Music of the Maranao

KOLINTANG
The popular kolintang (gong melody) is played in
different instrumental combinations, but the
Maguindanao ensemble is said to have the most
developed melodic permutation.
The ensemble is composed of a set of eight gongs of
graduated sizes arranged in a row (kolintang), a
suspended gong with a thin sound (babendir), a drum
(debakan), one or two suspended gongs (agong), and a
pair of gongs with narrow rims (gandingan).
The kolintang is a counterpart of the Malaysian or
Indonesian gamelan, except that it is an ensemble strictly
of percussion instruments. No wind or string instrument
is played to accompany it. The principal eight-gong
series (kolintang) is used to play a variety of meaningful
compositions; the other gongs and the drum follow its
beat.
n Maranao the musical or poetical compositions
played on the kolintang usually have dual
meanings: literal and "cultural." Here are some
examples:
Kaseladeng

Deer

Palagoy kaseladeng
Ka kerarab a kalasan.

Run, run away, deer

For the forest is burning.

TAGONGKO and KAPANIRONG

Besides the kolintang, other musical ensembles popular
among the Maranao are the tagongko and
the kapanirong.
Tagongko is parade or entourage music played by male
musicians dressed in their festive fineries. It is outdoor
music, while kolintang is indoor music. The instrumental
ensemble consists of a number of medium-sized gongs
called mamalala; a number of small, high pitched, and
shallow gongs called pong; one or more tambor (snare
drums); and one or
more garagara or panda'opan (cymbals). The last two
are either of Chinese or European origin.
Occasions or purposes for playing the tagongko include
sending off or welcoming dignitaries, honorific serving of
betelquid, and wedding celebrations. Tagongko players
go at the head of the parade either on foot or aboard a
vehicle or motorboat. The tagongko is also played in
ceremonies called kalilang sa tong to appeal to the spirits
for a bountiful harvest or for a rich catch of fish.
The kapanirong is a serenade (from the root
word sirong which means "to go beside a house") by a
group of young bachelors who would come to a maiden's
house and play their music by the window. The house
occupants would then invite the serenaders into the
house and in the ensuing merrymaking some courtship
could take place among the young. The instrumental
ensemble consists of a two-stringed guitar or lute
called kotiyapi, a bamboo flute called insi, a bamboo harp
called kobing, a two-stringed bamboo tube zither
calledsirongaganding, and a brass tray called tintik.

Outside of the kapanirong, these instruments can be

played separately and individually.
(Source: The Maranao Man. Mindanao Art and Culture, Number Four (1980);
Marawi City: University Research Center, Mindanao State University; 130pp.)