THE OREGON SUNDAY JOURNAL. PORTLAND, SUNDAY KORNINO, aODER 2 1901
IPINO
o
' T.a i
.!ew . sv f 'A srr---'--.-.---i-
Queer Instruments
XhatAreMadetoPro
duce.Sw.eet Sounds
the Luneta. the famous pleasure esplanade tn Ma
nila, listening te the strain of "Faust" or "Lohen
grin" or "La Boheme"; to Hou march or Ameri
rr
ftni,, , V
A S AMERICANS learn more of their
nf little brown brothers by adoption,
the Filipinos, they find revealed to
them, more and more, interesting racial and
individual characteristics.
One of the most interesting things about
them is their love of music and the inventive
genius that enables them to produce musical
strains from what seems to us the queerest
instruments imaginable.
It is true that much of what a Filipino
regards as music may be classed as mere noise
by an American, but the musical spirit exists,
to a remarkable extent, in those far-away
islands of the sea.
Eleanor Franklin Egan, who has writ-
ten the following entertaining story of "The
Musical Soul of the Filbino." studied her
. subject among the natives of the islands. She
' spent considerable time in the Philippines,
i and made a special endeavor to understand
the life and home spirit of the people.
By Eleanor Franklin JEgan
MONO our "little brown brothers" tn the Philip
LX pine Islands It is not difficult to find proof
JL A. positive that music hath charms to fire
well as to "soothe the savage breast."
v.iJh. "aTe Filipino lives his life and hath his
being- in the midst of a "concord of sweet sounds "
borne of these sounds may not strike the ear of the
cultivated occidental listener as "sweet." but he will
recognize them all as being attuned to a various na
tional soul which best expresses Its longings and its
triumphs in music
vTh.e.V,sayanB. an3 Tagaloga. the two Filipino tribes
which have attained the highest modern cultivation
are musical in the most occidental sense. They are
musical enough to interpret Wagner or Verdi, Gounod
. or Sousa in a manner not to be despised by anybody
and their musical ability gives them better right than
any other faculty which they possess to be called "our '
little brown brothers," and to be reoognized aeriouaiv
as such. J
But the Vlsayan and the Tagalog are not the. only
people who inhabit the fair Islands In the south seas
There are a dozen or more other tribes as musical as
they who have never heard a modern orchestra r braes
Land, and who play only upon their native instru
ments native music as curious to us as is the music
of the Chinese.
This is an enormous subject, a subject which
should be carefully considered by somebody who
knows oriental muslo thoroughly if such a person
exists and who would be able to write a complete .
history of the development of musical expression
among the peoples of the Philippines through a nroc
ss of comparison with the musical development of
ether Malay peoples.
Many a time 1 have sat near the bandstand in
can ragtime: 10 niriuM waning or int waning
melodies of Hustle and Scandinavia, played by a
band made up entirely of Filipinos of the most
ordinary class, and I have wondered whence rame
their ability to do this really remarkable thing.
It cannot be said that they have acquired- the
ability as the Japanese have acquired It. A Japanese
band can play anything that a Filipino band can play,
but they do ft In a "wooden" way, without originality
or even a generally accepted standard of expression.
They play sotes.
Tbe Filipino plays music, feeling It, loving It, Jug
gling with It and oftentimes Improving upon Its ac
cepted Interpretation.
They have a rerfeot ear for sound. Almost all
Filipinos, that Is, Vlsayans and Tagalogs, play some
kind of Instrument. Every little town and village has
its hand, and there are dozens of them, of varying
grades of excellence. In the city of Manila. They
are everywhere.
Muslo Is the dlstlnctest thing tn one's life In the
rhlllppine islands. Every day Is full of It. If one
cares to listen. There are many bands made up of
young men who do not know one clef from another
who cannot read a single note of musio, who do not
know by name "The Pilgrim's Chorus" from "A Hot
Time in the Old Town." But these bands play.
They will play quite acceptably anything that Is
sung or played to them, and they will do it instantly.
I have myself, at dinner parties, or other social gath- '
"ur mo x-inpino Dana is sure to tie, often
tested their ability to do this by singing for them
some song which somebody wanted them to play.
