Monitor Presents Bayanihan Philippine Dance Company

Filipino rondalla is a plucked-string ensemble tradition featuring instruments such as the bandurria (soprano), octavina or laúd (alto/tenor), guitar (rhythm/harmony), and a bass (double bass or bajo de uñas). It is performed with plectrums, and a signature shimmering sound comes from sustained tremolo picking and tightly voiced counter-melodies. Emerging during the late Spanish colonial era and flourishing in the early American period, the rondalla became a default sound for Philippine folk dances, serenades, and community festivities. Its repertoire spans arrangements of Spanish-derived dances (jota, fandango, pasodoble), Filipino love songs (harana, kundiman), folk dances (tinikling, pandanggo, balse, cariñosa), and contemporary medleys, often rendered with lyrical melodies, diatonic harmony, and buoyant dance rhythms.

Philippine music is a broad umbrella that spans indigenous Austronesian traditions, centuries of Hispanic and church-influenced forms, and a modern spectrum of pop, rock, hip hop, and R&B known collectively as OPM (Original Pilipino Music). At one end are precolonial and Islamic-court musics such as kulintang gong-chime ensembles in Mindanao and Sulu, bamboo and nose-flute repertories, and epic-chant traditions—relying on cyclical rhythms, interlocking patterns, and modal scales. From the Spanish era came guitar-centered serenades (harana), art song (kundiman), and the rondalla string orchestra, blending Iberian harmony with Filipino melodic sensibility. In the 20th century, American and global influences catalyzed jazz bands, Manila Sound, Pinoy rock, and contemporary P-pop, while Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Kapampangan, and other languages remained central to lyrical identity. Across all eras, Philippine music emphasizes memorable melody, lyrical directness, danceable and flexible rhythms, and a penchant for romantic and nostalgic expression that coexists with socially conscious songwriting.