Bukidnon tribesmen preserve traditions

The chirping of the birds, the sound of bumblebees, and the brisk motions of the hawk, monkey and frog were some of the sounds that Rodelio “Waway” Linsahay Saway mimicked with pride during his recent visit to Cebu to present the rich musical and artistic heritage of the Talaandig tribe.

Saway comes from the mountain ranges of Sungko, Lantapan in Bukidnon where the Talaandig tribe is located.

Saway is an ambassador for cultural preservation and promotion of his community.

“As one of bearers of our culture, I educate the young Talaandigs about our traditional music, arts, and dances for them to appreciate our roots. Through these, we are able to preserve our practices, our traditional instruments and stories of our folk heroes,” he said.

The dances and music of the Talaandig tribe are distinctly inspired by nature. The Talaandigs play various instruments, including the kubing (which sounds like a hornbill), tambulalatuk (which sounds like a woodpecker), pulala (a flute), and kokak (which sounds like a frog), among others.

“If we can’t pass these practices on to the young generation, then our culture will eventually die,” said Saway.

“I teach them how to play our instruments. I sing to them the new songs I composed. I also teach them to compose songs and help them in concretizing the concept of the song from the message to the rhythm,” he said.

heart to teach

“The first time I taught music, I had headaches. But I was very determined to teach them. If you do not have the heart to teach, you won’t survive the challenges ahead of you,” he said.

Saway said seeing the success of his students in music is a fulfillment.

“It’s good to see my students achieve something that the tribe can be proud of,” he said.

“My passion for music does not only limit to traditional music. I also listen to modern songs,” he said.

Before he became a music teacher, he was mesmerized by the beauty of modernization. In 1991, he went down to the city to explore the outside world from education to music, people and culture.

He studied BS Agriculture at Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro City and BS Forestry at the Central Mindanao University.

Saway realized that many people in the city played traditional instruments, opening his consciousness to the beauty and richness of the Talaandig tribe.

After his graduation, he trekked back to the highlands with a renewed mission — to teach his fellow tribe members.

“The putting up of the Talaandig’s School for Living Traditions by the council of elders enabled all the tribe members to learn their past,” Saway said.

As a teacher, Saway is strict and a disciplinarian. “Being strict will make them a better artist and musician,” he said.

For him, teaching cultural music to the youth is easier, considering the strong passion they have for music. His sense of humor and bubbly personality also encouraged the youth to learn from the lesson. Saway said his children have inherited his passion for music. His eldest child, 20-year-old RJ, is a self-taught musician and artist.

“I encouraged my children to play musical instruments. It is only through practical application that they can learn,” Saway said.

Saway said some Talaandigs who are away from home also have advocacies for their tribe, such as the movement for the right of every Talaandig to opportunities.

During the celebration of National Indigenous People’s Month, the Talaandig artists led by Saway shared their talents in soil painting, dancing and playing tribal musical instruments in an event called “Huning Lumad (Native Sound),” which was held at the Jose R. Gullas (JRG) Halad Museum.

Halad Museum is a partner of the Culture and Heritage unit of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) during the Gabii sa Kabilin organized by RAFI May this year.

creative expressions

“Together with a pack of young talented musicians and visual artists, we have shown to the world that we have one of the most creative expressions of traditional music and dance. We tell our stories and life through arts and music. We are able to share our culture and deep appreciation of the arts through these media,” Saway stressed.

At present, the home studio of Waway has produced six albums of Talaandig traditional and contemporary music.

He said their group has already performed in various places in the country and abroad, such as South Korea and Taiwan.

Their paintings inspired from the tribe’s life and everyday doings were created by the tribe members, whom he also trained.

Inspired by Moro filmmaker Teng Mangansakan, Saway also plans to create films about their community so the Talaandigs would be acknowledged for their artistry and music.