The first violin or tenor horn would follow me
closely. Just breathing the melody as I sang It, and
then ha would play it over to the other members of
the band (or stringed orchestra, as the case might be)
and In a few moments he would have it in full har
mony. PLAYERS APPLAUD THEMSELVES
It might not be Just perfect In detail, but It would
u!F0?d nou"h-v-And the players would be delighted
with it. too. They would applaud themselves Joy
ously and try It again and again until they had quite
mastered It or until somebody volunteered to give
them a new tune to practice upon.
Many an unforgettable evening is spent by Amerl
.:nth?.Xile ln Man'lan J"-' ch harmless dlvVTsion
as this and many a Filipino band or orchestra has
Se.d nVr rePrtolr this off-hand manner.
Most of their bands are equipped nowadays with
TiZlfy ,nsVument"' but it has not been so long
In".Ktht bras" 'n,trument wa a reat possession
,rd.,bamb.0,0 horn of nat,ve manufacture the in-
mlHK.S' th man Tnese bamboo horns were
made by the players themselves, and nothing argues
the fon,B LJIv.the natlve FillPmo musical ablia? l
of good quality!" W" t0 roduca rua
rhi..C..ole tbe" mu8'cally uneducated bands and
all vt..!.d2 tT? a"d incongruous things. Most
k Ltor" JweJurnlng from the Philippines will tell '
Sr "r Weard'A Hot Tlme ,n e Old Town"
or, I Don't Care if You Never Come Back" olaved
frendnatButba.nat neral ot "me deaTaepared
S'w-l pfaVei'.o'uYfua?. wlU UU yS that
mufu'r.1, haVf he"? a ban at tha "eaa of a sad
little funeral cortege straggling along to the uneven
vV.
I .sSlBtsBBsl BBBBBBBBaVZnSSfV'V'9'
lit , -
.f .1 :
:2 7
mill i .a rrr7 srocresr
fevr iM -
mum . t-ci v -
m i sr .
ill I:
skW . kill-
.irVr' 'II
Ji Vi I;'. 4111
5.'V V " vv-r
rv
f - fi;. .. :je-i
ana mourniui strains oi aammy." And I have
laugnea, too, knowing uiac to tnem it expressed only
that wnicn uiey maae it express. They knew only
me iuu iuu nviaiui i ii wrigiasi. uniunereai aen
tlment.
I don't know much about the weird wild Instru
ments or other Filipino tribes. Nobody seems to. I
wish somebody did so, that I might learn about them
without having to spend years in an attempt to ac
quire original Information.
Probably the most curious instrument to be found
in the Philippine islands is the nose flute, played
by the Tlngulans, a non-Christian tribe of northern
Luzon.
This Instrument is made of bamboo and resembles
any other flute1, except ln the manner of Its playing.
and the kind of "rain-barrel" sound which It emits.
There Is no way, of describing how It is done, be
cause no human white man could possibly do It. The
player breathes Into it through one nostril while the
other nostril Is perfectly free to perform Its usual
function.
The sound produced, strange as It may seem. Is
loud enough to satisfy any savage ear, and the nose
flute artist is Just as proud of his accomplishment as.
is any famous dtornetlst bowing before applauding
thousands.
And well he may be.
The drum and "tom-tom" are as much In evidence
In the musical effort of the wild tribes of the Philip
pines as they are among any other uncultivated peo
ples. The little drum of the Bontoo Igorotes.'upheld'Ty'
human Jawbones, Is of peculiar interest because of
the fact that it Is always used in the celebrations
which follow the successful head-hunting expeditions
of this tribe.
Fortunately, American precept and example, to
gether with a little forceful persuasion ln the form
of occasional prosecutions for murder in the first de
gree, are rapidly making head-hunting expeditions
unpopular even among the least civilized of head
hunting tribes.
The Bogobos, one of the non-CJhrlstian tribes on
the island of Mindanao, are to me the most plctur
eaque and beautiful of all the Filipino peoples. Com- I
mlssloner Dean C. Worcester, the Philippines secre- j
tary of the Interior, who knows more about the peo-
pies of the Philippines than any other American, says
thev are one of the least civllizbd tribes in the lslandv. j
They are pagans of the most distinct order, andN
even to this day indulge at times in human sacrifice
to propitiate their deity. But they have an eye to
beauty and personal adornment
They make marvelously elaborate bead garments
In combinations of colors worthy of our most urtlstlo
North American Indian tribes. And they appreciate
beauty of design, aa is amply proved by the long,
gract-,ul lines of thetr stringed instruments.
