Page 7 - SAMAHAN 40TH ANNIVERSARY SOUVENIR BOOKLET - INFO ONLY PGS.1-23

SAMAHAN Philippine Dance History—Kulintang Ensemble

Danongan Sibay Kalanduyan, Master artist/ teacher of
Kulintang Music became a guest teacher and artist with the
Company in 1989-1991 and in 1994-97. Born in Datu Pi-
ang, Cotabato, he learned his music from early childhood
playing with members of his family, relatives and town-
mates. He introduced Samahan to the authentic music of
the Maguindanao people and to the music of
the Maranao people. He performed with the
late Musiban Guiabar, a talented Maranao
singer, and Samahan at Sherwood Auditorium
and the Educational Cultural Complex Thea-
ter. In 1995, Kalanduyan was honored as a re-
cipient of the prestigious National Heritage
Fellowship by the National Endowment of the
Arts.

From 1994 to 1997, Guru Kalanduyan trav-
eled to San Diego from San Francisco several
times to teach Samahan’s musicians how to
play authentic Maguindanao and Maranao Ku-
lintang music. His patient guidance resulted in
the development of Bernard Ellorin, one of his
pupils, as a Kulintang player of great promise.
Bernard’s talent and dedication to Kulintang
music and his knowledge of authentic Maguin-
danao and Maranao melodies
and rhythms as learned from
Guru Kalanduyan has been vital
to the development of
Samahan’s Kulintang Music and
Dance Ensemble.

40th Anniversary SAMAHAN Filipino American Peforming Arts & Education Center