PRESERVATION OF THE ART OF KALUTANG PLAYING

KALUTANG are identical pairs of wood from the twatingan and bayog trees, endemic to Marinduque, which, when banged together produce notes of definite pitches and tonal quality. Kalutang, especially in the town of Gasan has been associated with the Moriones of yesteryears. The town’s moriones roamed the town streets banging their kalutang instruments to draw attention.

In 1970, however, TIRSO SERDENA, (now 65 years old), developed a series of such identical pairs of instruments capable of producing melodies familiar to the townsfolk. Organizing a group of some eight kalutang musicians who eventually mastered the art of kalutang playing they were instant hits, and became familiar performers during community programs and special events not only in Gasan but in the neighboring towns as well.

The Kalutang band, the only one of its kind in the world, has since become a local tourist attraction, consistently gracing the pages of local tourist brochures and have been featured in national television cultural or tourism features on the province of Marinduque. Rendering folk songs and some pop melodies, they have also performed for private groups outside the island-province and have participated in national events (i.e. Independence Day celebration at the Rizal Park 1997).

Kalutang playing is one of Marinduque’s more unique cultural charms. The need to preserve, protect and promote this indigenous tradition and to ensure that this musical skill is handed down to the next generation has been widely accepted as a must-do, yet no serious and sustained efforts have been undertaken by the authorities concerned to realize these objectives.

To realize these objectives we initiated a project (this blogger prepared the project proposal in consultation with the Kalutang group), that involves the participation of the Kalutang master, elementary schools and high schools (public and private) in the municipality of Gasan, the municipal government of Gasan and the National Commission for Culture & the Arts (NCCA).

The project title is "Preservation of the Art of Kalutang Playing", and is now being implemented through a grant from the NCCA.