Going South:
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The Music Capital s Course to Success Written by Trisha Manalang Page Design by Sean Carrera
“Tagum, tagumpay!” is the phrase and two-word lyric highlighted in the official hymn of Tagum City. Located at the heart of Davao del Norte, Tagum City is undeniably the Music Capital of the South. It is also known for its fifteen vibrant and high-spirited festivals, which gives it another name as the “Home of Festivals in Mindanao”. These festivals are plotted evenly every month of the year, giving no room for stagnancy. With this being said, can you imagine how lively these festivals are with their own taste of music? But, the most exciting part is to know who these talented artists are and what they are most capable of. Tagum City strongly focuses on its rich culture and tradition, evidently embodied by its local musical artists. This is one of their strong points as the local government exerts much effort to hold activities for their musical artists’ talent development and exposure. One example is the Musikahan Festival which showcases the talents of the Tagumeños, Mindanaoans, and the Filipinos in general. Its main goal is to give the youth more opportunities to grow in the music industry. It serves as a creative avenue for the artists who are into solo performing, chorale, dancing, marching bands, songwriting, and more.
Furthermore, in 2017, three of the country’s top-caliber and most awarded songwriters gathered to train young aspiring musicians in the city. It is in line with the launching of the local government’s goal of producing a multi-genre album that will showcase their very own youth’s musical ingenuities. The event was called Tagumpay Songwriting Bootcamp, held at RMPC Beach Resort and Training Center at Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCoS). There were at least 50 teens who were mentored and trained by Joey Ayala, Maan Chua, and Jude Gitamondoc regarding the different aspects of songwriting for three consecutive days. With every night's open mic sessions, the aspirants were given a chance to present their compositions and receive immediate feedback from the three mentors. After the bootcamp, the participants’ outputs were polished with the help of the mentors, which later on became part of an album produced that same year.
Although Tagum City is the Music Capital of the South, its events and activities are still unknown to many due to inadequate event marketing and promotions in the country. Nevertheless, with its unending passion and efforts, Tagum City is on the rise of presenting and giving new local breeds to the Philippine music industry. There is no doubt that sooner or later, Tagum City will be recognized as a City of Music.
Tagum City was also proud to host the Mindanao leg in 2019’s PhilPop Songwriting Bootcamp held at Hijo Resorts Davao. It was attended by reputable music artists, music icons, and composers like Ryan Cayabyab, Noel Cabangon, Gary Granada, Jungee Marcelo, and Trina Belamide. They closely engaged with the 23 aspiring Mindanaoan songwriters who were chosen to participate in the 4-day intensive songwriting bootcamp. This nationwide songwriting project is in partnership with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) to help develop the National Quincentennial Committee, Republic of the Philippines Commemorations soundtrack. Thus, these aspiring songwriters were called “fellows' ' by the mentors, and had the chance to be part of the top 300 for 2020’s PhilPop competition. The boot camp helped set the mark of Tagum City in the music industry in the country.
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wes t er n bay of t he Davao Gul f ,i sa f i r s t cl as scomponentci t yt hati nves t si nt he s ki l l sand t al ent sofi t speopl e.Account i ng f ori t sl ack ofnat ur alr es our ces ,t he ci t y empower sand encour agesi nnovat i on and cr eat i vi t y.Thel ocalgover nmenthass hi f t ed i t sf ocusi nr evi t al i zi ngt heeconomyt hr ough cul t ur alpr ogr ams s uch as f es t i val s and f undi ngt heneededi nf r as t r uct ur ef oryear s . Fur t her mor e, t he r ef i nement and enhancementoft hei rcr eat i vei ndus t r i esar e al s oi ncl uded i nt hei rgoalofboos t i ng t he l ocaleconomy.Des pi t ebei ngover s hadowed by mor e pr omi nentci t i esi n Luzon i s l and, Tagumeños cont i nue t o per s ever e i n benchmar ki ngt hei rl ocalcr eat i vei ndus t r y.
