Characteristics of Cordillera Music

Study Notes

Music is an integral part of daily life and living in the Cordillera region
The region boasts a rich variety of songs and music performed on various instruments
Music is often performed in groups, with all members of the community encouraged to participate in singing, dancing, and playing instruments
The music is communal and participatory, highlighting the importance of community involvement
Songs typically feature unison pentatonic melodies
The music is characterized as melismatic and uses free meter, adding to its unique flavor
Music and other cultural components are transferred from generation to generation through oral tradition

Peace pacts: Music plays a significant role in promoting peace and harmony in the community
Healing rituals: Music is used to aid in the healing process and promote well-being
Invocation of the gods: Music is used to invoke the gods and seek their blessings
Rites of passage: Music is an integral part of various rites of passage, such as weddings, festivals, and other life cycle events
Weddings and festivals: Music adds to the joy and celebration of these events
Other life cycle events: Music is used to mark important events like birth, coming of age, work, marriage, and death

Birth to Childhood:
- Owiwi: a Kalinga lullaby that relates a child's life
- Dagdagay: a Kalinga song that foretells the baby's future
- Oppiya: a Kalinga song sung while cradling a child
Love, Courtship and Marriage:
- Chag-ay: an expression of secret love in Bontoc
- Oggayan: a greeting and advice to newlyweds in Kalinga
- Antang: a match-making song in Manobo
Death Rite Music:
- Didiyaw: a song for a dead child in Bontoc
- Sangsangit: a dirge in Isneg

Hudhud: an epic song in Ifugao, featuring a leader chorus style
Alim: a leader chorus style of music in Ifugao, where two groups of singers reply to each other
Dang Dang-ay and Salidumay: a Kalinga entertainment song

Metal Instruments:
- GangsaToppaya: gongs played by striking with the palm while on the lap
- GangsaPalook: gongs beaten with wooden mallets while held on the left hand
Bamboo Instruments:
- Bungkaka/Bilbil: played by striking against the palm of one hand
- Tongali: a nose flute played with the right or left nostril
- Tongatong: a bamboo tube played by stomping each tube against the ground
Solibao: a hollow wooden Igorot drum topped with pig skin or lizard skin, played by striking the drum head with the palm
Ulibaw: a jaw harp played by flicking the other end while placed between the lips
Patteteg: a bamboo split in half and struck by a wooden stick while on the lap
Kuglong: a 2-stringed-lute, used for courtship with vocal ensemble
Saluroy: a polychordal zither, used for courtship with vocal ensemble