“Uber Hashtag” by Isabel Maria Manalo, from “Skin Codes” Series http://www.isabelmanalo.com . Used with permission.

Compositions inspired by Isabel Maria Manalo’s works, presented by the Zucaire Gallery in SUNY-Stony Brook, 2015. Compositional themes are based on ancient Filipino Airs.  During the Opening, a live violin track was played (by myself) to the pre-recorded piano tracks. The following do not include violin, but additional  (in some cases 3) piano tracks,  overdubbed , analog style. The numbers (and quotes) in the song titles are from the archived sequence in a lecture presented by Ethnomusicologist/Composer Nicanor Abelardo, to the US Embassy in 1924, Manila, Philippines.

4,+1: “Among the Bontok Igorot people this is an ‘evening song’; sung in social gatherings and repeated until the singers are exhausted in answering one another with their impromptu words”

5: “Four-note Igorot song, a milling ayoweng , usually sung during the sugar can milling. Two groups of men engaged in the work turn around the mill and sing alternately.

Sarah’s Bees : “Among the Negritos of Zambales, there is a song of five notes called Panilan. It is used by them when they are dancing while one of them is cutting the bee-hive. ” –

10+1 : “A song of five notes, which some beggars of Bakulod, Occidental Negros sang to me when I was there from 1914-1919, titled ‘kalooye man ninyo’ “

15+1 : “A native ‘bunkaka’, a song with six notes from Tingyan, usually played on a bamboo violin”