Mindanao Fun 101 July. 2015 | Page 58

36 TAKE with you the sound FIND metal transformed into and rhythm that has moved beauty, with so much skill and Mindanao for centuries. the simplest tools. KULINTANG 37 MARANAO BRASSWARE From a native signaling tradition, kulintang is now in the universe of world music. The main instrument consists of a row of small brass or bronze gongs horizontally laid upon a wooden rack. 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). Metal is melted in a crude crucible made of a mixture of clay and charcoal. Poured into a clay mold using a a technique called the lost wax process. Then, designs are carved on the brassware with a chisel, a curved knife, a small axe. Each piece is a showcase of the okir, the flowering and branching motif so beloved in most of Southeast Asia. Amazing fact Playing specific pieces of kulintang music is part of a traditional ritual to cure the sick. Amazing fact The brass artisans of Tuguya utilize scraps recovered from the bomb casings and ammunition shells from World War II. 58  MINDANAO FUN 101   FABRICS, WEAVES, ARTIFACTS & ARTS  59