Amaya-fied: The producers behind an indigenous play with music, “Hinilawod,” are, in a way, thankful that TV, specifically, GMA Network, has contributed to the renewed interest in Filipinos’ pre-Hispanic culture.
They’re not saying, however, which one between “Amaya” and “Hinilawod” is more historically accurate. An award-winning film director, on the other hand, swears by “Amaya’s” fine-tuning of Philippine history and its interesting take on such an unknown period from our past.
Elwood Perez, director of such award-winning classics as “Bilangin ang Bituin sa Langit” and “Ang Totoong Buhay ni Pacita M.,” says he appreciates the epic-serye’s stylized rendition of the country’s pre-Hispanic past, lavishing praise for its beautiful costumes and impeccable production design.
Epic Proportions: Events organizer Evelyn Yoro chanced upon an existing production of “Hinilawod” on a trip to Dumaguete in 2010.
The two-hour play, staged at the Luce Theater at the city’s Siliman University, so impressed Ms. Yoro, who decided right then and there to bring the production to Manila.
“Hinilawod,” an oral epic of Filipino indigenous peoples inhabiting Panay Island before the coming of the Spaniards, is believed to be one of the longest known epics.
Based on an actual 1955 research by famous Filipino historian and anthropologist F. Landa Jocano, it is composed of 28,340 verses, far longer than the “Iliad,” which has only 15,700 verses.
Jocano, then a college student collecting folk songs and stories from his native Iloilo, recorded an actual 30-hour recitation of the “Hinilawod” by a babaylan. The recording, held at a public market in Lambunao, served as basis of the entire production.
“Hinilawod” is described as a monumental saga of heroes, villains, gods and monsters, rivaling the likes of “Iliad” and “Odyssey.”
Cultural Treasure: This Philippine cultural treasure has been revived and recently performed in a series of shows and re-runs by a group of art and culture visionaries, “Hiyas Kayumanggi,” in Dumaguete City, where it was very well-received.
The same show will be presented at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP Main Theatre) on September 3 and 4. It has a cast and crew of 70 singers, actors, dancers, and production personnel.
While 45 crew members will be flown in from Dumaguete, an entourage of 20 dancers from the Batangan Dance Company of Batangas has been tapped to take over the dancing roles.
In preparation for the Manila staging, the “Hinilawod” cast recently underwent a three-day training and workshop under acclaimed West End performers Robert Seña and Isay Alvarez.
During a press lunch to announce the coming of “Hinilawod,” the “Miss Saigon” veterans admitted they were held in awe by the theatrical and cultural splendor of the material. Alvarez said the “Hinilawod” could be a cultural landmark show that might well be our answer to such cultural presentations as the Rama Hari in Indonesia and the water puppets of Vietnam.
The Manila performance is made possible by Creative Futures, Inc., a team of professionals venturing in out-of-the-box projects. Prior to the Manila performance, the “Hinilawod” will be re-staged at Siliman University on August 23 and 24.
Information Courtesy of MB / NESTOR CUARTERO
http://mb.com.ph/articles/330305/after-amaya-enter-hinilawod
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