Have you heard of the words Angklung and Rondalla?
The angklung is a musical instrument that is made of tow bamboo tubes that is anchored to a bamboo base.
Each angklung produces one note and collectively, they form an octave. It takes several people to play a piece but in some instances, it can be arranged in such a way that a single person can play it.
The instrument originates in the Southeast Asia, particularly in Indonesia.
The Philippines have several Angklung ensembles one of which is CARE.
CARE stands for Chicago Angklung and Rondalla Ensemble of which I am the newest member.
The group is headed by Ms. Esperanza Magno, a dedicated and wonderful teacher, directress and arranger.
The Rondalla is composed of several stringed instruments including the banduria, laud, octavina, double bass and guitar. It may also include the mandolin. The rondalla originated in Spain and was brought to other countries over time. It means "rhonda" or serenade in Spanish.
There are several rondalla groups in the Philippines. I learned how to play the banduria and octavina in elementary and high school at
De La Salle Santiago Zobel School under Mr. Roman Niefes.
My interest in playing was rekindled 2 months ago when a friend of mine invited me to CARE. Since then, I have never stopped playing. We played at the Chicago
Museum of Science and Industry as part of their Christmas Around the World program. In addition to CARE, there were children who
performed several Philippine Folk dances
Catch us in our future performances!
