are asked for help. In this respect, each traditional song performance of the Bukidnon establishes anew the relationship between the human and spirit worlds.
Abstract:
Bukidnon and Tigwahanon (Tigwa Manobo) are neighboring ethnic groups in the province of Bukidnon, Mindanao island, Philippines. Both peoples are considered to belong to the Manobo family of languages, with Binukid, the language of the Bukidnon, representing the oldest assumed stage in the development of the 15 Manobo languages. The Bukidnon, together with the linguistically closely related Higaonon, Talaandig and Banwaon form a common cultural complex just like the Tigwahanon with the Matigsalug, Talaingod and Ata Manobo, and the Bagobo peoples in the Davao provinces. By presenting evidence from the musical cultures, this paper tries to clarify the degree and character of the cultural relationship between the Bukidnon and Tigwahanon.
Both peoples share many similarities with other ethnic groups on the island of Mindanao, especially regarding their instrumental music and their inventory of musical instruments (jaw harp kubing, bossed gong agung, bamboo drum zither takumbê, boat lute piyapi / kuglung, ring flute yangyang / lantuy, lip-valley flute pulalà / pulendag). These similarities can, therefore, hardly be considered as evidence for a close cultural relationship between the two peoples. Moreover, in both ethnic groups, musical instruments can be found that are not used by the other one, respectively (Bukidnon: spike fiddle dayuday, several flutes; Tigwahanon: plucked bamboo tube zither salurey, hanging gong chimes tagunggê, planting sticks with attached clappers palakpak, percussion log bangkakawan, flute without fingerholes pulalû).
On the other hand, the unaccompanied solo songs of both peoples are very similar (Bukidnon: epic songs ulagíng, improvised songs limbay and salâ; Tigwahanon: epic songs ulagíng / man-ulurun / tulalang, improvised songs uranda and kumapey). Regarding the Tigwahanon, these vocal genres refer to an older stage in the development of their musical culture which seems to be closer to the one of the Bukidnon, while the dancing songs of the Tigwahanon, which are accompanied by the boat lute kuglung and bamboo zither salurey and which are completely unknown among the Bukidnon, refer to a more recent development.
In a tentative summary, one could say that the musical cultures of the Bukidnon and Tigwahanon compared with each other, despite their close geographical neighborhood, show less similarities than compared with the musical cultures of those peoples belonging to their respective cultural complexes, even if the settlement areas of these might geographically be located farther away.
--- ABSTRACT:
Aside from the gong ensembles of northern Luzon using the flat gongs gangsa, and the kulintang ensembles of the southern islands Mindanao and Sulu using the bossed gong chimes kulintang, the big agung and other instruments, boat lutes are the most important traditional musical instruments of the Philippines. They show a broad range of construction features and differ from one ethnic group to the other. There are at least 25 different types of boat lutes used among 38 indigenous peoples on the islands of Mindanao and Palawan. They are usually referred to as “kudyapi,” as a generic term, but the names actually differ, depending on the place of origin and type of lute, e.g. kutiyapi, kusiyapi, kotapi, piyapi, faglung, fuglung, hegelung, kudlung, kuglung, or kudiyung. This article provides an overview of the most important aspects of Philippine boat lute traditions, presenting sections on the structure of the instruments, their construction, the origins of Southeast Asian boat lutes, indigenous terminology, distribution in the Philippines, a preliminary typological classification of Philippine boat lutes, symbolic meanings, playing techniques, and performance practices. The available data clearly show that boat lutes in the Philippines serve as “cultural identifiers” indicating the individual ethnic groups’ cultural identity and uniqueness, and, in the national Philippine context, their unity in diversity.
https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=!AOFi2sAEA9GlX18&cid=53F92505F3BC9C7F&id=53F92505F3BC9C7F!2051&parId=53F92505F3BC9C7F!1840&o=OneUp
The first page of the original printed publication from 2012 can be found here:
http://journals.upd.edu.ph/index.php/musika/article/viewFile/3433/3170"
http://www.academia.edu/906924/Music_and_Dance_of_the_Bukidnon_of_Mindanao_A_Short_Introduction.
NOTE: This is the preprint version of the article. This version may be cited only with the express permission by the author.