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Cultures in Harmony with members of the Ichananaw and Umajam indigenous communities, before the concert on June 21, 2009, at the Cultural Center of the Philippines

From May 31 to June 22, 2009, Cultures in Harmony sent Melinda Faylor, piano; William Harvey, violin; Galit Kaunitz, oboe; Danielle Kuhlmann, horn and Deputy Director; Jeanine Markley, violin; Frank Shaw, viola; and Jeremiah Shaw, cello, to the Philippines for our fourth project there, after Project II, Project IV, and Project X. 

While in the Philippines, we worked with the Cartwheel Foundation to help them celebrate their tenth anniversary with a gala concert in the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Major media, such as the Manila Times, helped publicize the concert (and here's an article they did a couple months later). The concert, directed by Floy Quintos, brought three different indigenous groups from throughout the Philippines to Manila. In 2007, we worked with the Tala-Andig tribe in Miarayon, Mindanao; in 2008, we worked with the Umajam tribe in Cabanglasan, Mindanao; and in 2009, we worked with the Ichananaw tribe from Kalinga province, Luzon. Each year, we helped the youth from the indigenous community create musical compositions about their heritage.

At the concert at CCP on June 21, 2009, each group presented their compositions as well as dances from their tradition. Since Floy Quintos is a friend of Coke Bolipata, our long-time collaborator, and since a group from St. Scholastica's College performed, the concert brought together all our partner institutions and individuals from four years of projects in the Philippines. We also added new partners this year, playing an outreach concert in Batangas province and conducting workshops at St. Paul University. While in Batangas province, a photography class from the University of the Philippines took some superb portraits of the CiH musicians.   

We have always made good friends with the youth from the indigenous communities. Though it is always hard to say goodbye, this year was harder than most, since the June 21 concert was so emotional. Please read William's account of the concert.

Here is an excerpt of a message from Rose-Ann, a young girl from the Tala-Andig tribe, to Danielle Kuhlmann: "Cultures in Harmony is the one who help the Tala-Andig people to develop their cultures." Though I believe that the Tala-Andig youth have developed and preserved their own culture, I am honored and touched that they feel we have played a role. Watch the documentary film, "Tala-Andig Kay," about our work with the Tala-Andig tribe in 2007, available in six parts via YouTube: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6