Awit ni Pulau
Musika ni Ramon P. Santos
Titik ni Edgardo S. Maranan
Awit ni Pulau (2021)
December 2021
“Awit ni Pulau,” (The Song of Pulau) is a theatrepiece in Filipino, created for and performed by children using music, song, poetry and dance. The exquisite libretto written by Edgardo Maranan in Filipino tells of the misguided creation of a world by a vain, self-centered male deity and the havoc that ensues when men are given the license to exploit all the creatures in it. Major themes are the need to protect, respect and safeguard nature, and the danger and destruction that comes from the human abuse of these valuable resources. The lyrical music for this piece, composed by National Artist Ramon P. Santos, features the use of traditional Philippine musical instruments made of bamboo. This virtual version of an original stage production (premiered in 1991 by the U.P. Cherubim and Seraphim, official children’s choir of the University of the Philippines in Diliman), was directed by Eudenice Palaruan in 2021, on the occasion of the group’s Golden Anniversary.
Watch Awit ni Pulau (2021)
Awit ni Pulau (2016)
June 2016
“The first Awit ni Pulau was staged by the U.P. Cherubim and Seraphim in 1991, in the same year that the world witnessed one of the greatest natural disasters in human history… the eruption of Mount Pinatubo that buried parts of Central Luzon and encircled the entire world in ash. Around the same time, the world experienced one of the gravest man-made disasters in human history… the imperialist war in the Gulf, or, the Gulf War. One doesn’t have to be a conspiracy theorist in order to understand the relationship between natural and man-made disasters. Today, we suffer the consequences of corporate greed legitimized by neoliberalism, in its continued rape of natural resources all over the world, including people resources, that causes climate change, natural disasters, incapacity to recover from these disasters, massive evacuations and ethnocide in mining sites, and even cultural erasure, Yolanda, Sendong, Lumad Killings, Kidapawan Massacre, and so on and so forth, are part and parcel of the same narrative that tells us, disasters are symptoms, not causes. And who are the ones affected the most?
Awit ni Pulau as we present it today, is not a piece of nostalgia for what was, but a confronting of what is. And if you are looking and listening close enough, you just might get the drift; then, Pulau’s songs will never have to end.” - ROSELLE PINEDA, Director
Awit ni Pulau (2016) - Act 1
Awit ni Pulau (2016) - Act 2
Awit ni Pulau (1991)
August 1991
“The year 1991 marks the 20th anniversary of the U.P. Cherubim and Seraphim. I would like, at this time, to express my deep gratitude to all my children - more than a hundred in all - who have shared their unique voices and part of their lives to contribute to the building of this children’s choir.
Through the years that I have worked with the U.P. Cherubim and Seraphim, I have observed and worked with the Filipino child and explored his capabilities as an artist and musician. I strove to find a sound that would reflect his character - pure, clear, and natural. Aware of their capacities and weaknesses, I imposed discipline, not only in their voices and bodies but also in their minds and hearts. I dwelt little on vocal techniques, but sought to bring out their musicianship and develop the high pitches that are natural to them.
In Awit ni Pulau which we proudly present as our 20th anniversary offering, I have been fortunate to have the generous support of many artists who represent the best in their field. As I observe the results of our labors, I wonder at the marvel they have created. But even more wondrous is the way the children have responded with equal artistry, sensitivity and discipline. It is a constant reassurance that whatever problems we face as a people, we can look forward to the future, which will rest in their hands.” - FLORA ZARCO RIVERA, Director
Awit ni Pulau (1991) - Act 1
Awit ni Pulau (1991) - Act 2
SYNOPSIS
Because he is lonely, the bathala (male supreme deity), Igaddu, decides to create a world. He is pleased by the results of his labor - the rain, wind, mountains, trees and animals that inhabit it. His favorite is Pulau, the river that runs through this primeval paradise, singing of the world and its beauty. But Igaddu is dissatisfied, seeking the companionship of his own kind. He decides to court Mumtas, a bathaluman (female supreme deity) that rules over a neighboring world. To enable him to leave, he creates Lalaki and Babai, the first human beings, and entrusts the world to them. Pulau voices the apprehension of the others and begs Igaddu to stay but Igaddu refuses to listen and leaves.
A million years later, the child, Lin-lin tells her friend, Ut-tuy, this tale of creation and the subsequent return of Igaddu. Embarrassed by his rejection by Mumtas, Igaddu returned to earth to hide beneath its highest mountain. There he sleeps uneasily, troubled by the goings-on above ground where man has held sway.
On earth, the effects of man’s greedy stewardship of the land have caused havoc. Loggers destroy the forests, factories spew waste on the rivers and miners despoil the mountains. Pulau, a ravaged figure, now sings a song of despair. The children sadly bid goodbye to the trees, birds, and forest creatures as they disappear from the landscape. Pulau dies, reminding man that he has planted the seeds of his destruction.
In the midst of chaos, Igaddu angrily bursts out of the earth and destroys his erring steward. He bewails the error of his creation. Mumtas arrives, with words of comfort and advice. Together, they rebuild a world without hierarchy, where all creatures are equal. The world celebrates its new life - without man.