Kulintang (musical Instrument of the Philippines)

Kulintang (musical Instrument of the Philippines)

Kulintang is the (percussion) gong musical instrument of Mindanao, Philippines. It is a single musical instrument composed of 7-8 gongs laid horizontally on a stand. Kulintang music is considered an ancient tradition that predates the influences of Islam, Christianity, and the West. In the Philippines, it represents the highest form of gong music attained by Filipinos, Malaysians, and Indonesians. It is said to have existed for centuries. As ancient as this music is, there has never been substantial data recorded regarding the kulintang’s origins.

Kulintang music is mostly used as a public entertainment for different occasions. It can be used in festivals, parades, weddings, religious rituals, healing ceremonies, and large feasts. It was also said that kulintang music could be used for communicating long distance messages from one town to another. They only prohibit kulintang music during funerals and during the time of planting and harvest season.

The gongs could weigh roughly from two pounds to three pounds and have dimensions from six to ten inches for their diameters and three to five inches for their height, and were decorated with carvings. The size of each of the gongs ranges from biggest to smallest with the biggest having the lowest pitch and the smallest having the highest pitch. The gongs are suspended horizontally on two thick parallel