These Instruments, of the guitar variety, have only i
one -or two strjngs. but they produce tones of ex
quisite sweetness. The muslo of the Bogobos is of
the most elementary character, but it Is quite dis
tinct and individual, and nobody who has ever heard
Its curious strumming arid thumping accents likes to
think that within a generation or two it is destined
to become a thing of the past.
This is true of the music of all the non-civilized
Filipino peoples. The American educational system
does not Include a course in native music, and it can
only be a few years before all the quaint Instruments
will have become the property of museums and col- '
lectors, and the weird, unwritten musio of the people l
will have floated away upon the troplo air never to j
be recalled. ,
TheP
s Ranfs&omPovertytoRiches
pospeeior
r
t- c t-r x v r rrs rjrv sr f r-.m. . . n
1 JK-V-J
conveniences of civilization f
Did yon ever think, you who bare studied
upon the facts that go to make the mysterious
rroblemg of human life, whit part U played hj
the bewhUkexed man.! There it about this typical
trian an individuality that cannot be found among
the crowded masses of In ore civilized sections.
H
OW : -scy persons know anything of th
life of the prorpector who is seeking
tainersl riches im remote, Ttragh seo--tiens,
ftr from th luxuries, crma th
L
ET ss follow tbe ereekes trail of this prowler
of tbe kills from the Use be first kails frem
the eld farm dew Eaet, yeong as a frea, ttak
bUag eve wltk aptrlta ad Merry, aaa wlta
1 &reefrerr ' Arr-r-, -
aa air about Lira tkat mark hiss as a tenderfoot wne
has Just blown out of bis borne dcsl
Ths bonny face of his sweetheart haunts his mind,
her cabinet photograph is la His inside pocket, aad his
cost Is still damp waere sh wept her farewell en his
shoulder.. He Intends te make a fortune la a few
moot hi and go back to her. He wlU write her every
few days In his most err r hie style velesnes of Inter
esting matter. He telte her of tbe brig at prospects
ta view, of the wonderful opportunities at band. He
te'ls her te be tree to aim for a few aeeths aad be
will rtora to her li with riches aad beaers that
his ewa eeersiee will aeraly fetch kua.
Let us watca Mm his first trip aa a a-nld haater.
The wills of aatare seem a sar 6 1 m te Mm. tor the
hills and forests are aew ptctarea, aad what paella
fancies he has are not yet blunted or worn out of
him by hardships.
His camp equipment consists of a multitude of un
necessary articles, and it takes him half the season
to pack them to the hills and the other half to pack
them out. His cooking is something awful, yet he Is
as particular about flies aryl bugs as If It would make
him actually ill should he bqil a mouse ln his coffee
pot or swallow a few ants ln his tea.
He does not get time to prospest much the first
year, but he talks to some old veterans of '49, and ln
an amaslngly short time he knows all about the busi
ness. 1 To hear him talk about formation you would
think he was present at the creation of the world, and
to hear him go over a list of ponderous geological
terms that he has committed from his little four-bit
prospector's amide would actually make an old pros
pector homesick.
He Is initiated, however. He has taken his first
degree, has played the first card in the great game.
The wheel spins around. Bo far he has drawn a blank,
but he writes to his sweetheart to wait for him an
other year. His letters still come, but not so regu
larly as at first They are crowded with affectionate
epithets to be sure (more, perhaps, than he would like
to have bis partner see), but they seem more studied
and less genuine than before.
Another year has gone out with tbe snow and re
turns with It. with but little to show but a luxuriant
growth of beard and a few choice specimens of float
which he found Just where his grub-stake played out.
He is sure he can find the ledge the coming season.
Tbe snow comes and goes; the rivers fill and empty.
Again Jack Frost, that breesy agent of winter, hangs
his yellow posters on the birch and tamarack.
Then the prospector comes ln again to "hole up."
