MUSIC OF PHILIPPINE FESTIVALS
AND THEATRICAL FORMS
Festivals are celebrations or series of events and
performances in commemoration of a person, religious
events, history or stories. Music gives life to every
performance. The live performance brings appeal and
music adds colour hence, it pleases auditory senses.
Ati-Atihan Festival
From Kalibo, Aklan means “make-
believe Atis”.Held annually every
third week of January.
Consists of a tribal dance parade
with drum music, costumes and
indigenous accessories to honor
the Santo Niño or the Holy Child
Jesus.
People cheer and shout “Hala
Bira!” and “Viva Santo Niño!” to
encourage enthusiasm and
contiuous dancing for the duration
of the festival
Sinulog Festival
Religious festival held on the
third Sunday of January in the
city of Cebu to honor the Santo
Niño
Different groups of dancers
dressed in colorful attire are
accompanied by rhythmic music
of the drums, percussions,
trumpets and native gongs.
The petirioners often yell out “Pit
Senior”.
Sublian Festival
Annual celebration on the twenty- third day of
July reflecting the Batangueños commitment
and great love to Holy Cross of Bauan and
Agoncillo, and the Santo Niño of Batangas City.
Subli is performed with chanting and
accompanied by drums.
Subli come from two words: “subsub
(bending your body forward or downward)
and “bali” (broken)
Male dancers are in trunk-forward-bend
position.
Lupakan (sharing of “Nilupak” a delicacy made
from cassava, sweet potato or banana).
Moriones Festival
Colorful folk-religious festival
during holy week in the island
of Marinduque.
Reenactment of the story of
Saint Longinus
Morions wear their costumes for
an entire week, scare children
away and court the ladies by
singing and dancing for them
Kadayawan Festival
Held in Davao every third week of August
in celebration of thanksgiving for good
harvest with parade floats of fresh fruits
and flowers, and street dancing with
colorful tribal costumes and accessories.
Originated from tribal festivals of the
“Lumad” and Muslim tribes of Davao.
Use to be called “Apo Duwaling” to
promote Davao’s famous icons: the highest
peak of the country “Mt Apo”; King of
fruits “Durian”, and queen of orchids
“Waling-waling”.
In 1988, the festival was renamed
“Kadayawan sa Dabaw”
Ibalong Festival or Ibalon
Festival
Held in Bicol Region, aims to
express friendliness,enthusiasm
and goodwill to all people.
To commemorate the three
heroes of the Bicol epic in the
town of Ibalong namely Baltog,
Handyong and Bantong.
The people parade in the streets
wearing mask and costumes like
the heroes and villains of the epic.
PHILIPPINE THEATER
-Drama is the Greek word for play.
-It is something done, not read.
-It is a composition in prose that tells a story recreated by the performers on stage
in front of an audience.
-It has action, dialogue, props, and costumes. It has background music, music
speech and music of movement.
-Theater arts in the Philippines have been alive since early 1600’s.
-Performances played an active role in converting the early Filipinos to Christianity.
Some popular Bodabil stars were Bayani Casimiro, Dely Atay-atayan, Togo and
Pugo, Chichay,Rogelio Dela Rosa, Dolphy, Leopoldo Salcedo, Katy Dela Cruz.
Komedya
Descended from 16th century Spanish comedia
(play). One of the colorful theatrical
traditions in the Philippines used by the
Spanish as a method to spread
Christianity.
This theatrical form describes the conflict of
Christians and Muslims.
The two types of Komedya are:
1. Secular Komedya-performed at local fiesta.
2. Religious Komedya- usually seen during church
celebrations and it focuses on the life of
Christ or any Saint.
Sarsuela
An art form of lyric theater drama,
comical in nature and it is
incorporated with singing, dancing
and dialogue.
Originated from Spain and was made
popular in the Philippines in the
1800’s.
It portrays the typical Filipino realities
and stories in a particular country and
social relations which viewers can
relate in their lives such as elections
and feasts, marriage and family, vices
and values.
Bodabil
Stage show that became popular
during the Japanese period based on
the French vaudeville..
Bodabil was developed because city
growers wanted to uplift their
emotional stability from the usual
stage acts to a stage presentation
featuring comedy, musical,
monologue, skits, impersonators,
acrobats and even magical acts.
The entertainers helped to make jazz
and blues popular and admired in our
country.
Directions:Read each statement carefully. Write FACT on the space before each
number if the sentence is correct, and BLUFF if it is incorrect.
__________1. It is a festival in Davao which aims to express
friendliness,enthusiasm and goodwill to all people.
__________2. Sarsuela is a play which describes the conflict of Christians and
Muslims.
__________3. The two types of Komedya are: secular and kundiman.
__________4. Bodabil is a play that became popular during the Japanese period
based on the French vaudeville.
__________5. Moriones festival is held in Marinduque.
Directions: Answer the following questions briefly.
1. What festival in our discussion is mostly observed?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________.
2. If you were given a chance to produce a musical play,what would it be? Explain
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________.
3. What similarity/ies do festivals have in commmon?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________.
Directions: Describe each theatrical forms discussed in the previous lesson.
1. Komedya -
2. Sarsuela-
3. Bodabil-
