“Aren’t you glad – you are walking on the streets of your dream city?” commented my good friend and former officemate at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, who was visiting New York City for a few days en route to Winnipeg, his new home since more than a decade now. My friend and…
Tag: Cultural Performance
Tallinn: From Russian Nobility to Baltic Cultural Identity to a Fairy Tale Wonderland (Part 1 of 2)
In 2022, while preparing my Reykjavik trip for the International Federation for Theatre Research Annual Conference, one lay-over consideration was Helsinki in Finland. The reason: to cross the Baltic Sea and visit Tallinn in Estonia. Why would I want to visit Estonia’s capital city? Because, why not? The historical centre (Old Town) of Tallinn is…
My first Ati-Atihan Festival (January 2020)
Hala Bira literally means ‘dispense all means.’ Many times, it also means ‘blessings to us all’. It is an Aklanon phrase that is usually chanted during the Ati-atihan Festival in Kalibo, Aklan. Today’s the phrase is chanted almost all over the archipelago during festivals, parties, and other social gatherings. The last time I heard the phrase chanted live was in…
In Angeles, there’s a funeral of the Dead Christ every Good Friday
Every Good Friday, the congregation of the Shrine of the Holy Sepulcher (locally known as Apung Mamacalulu or the dead Christ) in Lourdes Sur, Angeles City mourn the death of Christ right after the Catholic Church-endorsed ritual of the Veneration of the Cross. At 3 p.m., the Veneration of the Cross commences and is headed by the…
Mythology, Cosmology and Tourism in Play: The Barong and Kris Dance in Bali
Bali, an island in the Indonesian Archipelago, is a tourist haven among adventure seekers, cultural enthusiasts, and nature-lovers. As a traveler, Bali is one of the many places in the world listed in my bucket list. My obsession and fascination with UNESCO World Heritage Sites made me want to visit Bali since the inclusion of…
Traditional Fiesta in The Archipelagic Province of Batanes: Pistang Chavayan (Part 2 of 2)
In the morning, everyone is awakened by loud music of drums and violins. Musicians locally known as musikos roam around the street to signal the start of the festivity. The loud music also signals the arrival of the parish priest whose kumbento (residential parish) is 45-minute ride away from the Chavayan. By 7:30 am, the…
Performing the “Masculine” in the Peñafrancia
The feast of Our Lady of Peñafrancia (locally called Ina or mother by devotees) is celebrated on the Sunday after the Octave (8 Days) of September 8 (the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Catholic calendar) that usually falls on the second or third Sunday of September in Naga City in the province…
Cultural Performances
My first encounter with the term cultural performance was about 20 years ago. I was still a student at the Mother of Good Counsel Seminary – its minor seminary. Minor seminaries (High School seminaries) in Luzon back then annually meet for a sports festival called Sangkan (short for “Isang Angkan kay Kristo,” One Family in Christ)….
Tanghal Kultura 