Rondalla, Balitaw and Balak Competition
Buglasan Festival 2019 | Negros Oriental
The Rondalla, Balitaw and Balak Competition took place on October 16, 2019, in celebration of the annual Buglasan Festival 2019; Festival of Festivals in Negros Oriental. Representatives from all over Negros Oriental participated in the preservation of culture and traditions through the three different competitions.
The Rondalla, Balitaw and Balak Competition 2019 started on time at the Freedom Stage. Although it was raining, the show went on as the covered gym kept the participants dry. A tent was also provided for the audience so the people can watch even though it was raining hard. The programs started with the Rondalla competition with the Junior Division then the Kumparsa Division.
Rondalla Competition – Junior & Kumparsa
Rondalla is a musical ensemble made up of different stringed instruments. Songs played are usually some Filipino Folk Song or a general Rondalla song. For the Buglasan Competition, there are two divisions. The junior division is for groups with participants are aged from 18 years old and below, while the kumparsa division is from 18 years old and above.
Balitaw Competition – Courtship Through Singing
After the Rondalla Competition, the Balitaw Competition followed. In the olden days, the traditional way of courting is through music known as a serenade. Balitaw is a form of a short musical comedy portraying courtship and sometimes with a twist.
Balak Competition
The Balak Competition followed after the Balitaw Competition. Balak is a verbal poem with a complimenting guitar background recited to point out a certain topic. Different topics can be tackled in this portion of the competition. Most Balak from this year’s competition was more of a comedy routine than a dramatic informative one.
Overall, the Buglasan Festival 2019 managed to keep the musical traditions alive and that was what really mattered! If you miss the event, watch the video below!
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