This album is a rare opportunity for the listener to hear one of the world's dying musical styles that really does deserve recognition.The Hegalung of the T'Boli people is one of many slender 2-stringed lutes that once were common in the Philippine islands before the Spanish colonisation of the 1500's. With these conquistadors came a new culture, and the ancient musical styles were replaced with Spanish ones, save the few tribal groups who escaped the colonisers. The T'Boli people of the peaceful Lake Sebu in Mindanao island are one of them. Fingguy Flang and Luming Tuan, who are both master musicians of the Hegalung are also working women in Dekolon village, and this CD is recorded on site (you can even hear the rainforest birds and crickets in the background) so this IS authentic.
The Hegalung lute has a haunting "nasal" sound quality, a mix between a higher pitched Sitar (Indian lute) and a Saz (Turkish Lute), and is extremely slender, earning the name of a "Boat Lute". In a variation of the pentatonic scale, this music is highly ornamented, full of slight frills in the melody, and is also very rhythmic. One is transported to this distant green hamlet in the rainforest by the whole atmosphere presented in the CD. I dont regret getting this one bit.
It is sad that the 2-stringed lutes of the Philippines and its highly deveoped musical tradition doesnt have the recognition it deserves. Hopefully through Fingguy Flang and Luming Tuan's achievement in this album, awareness in the Philippines as well as around the world will grow.
