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