THEMUSI CCAPI T AL OFTHESOUTH Among t he many t i t l es t hat Tagum Ci t y hol ds ,t hei rpr i dei nbei ngt heMus i cCapi t al oft heSout hi st hei rpr oudes tachi evement yet .Theyear nedt het i t l et hr ought hes ever al f es t i val s and cul t ur alact i vi t i es t hey hol d ever y year pr i or t ot he pandemi c.Thei r
event sar eknownt obeupbeat ,di ver s e,and i nnovat i ve,whi ch r es onat es i nt he ent i r e Mi ndanaoi s l and. Thr oughoutt heyear ,Tagum Ci t ycel ebr at es 1 5f es t i val s .However ,t hel ocalgover nment and t he peopl e mai nl y capi t al i ze on t hei r Mus i kahan Fes t i val ,asi ti st hei rgr andes t Thi seventi sal s ot hebenchmar koft heci t y' s l ocalmus i ci ndus t r yasi tal s os er vesasan avenue f orTagumeños t os howcas et hei r t al entand mos tpopul at ed event .I nt hi s mus i cf es t i val ,var i ousl ocalar t i s t sper f or m andpar t yi nTagum Ci t y.Thi seventi sal s o t he benchmar k oft he ci t y' sl ocalmus i c i ndus t r yasi tal s os er vesasanavenuef or Tagumeñost os howcas et hei rt al ent . Tof ur t heremphas i zet hei rr i ghtt ot het i t l e Mus i c Capi t al of t he Sout h, t he l ocal gover nment uni t al s o exer ci s es and pr act i ceshonor i ng ot herf or msofmus i cal ent er t ai nment .I n 201 7 ,t he Pambans ang Samahan ng mga Banda s a Pi l i pi nas ( PASAMBAP)I nc.al ongs i de t he Phi l i ppi ne Al l i ance of Mar chi ng Showbands I ncor por at ed ( PAMSBI ) of f i ci al l y hai l ed Tagum Ci t y as t he count r y’ s Mar chi ng ShowbandCapi t al .
Thisistheresultoftheseveralprograms t hatt he ci t y gover nmenti mpl ement ed t o hel pt hel ocals howbandcommuni t yhavei t s pl acei nt heci t y' spr ogr es s .
As i de f r om r ecogni t i ons ,Tagum Ci t y al s o encour ages i t s peopl et os howcas e and honi ngt hei rt al ent st hr ought hei rpr ogr ams . Bef or et hecommuni t yquar ant i nesi n2020, t hel ocalgover nmentr ebr andedt hei rmos t s ought af t er annual s i ngi ng compet i t i on; f r om Kant ahan s a Tagum,t hey named i t Awi t ang Tagumpay.I ti st he ci t y’ s mos t pr omi nentandgr andes ts i ngi ngcompet i t i on t hatof t enr unsf r om Januar yt oFebr uar y.I t i saweekl ycompet i t i onwi t ht hegr andf i nal s t hati sus ual l y hel d bef or et he Mus i kahan Fes t i val .Thi s eventi s wel l f unded by t he l ocalgover nmentwi t h cas h pr i zesf ort he weekl y and t he gr and t i t l ei s t and cons ol at i on pr i zes f or t he nonwi nner s . Apar tf r om t hat ,t he compet i t i on i s of t en hel di n Tagum Ci t y Cul t ur aland Tr ade Cent erPavi l l i on,wi t ht heci t ymayorl eadi ng t hecer emony Tos ol i di f yt hei rpr i dei nt hei rl ovef ormus i c, Tagumeños i naugur at ed t he Bandur i a monument i n 201 8. I ti s ador ned wi t h mus i calnot esand a s etofkul i nt ang asa r epr es ent at i onoft hemaj orhi ghl i ghtoft he Mus i kahan Fes t i val —t he r ondal l a compet i t i on.I ti s def i ned as t he newes t l andmar koft heci t yi nt her epr es ent at i onof i t smoni ker . Wi t h t he pr oact i ve s uppor t and encour agementoft hel ocalgover nmentand i t speopl e,t hegr aduals hi f ti n maxi mi zi ng t he mus i calcapabi l i t i es ofTagumeños i s pr ovi ng t o be r ewar di ng wi t ht he i nf l ux of t our i s t s and i ncr eas e of t our i s m oppor t uni t i est hati tent ai l s .
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E mphas i s onc r e at i vi t yandpr e s e nt i ngi t ast hee ngi neofi nnov at i on, e c onomi c alc hang eandasan a dv ant a g ei nbus i ne s s de v e l opme nt .
