BRIDGING THE GAP
Early Ilonggo-Bisayan music
The Ilonggo-Bisayans have always been known to be musical people. This is exemplified by the fact that up to now they are still doing the composo and the harana, aside from their many folk songs. In fact, up to about the 1970s, they were still fond of composing songs revolving around the goods that they were selling in the weekly public markets all over Panay. Thus, public markets in the past served as popular venues for impromptu concerts of sort and added color to the already carnival-like atmosphere in them.
The pre-colonial Ilonggo-Bisayans were said to be always singing except when they were sick or asleep. Singing at that time meant the extemporaneous composition of verses to common tunes, similar to the contemporary composos, and not the performance of compositions done by professional musicians and singers. Singing was usually unaccompanied by musical instruments except in the case of love songs. When a male or female takes on a romantic song, he or she does it through the accompaniment of the kudyapi or the korlong. The kudyapi was a kind of small lute carved out of a single piece of wood with a belly of half a coconut shell added for resonance, It had two to three wire strings plucked with a quill plectrum, and three or four frets, usually made of metal. This musical instrument was only played by men, mainly to accompany their own love songs. The korlong was the female equivalent of the kudyapi. It was a kind of zither made of a single node of bamboo with strings cut from the skin of the bamboo itself, each raised and tuned on two little bridges, and played with both hands like a harp. During social gatherings, well-bred lady singers were called upon to perform with the korlong. All adults were expected to participate in group singing in any occasion (Scott 1995).
Hilimbanganon or inilambahanon (from amba or song) was the general term for singing in Panay. Biyaw was to sing a solo, while a mamaratbat was the one who set the tune and beat by singing a couplet, to which the others, mananabat, responded in chorus. Bagaw or dagaw was for two or more singers to complement each other in male drinkfests. During these male drinkfests or tagayan, dayhuan - songs in which drinkers made fun of one of their companions - might be sung (Sanchez 1617).
A good palaamba or palaawit (singer) had a wide repertoire of tunes with different tempos, some of them handed down from grandparents to parents, then to sons. The content of the songs, oftentimes, also spoke of cultural teachings and so perpetuated and disseminated Bisayan traditions and values. In other words, because the Ilonggo-Bisayans and, in general, the Filipino people did not write about their activities and experiences, their songs were the ones that preserved their history and beliefs.
Sabi was the general term for poetryor song in Panay but might also refer to handum or bat-ar. Handum was to recall somebody dead with affection while bat-ar was a dirge or eulogy addressed to the deceased during the wake (Mentrida 1637). In Leyte, Samar, as well as in Panay, haya or mournful tunes which involved shrieks of grief from the widow and the relatives was also sang.
Other than the kudyapi and the korlong, another very important instrument was the agong. The agong was played either on the edge or on the navel (that is, the center boss or knob), slowly to announce bad news, faster to summon the people. Attacking parties usually approached the enemy with many agongs sounding.
Other musical instruments of the early Ilonggo-Bisayans were the tolali or lantuy which was a nose-flute; the subing, a kind of Jew's harp; bodyong which was a conch shell or section of a bamboo played like a bugle; tambourines called kalatong; gadang or gimbal (war drum); and, the tibongbong which was a node of bamboo pounded on the floor as a rhythm instrument.
Indeed, the many kinds of songs and the many types of musical instruments that they possessed even in early times clearly indicate how musically-minded and talented the Ilonggo-Bisayans are. Today, there are many of them who have become successful in the entertainment world as recording artists, singer-performers on television and concert halls.