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What's shakin' for PhilFest?
By JOSH ZIMMER, Times Staff Writer
KEYSTONE -- It is Saturday morning and music director Nick Pacis wields a baton before about 20 children and grownups. In front of them are traditional bamboo instruments called angklungs, consisting of two hollow shoots. When shaken, the sliding bottom of the pieces move left and right. Essentially, Pacis is trying to make music out of a bunch of adult rattles. He points his baton toward the players -- first this one, then that one, then another -- in rapid succession. Each angklung has its own note, so speed and coordination are critical to a continuous sound. Progress is slow. Pacis, who arrived from the Philippines two years ago, is a demanding teacher and musician. When he isn't satisfied, the fledgling bamboo orchestra must repeat the songs. But a steady flow finally wells up during the love song Maalaala Mo Kaya? (Will You Remember?) He smiles, and for a moment the wall of seriousness evaporates. "Much better," he says. For Pacis and his players, these practices are filled with imminent drama. In less than a week, the group will play at the Philippine Cultural Foundation's annual PhilFest celebration, an event at the Bayanihan Arts Center off Nine Eagles Drive that regularly attracts close to 15,000 people. The center, which seeks to foster an appreciation for Philippine culture, never had a bamboo orchestra before. But with a $20,000 grant from the Arts Council of Hillsborough County, the center was able to buy an assortment of traditional instruments, including the angklungs, and get a group off the ground. Organizers say the performance, scheduled for Saturday afternoon, will be one of the highlights of the eighth festival, which is next Friday through Sunday, with a variety of food, music and dance. The event has pulled in about $130,000 the last two years, money that goes toward maintenance and cultural programs. But this year the foundation will be happy to earn $75,000 because of the bad economy, spokeswoman Claire Ick said. The bamboo players say they are enjoying the journey through a type of music that even most of the adults find obscure. The instrument and the songs are more common to the countryside; most of the players have roots in the cities. "Our dad told us about it, some musical thing, some angklung," said Aga Villagomeza, 18. A typical, hip-hop-listening teenager, he lost his ambivalence and grew to appreciate this art form. "It didn't sound too great in the beginning. It sounds great now." The age range of the group, 6 to 66, reflects an obvious pride in Filipino culture, even though some willingly admit their naivete about it finer points. That's why so many parents and children joined the bamboo orchestra together, said Olivia Santiano, president of the center's Philippine Chorale Group. Exposure "is one of our goals," she said. During a break, Pacis talked about the task ahead. He and others hope to form other groups that will use the recently obtained instruments, all hand-made in the Philippines. "It's really difficult to teach it," Pacis said. "For one, they're not familiar with the songs. If they're from the Philippines they're not from that region, either." But, he said, "This is a start." -- Josh Zimmer covers Keystone/Odessa, Citrus Park and the environment. He can be reached at 269-5314 or zimmer@sptimes.com . If you go The Bayanihan Arts Center is on Nine Eagles Drive just north of Bryant Elementary School. The festival runs from 4 p.m. to midnight Friday, 11 a.m. to midnight Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $6; children under 5 get in for free. Call (813) 925-1232 with questions.
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