A gift from Waway Saway

Waway Saway, musician from the Southern Philippines, spent a week in and around San Francisco in which we spent quite some time jamming and talking about the development of Filipino music.

Pictured here is a bamboo kubingthat he made himself pictured resting on one of my analog synthesizers onstage before a performance.

Waway brought his organic tribal folk sound along with his handmade katyapi and tambuleleleng string instruments and graciously participated in one of my typical musical experiments combining indigenous Filipino music with electronic instruments and live looping.

Look who’s interested in kulintang music?

Some interested music lovers at the April Fiesta at Hawaii Filipino Community Center in Waipahu.

Next live performance:
Saturday June 1st at Vallejo Pista Sa Nayon!
Vallejo Waterfront, all day, all ages, free admission.

Please follow @kulintronica because kulintang is alive and growing.

Kulintang players support super heroes

In the pit for PCN 2013 season

Sitting with the Tan family as the Haranistas de Manila, ready to lead dual National Anthems “Star Spangled Banner” (aka Oh Say Can You See?) and “Lupang Hinirang” (aka Bayan Magiliw).

The Tan family toured internationally with Bayanihan Dance Company, providing live music on the gamut of Filipino instruments including gongs, bamboo, and the rondalla Filipino guitar ensemble.

Left, is Bayani Tan, band leader, arranger, and octavina player. Center, is Ador Tan, former b-boy and current motorcycle enthusiast, flew up from Los Angeles to play banduria. Right, is Melissa Tan, who was lead vocalist and kulintang soloist with Bayanihan, here playing laud. Not pictured, playing upright bass is Celisse Tan who also plays marimba. Celisse played lead kulintang for this PCN.

I’ve been playing six string, gangsa, tong a tong, and gandingan with the Haranistas on the PCN circuit since before I could legally drink in California.

Kulintang playing as fast as you can see in Waipahu

Kulintangan Pearl City