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The investment in improving the local
mus i ci ndus t r yempower st hepeopl et ot ake par t and hone t hei rs ki l l s .I t al l ows t he mas s es t os ee t he i ndus t r y as a f r ui t f ul car eeroppor t uni t y. I naddi t i ont oadvocat i ngf orabet t ermus i c i ndus t r y, t he unconges t ed and s af e envi r onment of Tagum Ci t y al s o al l ows i ndi vi dual s t o f r eel y s t i mul at e t hei r cr eat i vi t y.Theambi anceoft heci t ypr oves t obei nvi gor at i ngandpr oduct i vecompar ed t opopul at edci t i es . However ,cl amor i ngf ornat i onalpr omot i on i ss een t o be a hi ndr ance i nt he f ur t her enr i chment oft he mus i ci ndus t r y oft he Sout h.Thei ref f or t si n pr omot i ng cr eat i ve andcul t ur alact i vi t i esar eof t endownpl ayed by t he bi gger ci t i es . The domi nance of mai ns t r eam s t udi osi st hebi gges tchal l enge t hatTagum Ci t yneedst of acet os howcas e i t smus i ci ndus t r yt oabi ggerpl at f or m. Nonet hel es s ,t he r es oundi ng mus i ct hat Tagum Ci t yhaspl ayedt hr ought heyear si s s l owl ygai ni ng i t sr ecogni t i on.Fr om s i mpl y bei ngt heCi t yofPal ms ,t hes mal lyetl oud ci t yofTagum cr eat edanamef ori t s el fand i snow knownt obeoneoft hebes tcr eat i ve pl acesi nt hecount r y.Af ew year sf r om now, wi t h bet t er nat i onalgover nments uppor t , t he Mus i c Capi t al of t he Sout h can pot ent i al l yr ei nventi t s el fand bet heMus i c Capi t aloft hePhi l i ppi nes .
In the eyes of the people: Majoy's Story Written and Page Design by Cathriona Ramoso At eight years old, Majoy attended her first local festival. At the town plaza, people gather around to watch the most anticipated rondalla competition. Majoy, with her parents, sat near the stage to watch the performances. It was her first time to watch a rondalla band in person. At ten years old, Majoy started practicing the rondalla. She enrolled in the community lesson with some of her friends. Despite the calluses and chipped nails, she persevered until she got used to the feel of the strings in her fingertips. At thirteen years old, Majoy participated in her first rondalla competition. Throughout the performance, she smiled and played cheerfully. At sixteen years old, Majoy attended one of the concerts in the local festival. The people who were in the concert were all smiling, laughing, dancing, and singing along. Watching the crowd and the artist made her realize what she wanted to do in life. At eighteen years old, Majoy started learning how to play other instruments and write her own song. The clean air, vibrant but not busy city, the happy people, and the overall cinematic ambiance always stimulates her creativity. At twenty-two old, Majoy participated in a singing competition in her city. It was a big and grand event wherein she could showcase her skills and talents. The audience clapped and cheered her on. It was at this moment that Majoy decided that she wanted a grander stage. At twenty-three years old, Majoy entered a songwriting competition to further develop her skills. She was mentored by known artists and was able to learn more about writing.
At twenty-four years old, Majoy began going to gigs and concerts as a performer. Gradually, she gained supporters who were always eager to watch her shows. At twenty-six years old, Majoy released her first debut album. People accepted her music, and soon she became well-known. At thirty years old, Majoy was invited to perform in the local festival of her city. The same festival where she realized her lifelong dream. She is now the performer, and the audience is all smiling, laughing, dancing, and singing along to her own song. At eighty-five years old, Majoy attended the local festival, the very same festival where she first watched a rondalla band in person. She was seated near the stage to watch the performance. Halfway through the event, she was called on the stage and was asked to perform. Gladly, she played the first song she learned to play. She remembered her journey and how it all began. Most of all, she remembered being an eight-year-old in awe while watching musicians play their music. At ninety-one years old, Majoy died peacefully in her sleep. On her bedside table, they found a handwritten letter where she wrote her gratitude to the world. At the end of the letter, she wrote thanks to the festival where it all began and thanks to the city that gave her the opportunities to learn and grow her music.
How important is music to a city's cultural identity? Page Design by Sean Carrera
Music is one attribute that makes the identity of a place as it allows people to express themselves. It becomes an instrument of expression and creativity. With it, the opinion, thoughts, and stories of every individual can be shared and understood - this powerfully influences and makes up the culture of a city. - Denise, 25
Through music, nagagawa niyang macommunicate yung values and ideologies ng country and its people. Nacoconnect niya ang mga tao through similiar thoughts and experiences. - Ina, 24
A thriving music industry adds value to cities in a variety of ways. It promotes employment creation, economic growth, tourism development, and artistic advancement, as well as helping to build a city's brand. - Lei, 26
Utilizing music sends widespread sentiments, or changes a mindset to move an environment that would empower alternate conduct, and so forth; therefore, it is logical to assume that music is an instrument to unite one's own personality and other characters bringing about a certain identity. - Sean, 21
Music is important to a city’s cultural identity because it provides a better understanding of the way of life of a community, and through music, people can freely share their ideas and values with others. Apart from that, music is also a culture by-product that serves as memory or in honor of the things that our ancestors have achieved. This emulates the expressions, beliefs, ideas, and stories that took part in the history of the city. - Donny, 30
Music is a necessary part of a city's cultural identity because it acts as a venue and activity that unites people of a certain ethnic group, allowing them to see themselves as a whole, connected to one another, and maybe even with a specific goal or mission to fulfill. - Karl, 34