Press Release
PR No. MJD- 30 - 2021
FILIPINO FOLK SONGS AND DANCES TAKE THE SPOTLIGHT IN JEDDAH PCG’S THIRD CONCERT, IN CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL HERITAGE MONTH
23 May 2021, Jeddah – The Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah (Jeddah PCG) featured Filipino folk songs and dances in the third installment of its National Heritage Month concert held at the Andiamo Lounge-Jeddah on 22 May 2021.
The show titled “Isang Maningning na Gabi ng Pagdiriwang ng mga Katutubong Sayaw at Awit ng Pilipinas” was a colorful and magnificent showcase of Filipino folk dances such as the Kalapati Dance of the Ilocanos, the Subli of the Tagalogs, the Janggay of the Badjaos, and the La Jota Manileña of the Manileños, among others. The dances were performed by the Arabian Scorpion Chapter Folkdance Troupe, faculty members of the International Philippine School in Jeddah and the Durat Al Sharq International School (DASIS) Jeddah, and Jeddah PCG personnel led by Vice-Consul Lemuel Lopez and Mrs. Lalaine Lopez, with attaches Sheela Cañete and Estrellita Cuevas.
Faculty members of the Durat al Sharq International School dance the Tagalog folk dance “Subli”
Kundiman songs were also played by the JMA Creative Entertainment, DASIS teachers, and Jeddah PCG personnel. Beautiful violin and piano rendition of music by great Filipino composers such as Nicanor Abelardo, etc. were played by Mr. Giovanni de los Santos and Ms. Sylvia delos Santos, founder of world-renowned Serenata.
Jeddah PCG’s Ms. Sheela Cañete and Ms. Estrellita Cuevas dance the “Jonggay” of the Badjaos
Jeddah PCG Vice-Consul Lemuel Lopez and Mrs. Lalaine Lopez perform the Jota Manileña
In her message, Jeddah PCG Acting Head Consul Mary Jennifer Dingal said that the concert aims to highlight the early performance arts that portray the early lives of the Filipinos, which is while different in practices because of the various ethno-linguistic groupings, represent one common and unifying Filipino experience that define the “Filipino identity”.
Mr. Joseph Garcia singing Freddie Aguilar songs
Mr. Mohammed Hadji Datu plays Maguindanao love songs
Mr. Giovanni delos Santos and Ms. Sylvia delos Santos, founder of world-renowned Serenata, give a violin and piano interpretations of Kundiman songs
JMA Creative Entertainment singers and their powerful vocal showcase of Kundiman songs
“May we take pride in the Filipino performance arts as an indelible mark of our identity and Filipino consciousness. May we also take pride in our music, our dances, our Filipino heritage, culture and values as reflected in our performance arts, and hopefully, be able to pass on to the future generation of Filipinos the Filipino experience, consciousness, and identity,” Consul Dingal added.
The activity, which is a project of the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah, in cooperation with JMA Creative Entertainment, is in celebration of National Heritage Month 2021, which was the theme “Victory and Humanity: Upholding Filipino Heritage and Identity.” -END-
