Mindanao’s Indigenous Bearers of Cultural Heritage Perform in New York
Press Release EGC-030-2022 25 October 2022 MINDANAO'S INDIGENOUS BEARERS OF CULTURAL HERITAGE PERFORM IN NEW YORK In commemoration of Filipino-American History Month, the Philippine Consulate General in New York and Sentro Rizal New York, in collaboration with the nonprofit dance theater company, Kinding Sindaw Heritage Foundation, Inc., and with the support of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, showcased a distinct “Posaka” (Sanskrit for “Heirloom”) of the Filipino people – the ritual dances and chanted epics of Mindanao – through a series of performances by master artists and tradition bearers of the Maguindanao, Meranao, Taosug, and Tboli tribes. Entitled “Posaka: Revisiting Mindanao Through its Master Artists and Cultural Tradition Bearers,” the program commenced with a Meet-and-Greet on Friday, 14 October 2022 at the Philippine Center, and culminated in back-to-back performances at the La Mama Experimental Theatre Club in downtown Manhattan from 20 to 23 October 2022. Master artists and tradition bearers Lyn Buti, Leonorah Grande, Airia Askalani Obeso, and Datu Faisal Monal, who traveled all the way from the Philippines, demonstrated the beauty of the culture and arts of Mindanao through their music and dance. A live kulintang ensemble, including various drums and gongs, accompanied each presentation. The program…