He has drawn another blank. His wsgers against the
game are heavy, the passion hss enslaved him. He
will prowl away his life ln the hills or strike it. He
may have a few prospects by this time fine Indica
tions. He has learned to play Jokes on his stomach he
promises it pie and slips ln bannock or a flapjack. He
must work his prospect If he has to go. on half ra
tions, so be hammers away a few years of his life
la a dump tunnel. He crosses the contact and runs
under the cropplngs; If be Is wise enough, he gives
It up packs his cayuse and leaves. But there are '
some characters wha will keep driving away, feeling
ore that the next shot will expose the long-looked-for
treasure. He will have to go off shift for good
some time. . , . . , '
tmarlae that he was wise enourh to quit after a
few years aad start out once more for the hills, where
there Is, perhaps, new excitement, where every one Is
striking It rich. He will get In on the ground floor
this time. When be arrives at the camp be finds that
the goed things are all staked, and he prowls aroend
the edges uatll winter drives hlra In again.
He begins te feel a little eld. He Is playing the
game heavily. Baa etaxea aooui au oni m m j
fea risked that many times. He feels a twin re ef
rheamatlsm. and tbe demon of dyspepsia has taken ap
its stands witbla blm. He I marines he is getting
r.- and pnrhspa he la He kaows ha Is getting
erampy. Ha winders sometimes If he ts aet getting
jt m fcls brala as well as ea his varalla.
t ' .
He can't get along with' a partner any more, and
sometimes It Is all he can do to get along with him
self, so he goes out alone with dog and cayuse or
Rocky mountain canary. He has his peculiar ways of
doing things, and it worries him to have any one upset
his little, petty methods. He likes to hold conversation
with himself, and grows to think that he wants no
better company.
Sometimes he catches a glimpse of the gilded wings
of fortune as she beckons htm- from some distant
peak, and he struggles upward to Arid, like the end
of the rainbow, it is still in advance.
However, "all things come to him who will but
wait"; he strikes it at last. He has stumbled on to
gold by accident. It is cropping before him ln all Its
magnificence. His practiced eye tells him It Is a for
tune. He is not excited, but takes his good luck coolly,
he has been so well trained in taking things as they
come. He may even be careless in staking the claim
properly. He goes out and proceeds to get drunk and
spread tbe news. He sells out for a handsome sum,
runs over the census and calls the township up to the
bar. He buys the .most stylish clothes he knows any
thing about. The new hat that crowns his wrinkled
visage would hardly pass under the boughs that over
hung his old trails, and his cayuse would be fright
ened into a stampede should he catch sight of the
expanse of snewy linen. He alienates the affections
of his faithful dog by taking a Turkish bath.
At last he buys a palace-car ticket tor his old
home. He expects a great ovation in his honor. He
thinks of the happy smile with which his old sweet
heart will greet him. When he arrives at the depot
he l surprised that the Mayor Is not there to greet
him. He wonders what has became of the old brass
band that used to bellow out "Marching Through
Georgia" every Fourth of July, and as no one greets
him he starts on foot to find the old farm.
But what a change! He gets tangled in the sub
urbs of the town; the new streets and cross streets
are problems difficult to solve. He looks for the old
"biases," but they are gone. When he finds the old
homestead his brothers seem glad to meet him, but
they hardly have time to talk with him. They have
scarcely missed a day of hard work since he left His
father and mother have long since taken up their
abode on tbe hllL
He calls on his old sweetheart; she has been mar
ried many years; she has grown fat and plain. Her
reception of blm la anything but flattering. She sur
veys him critically and wonders, perhaps, how much
his store clothes cost. v
That Is enough of civilisation; he takes the shortest
trail back to bis old camp, leaving the proverbial
fatted calf still feeding at the manger. His wealth Is
a burden to him and he proceeds to dispose of It.
After hiring a theater for a few aUts aad trying to
break up a brewery or two, we eee him once more
taking the trail with a smile aad a grub-stake.
Cities will spring up where his campHre esra
mouldered. Steamboats will plow up the stream
where oar he po'ed his rode dugost. and railroads
will follow his -biases." la the great play of life,
where eoarage, fortitude and hoaest endeavor are the
arts neat ta be commended, cannot yoa eay that this
cnaa has played his part aad played I well?