Datun Julud means ‘long dance’ in the language of the Kenyah Dayak, ‘Hivan Joh’ for the Kayan tribe and ‘Arang Kadang’ for the Kelabit tribe. Traditionally, Datun Julud is performed by a group of women in the Orang Ulu customary receptions. This dance, that symbolizes happiness and gratefulness to the Great Angel, is said to have been created by the king of the Dayak Kenyah tribe in Apo Nayan called Nyik Selong who is brave in playing with weapon that it is difficult to compete him. However, he still doesn’t have an inheritor. In the end one of his daughters-in-law conceived and gave birth to a would-be inheritor. As a sign of gratitude all the longhouse residents were in festivities and danced with graceful movements. Datun Julud normally begins as a solo performance by a female dancer barefooted, and she dances spontaneously with movement akin to the movement of a flying hornbill. Bird’s feathers are inserted in between the fingers of both her hands. All the dancer’s body parts move except the head to avoid too many movements around the heavy copper earrings. With slow and graceful moves the dancer performs according to the beat and music of ‘Sapedan Jatung Utang’. Her dance steps concentrate on the feet movement that is as if ‘walking on ground’, while the hand movement is as if ‘floating or flying in air” If performed in a longhouse, the performance is normally encircling the living room of the village head and sometimes in the whole longhouse, followed by the people who are there then. After performing another female dancer takes her place and this continues until all the females have taken their turns. Nowadays, Datun Julud is a part of the dances usually performed at a longhouse and in celebration events to receive visitors and tourists.

The Hudhud consists of narrative chants traditionally performed by the Ifugao community, which is well known for its rice terraces extending over the highlands of the northern island of the Philippine archipelago. It is practised during the rice sowing season, at harvest time and at funeral wakes and rituals. Thoughts have originated before the seventh century, the Hudhud comprises more than 200 chants, each divided into 40 episodes. A complete recitation may last several days. Since the Ifugao’s culture is matrilineal, the wife generally takes the main part in the chants, and her brother occupies a higher position than her husband. The language of the stories abounds in figurative expressions and repetitions and employs metonymy, metaphor and onomatopoeia, rendering transcription is very difficult. Thus, there are very few written expressions of this tradition. The chant tells about ancestral heroes, customary law, religious beliefs and traditional practices, and reflects the importance of rice cultivation. The narrators, mainly elderly women, hold a key position in the community, both as historians and preachers. The Hudhud epic is chanted alternately by the first narrator and a choir, employing a single melody for all the verses.

Philippines 2008

Katu language is: Dơ nooch, Vơ nooch or Ca lơi, Cahlơi. These are the songs of Lý singing and Lý speaking, the unique oral heritage of the indigenous community, associated with the traditional Gươl house. This singing style is used as a special way of conversation in confiding feelings, expressing personal opinions, wedding ceremonies, etc but is most popular in conciliations and trials of customary law courts, to reconcile conflicts in society. Lý singing consists of 3 parts: introduction, discussion, and conclusion of the issue in each specific case. While practicing, they often borrow a certain image to compare and send a message to the listener. It has no sample songs but depends on the speaker's improvisational skills - singing to suit the specific situation. Therefore, singing theory represents the singer's experience of behavior in life and productive labor. In court cases, the person representing each side is called Manưih papnáq Bhmã. When realizing fualty or mistakes, the singer will have to lower his voice; On the contrary, when the issue is tense, the accusation or the reaction is resolute, the singer will raise his voice and sing with emphasis on each word. And when one of the two participating parties can no longer continue, it is called "the end of arguments" or "death of arguments". When representatives of both sides put their lips on the wine barrel at the same time, it means the argument is over, both sides agree to resolve the problem, and the losing side will have to make peace according to the winning side's intention. A unique and deeply humanistic heritage of the community here.

The Darangen is an ancient epic song that encompasses a wealth of knowledge of the Maranao people who live in the Lake Lanao region of Mindanao. This southernmost island of the Philippine archipelago is the traditional homeland of the Maranao, one of the country’s three main Muslim groups. Comprising 17 cycles and a total of 72,000 lines, the Darangen celebrates episodes from Maranao history and the tribulations of mythical heroes. In addition to having a compelling narrative content, the epic explores the underlying themes of life and death, courtship, love and politics through symbol, metaphor, irony and satire. The Darangen also encodes customary law, standards of social and ethical behaviour, notions of aesthetic beauty, and social values specific to the Maranao. To this day, elders refer to this time-honoured text in the administration of customary law. Meaning literally “to narrate in song”, the Darangen existed before the Islamization of the Philippines in the fourteenth century and is part of a wider epic culture connected to early Sanskrit traditions extending through most of Mindanao. Specialized female and male performers sing the Darangen during wedding celebrations that typically last several nights. Performers must possess a prodigious memory, improvisational skills, poetic imagination, knowledge of customary law and genealogy, a flawless and elegant vocal technique, and the ability to engage an audience during long hours of performance. Music and dance sometimes accompany the chanting.

Philippines 2008