GUGMA

Featuring Grace Nono

with Erskine Basilio, Glenn Bondoc and Ryan Ednave

Presented by the Cultural Center of the Philippines in cooperation with

Grace Nono, Ph.D., with some sponsors, organizational partners
dedicated to arts and culture, peace, environment, gender issues, and
with the support of friends Alex Cruz, Noni Buencamino, Patrick
Pulumbarit, Ryan Murillo and many others.

GUGMA (love in the Visayan language) is a musical offering that

features Visayan love songs popularized by various singers in the 20th
century. Majority of these songs were also featured in Grace Nonos
recording Dalit: Songs of Love, Loss, and Finding Heart Again (Tao
Music, 2009).

The songs featured in GUGMA are:

KALIBUTAN NAGDUMILI (Though the World Hinder) attributed

to Fred Berame
ANUGON (O Such Waste) attributed to Leonora Pacres
KUNG IMO AKONG TALIKDAN (If You Turn Away From Me)
attributed to Gibbs Cabral
DAHONG LAYA (Wilted Leaf) attributed to Maning Villareal
SALA BA DIAY ANG GUGMA (Is to Love then a Sin?) source
could not be traced, so far
HIMAYANG NAHUNLAK (A Glory, Extinguished) attributed to
Jess Saclo
KAMINGAW SA PAYAG (How Desolate This Hut) attributed to
Minggoy Lopez
KUNG MAHIMO PA (If it Were still Possible) source could not be
traced, so far
SAKSI NING KABULAKAN (All the Flowers Stand Witness)
source could not be traced, so far
PANAMILIT (Farewell) source could not be traced, so far
DANDANSOY (Dandansoy [a mans name]) source could not be
traced, so far
MATUD NILA (So They Say) attributed to Ben Zubiri
AY, AY, KALISUD (Oh, How Grievous) source could not be traced,
so far
 POBRENG ALINDAHAW (Poor Showers) attributed to T. Villaflor
USAHAY (Sometimes) attributed to Gregorio Labja (previously, to
Nitoy Gonzalez until 2010)

Grace learned the performance of most of these songs from elderly

singers not in the Visayas but in Mindanao where Visayans have
migrated for centuries. Her mentors included the late Ralph Ruping
Valle of Agusan who was originally from Bohol; Lordina Undin
Potenciano of Agusan-a Manobo baylan who learned Visayan songs
from Visayan migrants; the late Francisco Awitin of Camiguin-a
Camiguingnon (Manobo) mamuhat-buhat (babaylan), and the late
Prisca Abacajin of Camiguin-Graces mothers 2 nd cousin and Graces
nanny. Grace also learned s few songs from recordings and
performances of other singers. The instrumental arrangements for the
Dalit recording and the Gugma concert were provided by Hiligaynon-
Visayan composer Bob Aves. The English translations of the Visayan
lyrics were provided by poet Gemino Abad who is of Cebuano-Visayan
origin.

Before the GUGMA concert, Grace performed some of these songs

twice: at the RCBC Museum in 2009 to launch the Dalit recording, and
at the National Museum of Singapore in 2010. Between 2010 and
2017 Grace took a hiatus from active performing to finish her
doctorate in ethnomusicology from New York University and to do
postgraduate work at Harvard University. When she came home in
2016 she began to reconnect with musicians. Butch Roxas, guitarist
and UST faculty, introduced her to Glenn Bondoc, Erskine Basilio and
Ryan Ednave. They have been practicing with Grace since late 2016.

Date & Time: April 23, 2017, Sunday, 5:00pm

Venue: Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino
(CCP Little Theater)

Tickets: P 300, free seating

Discounts: Senior Citizen and PWDs 20%