The Philippine Rondalla
by Verne de la Peña, Ph.D.
The term rondalla refers to the plucked string ensemble composed of instruments of the lute and cittern families introduced in the Philippines by Spanish colonizers beginning in the 15th century. The term was used interchangeably with murza, estudiantina and comparza. Some sources however point to differences – murza refer to street musicians who play for alms, estudiantina (also called ‘tina’ or ‘tuna’) are school ensembles while comparza are the semi-professional troupes composed of the better skilled musicians. Instrumentation varies, although by the twentieth century, the standard rondalla would consist of five sections: the bandurria, laud, octavina, guitarra and bajo.
The bandurria, the instrument most readily identified with the rondalla, is a pear- shaped short-necked lute popular in the southern part of Spain. The name ‘mandurria’ was mentioned by Juan Ruiz in the 14th century while the word ‘bandurria’ was used described as a three stringed instrument by the writer Bermudo (1555). Other sources connect the instrument to the ancient Greco-Roman pandoura. In the Philippines, as in Spain, the bandurria plays the main melodic line with a very fast tremolando using a plectrum which gives the rondalla its characteristic sound. The Philippine version increased the number of strings from twelve to fourteen. Hilarion Rubio recommends at least 16 bandurrias for a 30-member troupe.
The laud, which is tuned an octave lower than the bandurria is distinguishable through its f sound holes. In Spanish, the term literally means ‘the ud,’ in reference to the pear- shaped and round-backed lute introduced to Spain by Arabs in the 13th cetruy the laud carries the alto line of the music or plays counter melodies. Because of its rather dull timbre, many rondalla troupes at present no longer use the instrument, although it is still popular with chamber ensembles.
The octavina, the largest of the 14-stringed instruments of the rondalla is shaped like the guitar. The name is probably a variant of the Iltalian ottavina, a small virginal and also an organ stop. The guitar plays chordal accompaniment but at times employed to carry melodic lines. The upright contrabass is now commonly used instead of the traditional bajo de unas which is played horizontally like the guitar using a large plectrum. Most rondalla today include a drum set as well as varied percussion instruments.
Today, the instruments favored by musicians are manufactured in Pampanga such as the Lumanog and Bandilla labels. Elsewhere in the country, the craft of rondalla instrument making is dwindling such as that in Cebu where the industry once flourished. Rondalla instruments are readily available in music stores in urban centers although the preferred approach by many is to order them directly from the manufacturer to ensure quality.
Today, the rondalla is symbolic of an idyllic Philippine folk life in the same category as the bahay kubo, fiesta, and the barrio. In the late 19th century until the first half of the 20th century however, the rondalla was part of mainstream urban culture and associated with prominent universities and social institutions. Filipino composers such as Antonio Molina, Lucino Sacramento, Lucio San Pedro, Jerry Dadap and Alfredo Buenaventura have explored this musical medium in composing art music. With the rise however of popular media culture and the growing preference for choral music in schools and government offices, interest in the rondalla began to wane.
From the 1960’s, interest in the rondalla among large Filipino communities living abroad developed mainly as a medium of expressing cultural identity. In California, New York and Honolulu, civic groups began to employ rondalla musicians such as Michael Dadap and Ricardo Trimillos to set up rondalla schools. Rondalla classes were also established in universities such as the University of California in Los Angeles, University of Michigan, University of Hawaii and the National University of Singapore, attracting students of various nationalities to this tradition.
In the last decade of the 20th century, a resurgence in the popularity of rondalla emerged mainly as a result of national competitions such as the annual National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA). The NAMCYA has produced acclaimed groups such as the Marcelo H. del Pilar High School Rondalla, Kabataang Silay Rondalla Ensemble, Nabua National High School Rondalla and the Dimiao Youth Rondalla. The renewed interest in the rondalla extended to popular music artists as well such as Grace Nono and Bob Aves in the Philippines and Bobby Bandurria in the US.