The Cotabato Sessions, a music legacy from the Philippines by Susie Ibarra — Kickstarter.

The Cotabato Sessions, a film and music album featuring the Kalanduyan family legacy from Cotabato City,Mindanao, Philippines

Susie Ibarro posted this project on Kickstarter and as of February 20th she announced it has been fully funded. For information about the project from the Kickstarter page, read on or visit the original posting.

The Cotabato Sessions is a full length music album and 30 minute short music film that features the music legacy of one family, the Kalanduyans, in Cotabato City, Mindanao, Philippines.

Who are the Kalanduyans and what is the music legacy?

The Kalanduyans are several generations of musicians from the Maguindanaon tribe in the Philippines who perform a beautiful Indigenous art form known as kulintang, gong ensemble music as well as lute string music, the kutyapi. Alongside the music there is always dance.

With master kutyapi /lute string player and flautist, Ismail Akmad, we are reminded that the origins of blues are far reaching and that the virtuosity inside 8 notes is endless.

https://soundcloud.com/susie-ibarra/binalig-by-ismail-akmad-the

With a kulintang gong ensemble , we can enter a series of entrancing music through a welcome song, Duyog, performed by the Kalanduyan family.

https://soundcloud.com/susie-ibarra/duyog-by-kalanduyan-family-the

The Cotabato Sessions was recorded and filmed in Cotabato City, Mindanao in the southern island of the Philippines.  It was a rare moment to be able to get together these generations of musicians in the family.

The Kalanduyans are part of a minority Islamic tribe, the Maguindanaons in the Philippines who have been entirely relocated to Cotabato City and elsewhere after many decades of civil unrest in the south.

Who will be the next generation to follow in their footsteps?

This album and film capture the generations of men, women, and youth performing ritual music and its variations in the home of master artist Danongan Kalanduyan, in a procession,  in the courtyard of a mosque and in the recording session of a concert hall.

Why pledge to this project?

The Cotabato Sessions is the first album and short film in a series for the company Song of the Bird King LLC (http://songofthebirdking.com/) that will feature digital download album recordings of Indigenous, world music with digital short films that share the stories and culture through the music.  We are working to promote the collaboration of traditional and contemporary music with sustainable practices and offer platforms for the musical communities such as the Maguindanaons to grow.

Alongside Indigenous tribes in the Philippines, Song of the Bird King also works with Indigenous and traditional artists in the New York Seneca Nations, Egypt, U.A.E, Lebanon, Israel, Canada, Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, Guinea, Cuba, India and will be releasing with its digital music company digital download releases of artists as well as distribute catalogue. Song of the Bird King will continue to partner with independent film companies to create short music films for several of the digital albums.

What are future goals for this project?  

The Cotabato Sessions is the first album and short film in a series for the company Song of the Bird King LLC (http://songofthebirdking.com/) that will feature digital download album recordings of Indigenous, world music with digital short films that share the stories and culture through the music.  We are working to promote the collaboration of traditional and contemporary music with sustainable practices and offer platforms for the musical communities such as the Maguindanaons to grow.

Alongside Indigenous tribes in the Philippines, Song of the Bird King also works with Indigenous and traditional artists in the New York Seneca Nations, Egypt, U.A.E, Lebanon, Israel, Canada, Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, Guinea, Cuba, India and will be releasing with its digital music company digital download releases of artists as well as distribute catalogue. Song of the Bird King will continue to partner with independent film companies to create short music films for several of the digital albums.