PUT together majestic mountain ranges and centuries-old indigenous culture, then add the music of a Pinoy folk-rock icon for good measure, and you get a “heavenly” festival which is beyond the usual concert and street-dancing fare.
That was just what happened in the second Kalonbarak Summer Music and Mountain Adventure (Kasumma) Festival held recently in Malungon, Sarangani, which featured multi-awarded neoethnic musician Joey Ayala.
The sought-after songwriter performed his well-loved hits “Magkaugnay,” “Tabi Po,” “Karaniwang Tao,” “Maglakad” and “Agila,” as well as other folk rock hits before a crowd composed mostly of indigenous peoples (IPs) and locals.
His famed Bagong Lumad band composed of Onue Badiang (bass), Malou Matute, Tapati Itapat (vocals and percussion), and Chong Tengasantos (drums) jammed with him and “rocked” the mountains.
The mountaintop concert is part of “Music in the Sky,” the core event of Kasumma Festival, which is a community gathering geared toward live performances. It featured different genres, with emphasis on the music of the IPs of Sarangani, notably the B’laan, Tboli and Tagkaolo tribes.
Noted for his advocacy on IPs’ rights and environmental protection, Ayala also lectured and facilitated a day-long workshop in musical styles enhancement combining Filipino ethnic instruments with popular music.
Five local groups—Kagten Blaan, San Fule Band, Lake Sebu Performing Arts, Sining Kalilintad, and Kaluba Band—performed in the post-workshop recitals.
The prized recording artist said the three-day festivity was an eye- and ear-opening experience for him, and noted that it was exciting to see young people perform generations-old styles in a stunning natural setting.
Situated at 720 meters above sea level, the Kalonbarak Skyline Ridge is a public eco-park and campsite overlooking the rolling hills, seas and plains of Sarangani, Davao del Sur, and South Cotabato.
Spicing up the three-day festivity are culture-themed elements Lure the Culture, Mountain Adventure, SPOX SOX Spoken Word Poetry Competition, Malungon Treats Food Bazaar, and a host of fringe events.
Kasumma Festival was conceptualized last year by the municipal government of Malungon to develop a cultural tourism engagement which will represent the IP groups culture and enhance their skills in the performing arts.
According to Mayor Tessa Constantino, the cultural-musical event aims to identify a community-based tourism event or site where musicians can develop new folk songs that speak the values and sentiments of the people.
She added that with the annual fest, coupled with Malungon’s emerging farm tourism sector and the frequently-visited Lamlifew Village Museum which is the first-of-its-kind in the country, the town would strengthen its position as a vital cultural hub in Sarangani and southern Mindanao.
This year’s Kasumma Festival was supported by the provincial government of Sarangani and the Department of Tourism-Region 12.