The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) through the Asian Composers League Philippines and the Silay City Government with the support of the Office of Senator Loren Legarda, and in partnership with the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental, the Department of Education – Silay, University of the Philippines College of Music, and the National Music Competition for Young Artists (Namcya) finally wrapped up the Cuerdas sang Paghiliusa: The 5th International Rondalla /Plucked String Music Festival that took effect in Silay City, Negros Occidental.
The Philippines hosted 10 foreign groups who flew in from France, India, Iran, Israel, South Korea, Thailand, Uganda, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Portugal. Eleven local groups, selected through a rigorous screening process, from Metro Manila, Bogo City, Dipolog City, Municipality of Candelaria, Dumaguete City, and host city, Silay also participated.
The opening concert, held at the Natalio G. Velez Sports and Cultural Center in Silay City (Silay City Gym) featured messages delivered by NCCA Chairman and National Artist for Literature Virgilio Almario, Festival Director and National Artist for Music Ramon Santos, and Silay City Mayor Mark Andrew Golez.
Performances by Silay’s award-winning ensemble the Kabataang Silay Rondalla Ensemble, Barrocade-Naya Ensemble from Israel, the Taiwan Bamboo Orchestra, the Taipei Guzheng Ensemble from Taiwan, and Hope to Hop Africa of Uganda ensued.
Another highlight of the Festival during its nine-day run were the daily concerts that featured musicians from all corners of the globe. Coming together, they performed a formidable repertoire of folk, classical and modern music from different plucked string music traditions.
There were also outreach concerts throughout the week around Negros including Bacolod, Manapla, Cadiz City, Bago City, Escalante City, Toboso City and San Carlos City to name a few.
The Festival was deliberately scheduled to be part of Silay City’s celebration of Al Cinco de Noviembre or Negros Day, a commemoration of the historic event when Negrenses won a battle against the Spaniard conquistadores. The battle was won when Filipino soldiers made the Spaniards surrender and retreat from battle by using fake canons and rifles to deceive their colonizers.
On November 5, aside from the concerts at the Silay City Gym, the Festival musicians performed at the following ancestral houses: Hofilena House, Jose Corteza Locsin, Balay Negrense, Mariano Montelibano, Pitong Ledesma and German Unson.
For the Finale Concert, all participating ensemble with more or less 300 of world’s best rondalla-plucked string musicians took the stage. Soprano Stefanie Quintin also performed pieces arranged and conducted by composer-conductor Josefino Chino Toledo, and National Artist for Music Ramon Santos.
Finally, Kabataang Silay Ensemble Rondalla founder Jegger Anjao conducted a piece arranged by Chino Toledo.
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