a day ago
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
Kuntaw Mindanao meets the press, hopes to build bridge of peace
KUCHING: Coming from a region that has seen its fair share of bloodshed caused by armed conflicts, the Filipino ensemble at this year's Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF), Kuntaw Mindanao, hopes their music can bridge people together for a dialogue.
As winners of the Freedom to Create Prize at the Sharq Taronalari Festival in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, in 2015 for their role in promoting peace and harmony, the band's artistic director, Neil Cervantes, said he knew some people who tried to heal the pain of war through music.
The band's music is a fusion of traditional Mindanao instruments like the kulintang and gongs with the acoustic guitar, modern drums and bass.
Despite all their efforts, the members admitted that music alone could not bring peace long and lasting peace.
But Cervantes, in a special interview today, said music could be a bridge for dialogue.
The group originates from Tagum City, Davao del Norte in Mindanao, and it was established under the Kreativ Union of Today's Artists and Writers (Kuntaw) framework.
One of their original hits is Una, which aligned with the band's activist orientation.
Una means "first" in Tagalog and the song centres on themes of social transformation, freedom, justice and peace, which were described as "common threads in their repertoire".
Una is also part of their original works that blended indigenous Mindanaoan musical traditions with modern influences.
Kuntaw Mindanao will take to the stage at 9.50pm tomorrow (Saturday) and they are the second-last performers before Earth, Wind and Fire Experience by Al McKay.
The 28th edition of the annual three-day music festival, which starts today at the Sarawak Cultural Village at the foot of Mount Santubong, some 21km from here, will feature 200 performers from 20 groups and from 20 countries, including Malaysia.
