A T’boli Song and Dance
Indigenous Music: This young T’boli lady renders a song in her native language and then translates and narrates the content of their show in perfect English.
Along with the traditional clothing (see The Colors of T’boli Women), the T’boli music and dances are among the indigenous cultural heritage that are at risk of disappearing because of various influences that younger generations are facing. Fortunately, there are sectors in the society, including those in the tourism industry, who strive to preserve these valuable cultural gems and showcase them for locals and tourists alike.
This lady plays the kubing, a jaw harp made of bamboo commonly used by indigenous tribes in Mindanao.
We just enjoyed a sumptuous lunch of native dishes and were on to our desserts when this couple of young T’boli women approached our table and explained that they are about to perform a T’boli cultural show for us. It was unexpected (it was our first time to have lunch at Punta Isla) but we gladly postponed our dessert and quickly grabbed our cameras as the two ladies started to play traditional sounds and danced for us. The cultural show was brief but it was enough for us to gain a deeper sense of the T’boli culture. After all, without their efforts, certain aspects of their culture may not survive the onslaught of outside influence.
Playing an indigenous beat using the traditional drum
A colorful dance rendition using the sarong
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The drag of endless mental work in a strange land takes its toll. Fatigue can kill so petty escapades provide hopeful deviations from the brewing madness. An aging DSLR keeps good company to a walk around the neighbourhood, a short drive to a scenic place, or a silent recollection in a quiet nook granting that the host community and the elements of nature would allow one a safe passage to solitude and contemplation. Loneliness quickly turns to joy when something exciting gets captured by the cam’s shutter then set free into the laptop’s screen followed by electric words that rush from the fingers to the keyboard in an effort to describe the moment. Alas, the brain is alive once again!
Beautiful women … beautiful clothing … reminds me a bit about and island I visit .. I think it was some island around Fiji, can for my life remember the name – where the women clothing had the same color and pattern as the stones on their beaches – they had the cockfighting champion on the island.
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