Some Principles of Formal Variation in the Kolintang Music of the Maranao
Usopay Hamdag Cadar, Robert Garfias · Ethnomusicology · 1974
The two principal groups of Moslems living on the island of Mindanao in the Southern Philippines are the Maranao and their neighbors, the Magindanaon.Although each of these groups regards itself as distinct from its neighbors, their languages are mutually intelligible and they share many common cultural traits.Islam has strongly imbued the daily life of both groups and among them the numerous Hadji --persons who have made the long pilgrimage to Mecca --are highly honored.The Maranao live in the northwestern part of Mindanao around the large Lake Lanao from which they take their name, Maranao, "people of the lake."They number slightly more than the Magindanaon, 190,000 according to the 1943 census, and are very proud of the large Mindanao State University in their capital city, Marawi, which is designed to serve Mindanao, the Sulus, and Palawan.There are several forms of music among the Maranao: the intimate and romantic serenades played on the Kobing, or bamboo mouth harp (Fig. 1); various compositions and improvisations played on the long lute, the Kotyapi (Fig. 2); the small "chamber" ensemble dominated by the Kotyapi This content downloaded from 128.