THE 3RD Cuerdas ng Pagkakaisa (Strings of Unity) international festival will be held in Tagum City, Feb. 12-19, and at the UP College of Music, Feb. 21-24.

Sponsored by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), through the Musicological Society of the Philippines, the City of Tagum’s Tourism Council and the UP College of Music, the festival will be a week-long musical event participated in by some 500 artists that comprise rondallas and plucked-string groups from all over the world.

Held every three years, the international festival is now on its third run. It fulfills the aspiration for unity through the instrumentality of music, said Ramon P. Santos, project director and president of the Musicological Society of the Philippines, in a press launch held recently at Barbara’s in Intramuros.

The global tradition of plucked string is shared by the country through the rondalla, Santos said, which has been ingrained in the psyche of the Filipino people, about survived three colonial epochs, and is now a glorious part of the present living tradition.

Santos was joined by Malou Jacob, executive director of NCCA; Vice Mayor Allan Rellon of Tagum City; and Alma Uy, chair of Tagum City’s Tourism Council, who took turns reading their statements before the press.

Shared musical tradition

The festival has drawn more participants, numbering about 30 than in the rondalla festivals in 2004 and 2007.

Participating countries include Russia, China, Singapore, Thailand, Mexico, Iran, India, Indonesia and Taiwan. The Unesco International Music Council will also attend.

The festival will feature concerts, exhibition, outreach performances, international conference, seminars, workshops and other special related activities.

It will be highlighted by the participation of indigenous groups from Mindanao giving one performance in every concert. They will be a major feature in the festival’s exhibit.

Cuerdas ng Pagkakaisa will activate and provide the initial energy to the World Rondalla Society which will sustain the development of an important musical patrimony and at the same time promote global peace and understanding through a shared musical tradition.

Coupling of East and West

In her welcome remarks, NCCA director Malou Jacob said the festival was a “musical coupling” of the East and the West, an instrument for promoting global peace, strongly endorsed by the Music Committee, headed by Joey Ayala.

Vice Mayor Rellon gave an update on the preparation Tagum had undertaken to achieve the best result, which would go beyond the city with its advocacy for international understanding through the sharing of a common musical root that is the plucked string.

Alma Uy, spouse of the mayor of Tagum, said all systems went for the festival and all roads would lead to Tagum, the City of Palm Trees and the new Home of Festivals.

The festival shows Mindanao, through Tagum City, as a venue of beauty and peace, a vibrant venue for international musical gathering promoting peace and understanding.

Different stylistics

To the enjoyment of everyone, the UP Rondalla under the direction of Elaine Cajucom superbly rendered finely voiced and nuanced selections. The rondalla showed its versatility to render selections scored in different stylistic vein, and add a non-plucked instrument such as the flute, from the traditional paso-doble and folk tunes to a classical standard and avant-garde pieces.

The playing reflected the growth and development of the rondalla from the colonial era to the present, following a script read by Chinggay Bernardo, who hosted the launch.

The pieces were Dominic Salustiano’s Paso-doble No. 3.; Alfredo Buenaventura’s, Philippine Medley No. 2; Tchaikovksy’s Serenade for Strings, arranged by Celso Espejo; and “Pagpipiko,” by Cristine Muyco.