What is kulintang?

Preserved for more than 1700 years by the indigenous, Islamized ethnolinguistic
groups in Mindanao, kulintangan is a living testament to the rich cultural history
of the Philippines.

Kulintangan is an ancient form of orchestra music which predates the influences

of Islam, Christianity or the West in the Philippine Islands (PI). As part of the
larger ‘knobbed gong-chime culture’ of Southeast Asia, kulintang music
ensembles have been playing for centuries. It is said to have evolved from a
simple native signaling tradition, and developed into its present form with the
incorporation of knobbed gongs from Sunda.

The ensemble is made up of five instruments. The kulintang instrument consists

of a row of small brass or bronze gongs horizontally laid upon a wooden rack; it
is the main melody instrument and is played by striking the bosses of the gongs
with two wooden beaters. Accompanying instruments include the gandang, the
two headed cylindrical drum, as well as the duahan agong pair consisting of
the bua (a giant sized gong) and pulakan (a narrow shaped knobbed gong).

Compositions are passed down orally from generation to generation.

The beauty of the music of kulintangan lies in the collective artistry of all the
members of the ensemble. As an oral tradition, one has to hear it repeatedly until
it ‘gets in the blood.’ Once a musician has trained his or her ear to recognize
rhythms and meldies, one can perform the required improvisation, still following
the traditional formats. Of course, one sets the temp. Likewise, another directs
the general theme of music. While one musician establishes the tempo, another
will direct the general theme. The piece then evolves fromt, they will listen to
each other carefully, augmenting and playing in counterpoint to one another. It
is at this moment that the diversity of their talents and the diversity of their
musical instruments come to life.
Classification
Idiophones: gong chime and large gong
Membranophones: conical drum and cylindrical drum
Local names
Set of eight gongs: Kulintang
Large gong: Agung
Cylindrical drum: Gandang
Conical drum: Dadabuan
Description
Set of eight gongs made of bronze, on a wooden stand in the shape of
a Sarimanok(mythical bird, divine messenger). Accompanied by one larger gong
(here made of iron, but usually also made of bronze) and two drums. The eight
small gongs differ in pitch but the height of the tone is not fixed and can differ
per set. The number of large gongs can vary from one to several gongs of different
pitch and size. The small gongs are struck with two sticks of appr. 30 cm. length
and made of a soft kind of wood, probably of the papaya tree. The large gong is
struck with a special beater. The conical drum is struck with a thin piece of
bamboo of appr. 40 c.m. length. The cylindrical drum is struck with either the
hands or two short wooden sticks.
To indicate the dimensions of the whole set, the length of the Sarimanok-shaped
stand is 2,60 mtr, from head to tail. For other dimensions, see the pages of the
other instruments of the ensemble (see above).
Remarks
The drums, the stand and the frame are all quite roughly made but elaborately
decorated with colourfully painted wood carvings, called 'okiran'.
The stand for the large gong is a copy based on photographs of a stand used by
a Maranaw cultural group. The stand was made for the exhibiton 'Ugnayan,
music in the Philippines', in 1977 in the The Hague Municipal Museum and in
1978 in the Rotterdam Ethnographic Museum.
Ethnic group: Maranao
Location: Central-west Mindanao (muslim south)
More or less similar ensembles are played by:
- Maguindanao, Central-west Mindanao (muslim south)
- Taosug, Sulu Archipelago (muslim south)
- Samal, Sulu Archipelago (muslim south)
- Bajao, Sulu Archipelago (muslim south)
- T'boli, SE Mindanao; k'lintang
Maguindanao Kulintang

Kulintang is a musical tradition can be found across the Southeast Asian

Archipelago. The style of kulintang we played is found in the Southern
Philippines among the Maguindanaoan people, in the province of Maguindanao,
Mindanao.

There are five instruments in the complete Maguindanao kulintang

ensemble. The melodic instrument and leader of the ensemble is the Kulintang,
which is also the name given to the ensemble. It consists of 7 to 9 bossed or
knobbed bronze or brass pot gongs, which are suspended on a strung cord.
Typically, there are 8 gongs, though this may vary from kulintang set to set. The
tuning of the gongs themselves will vary too, in that each gong maker and
kulintang player have their own perceptions of good tuning. There are as many
tunings as there are sets according to some kulintang players. The pot is played
with two unpadded soft word beaters.
The drum of the ensemble is called the Dabakan, and is considered to be one of
two essential instruments. It is a goblet-shaped drum, whose drum head is made
of either goat, snake or lizard’s skin. It is played with two bamboo sticks, which
can range in thickness and suppleness. The dabakan has the role of binding the
music together by marking out the rhythmic mode – a key factor in kulintang
music – as well as playing at a similar rate to kulintang.

The small gong that is stuck on its rim/side is called the Babendir, and is also
known as the timekeeper of the ensemble. It strangely has a boss/knob like the
gongs of the kulintang, though is strangely not struck there. The role of babendir
is to clearly enunciate the rhythmic mode of a piece, for both all musicians and
listeners to hear.

The fourth instrument of the ensemble is the Agung. You may find one of two
agung in an ensemble, which are usually hung either on a stand or on a sturdy
tree branch. The agung is played by one or two – depending on the number of
agung – using a rubber-padded beater, and is played on both the boss/knob and
the face of the gong.
The last instrument is a pair of four narrow-rimmed hanging
gongs called Gandingan, also known as talking gongs. The reason they are
known as talking gongs is because it is possible to send messages to ensemble
members, or even member of the audience, if accustomed to the language and
sounds of the gandingan. For example, if the gandingan player (e.g. male) has a
liking for the kulintang player (e.g. female), he could send her a musical message
asking her to meet up later in the evening.

Kulintang music of the Maguindanao people is based on five rhythmic modes:

Sirong, Sinulog a Minuna, Binalig, Sinulog a Bagu and Tidtu. The first two are
considered to of the old style, or minuna style, a style preferred by the older
generation for its steady tempo and refined melodies. The latter three are of the
new or bagu style, preferred by the youth for its fast, virtuosic nature. These
modes are all considered for entertainment. However, there is a six mode, called
Tagunggo, which is exclusively for rituals, such as healing ceremonies.