In Spring 2010, PDUB Youth travelled back to a simpler time, courtesy of the stories and musical expertise of elders from the Silver Lake Adult Day Health Care Center (SLADHCC).
With generous funding from The Alliance of California Traditional Arts (ACTA), California Council for the Humanities (CCH), the Stuart Foundation, Dwight Stuart Youth Fund, the PDUB Harana Project engaged local youth and elders in the process of cultural transmission, using music as a vehicle for intergenerational cultural and narrative exchange. Participating Elders, many of whom are long-time haranistas, taught PDUB Youth the art of the harana, or serenade: its melodic guitar music, sweet harmonies and cultural significance.
Harana Workshops: Traditional Serenades
During Spring 2010, PDUB Youth met twice weekly with the haranistas to rehearse songs and exchange stories.
Participating Elders included: Melinda Abrenica, Nestor Agudo, Greg Albarillo, Erlinda Arcebal, Ted Atento, Cleotilde Bisnar, Thena Borgonia, Annie Cabrera, Pete Estrada, Rosalina Gatila, Ronald Tulabut. With invaluable project facilitation from Mila Anguluan-Coger and rehearsal space courtesy of Lisa Chung, owner, Silver Lake Adult Day Health Care Center.
Harana: The Performance
On Saturday, March 27th, 2010, the Silver Lake Adult Day Health Care Center on Temple Street was filled with the romantic melodies of the traditional Filipino haranas or serenades.
PDUB Youth and Elders from The Silver Lake Adult Day Health Care Center, dressed in traditional Filipino finery, put on a spirited performance for “Celebrating Our Ancestral Tree,” a benefit for the Center for Babaylan Studies organized by Mila Anguluan-Coger.
Harana: A Contemporary Interpretation
After completing their training, PDUB Youth applied what they learned by composing a contemporary spin on the Filipino tradition of harana, which they recorded and filmed as a music video: Passport to My Heart. The music and lyrics were developed during workshops with musical guest lecturers Christine Balance, Assistant Professor of Asian American Studies at UC Irvine, and Gary Gabisan, both members of The Jack Lords. The video, which features Haranistas from the Silver Lake Adult Day Health Center, fuses the traditional art form’s themes and narrative framework with a modern musical sensibility.
