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Our Founder
Professor Siegfredo Baldemor Calabig or “Ka Fred” as we call him in the band, comes from a musically inclined family based in the town of Paete, Laguna.
He was taught to read notes, play the trumpet, and French horn at a young age and eventually joined his father’s brass band.
With his background in music and degree in secondary education, he was hired as a music teacher at the HS department of the Philippine College of Commerce and was
requested by the principal to start an orchestra.
His initial idea of setting up a drum and bugle corps proved to be too expensive so the principal suggested that he form a bamboo orchestra. With no experience in
making instruments, he tried to build bamboo instruments combined with indigenous materials.
Fast forward to the present, he continues to be innovative in creating new bamboo instruments, and shares his passion by collaborating with other organizations
by providing instruments and training them to start their own performing groups.
About Us
History
Instruments
Marimba
The marimba provides the melody. Made from bamboo and Philippine hardwood, it follows the musical scale and style of the typical xylophone and a marimba in an orchestra. Mallets made out of rattan and rubber are used to play the instrument. Similar to a piano, there’s a higher, middle and lower scale.
Angklung
Angklung is a traditional Asian instrument, variations of which can be found in countries like Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. The angklung provides counterpoints to the melody. Each angklung represents a note and is played by shaking the lower part with one hand while holding the upper end steady.
Panpipes
Panpipes are small pieces of bamboo put together by a string and is similar in sound and stylings of the wind instruments found in Northern Philippines and in South America. Each piece of bamboo represents a note and is blown to produce the sound. The fan pipes provide counterpoints to the basic melody.
Bumbong
Bumbong are hollow pieces of bamboo put together and serve as the orchestra’s wind section — divided into “bass” (lower) and “horn” (higher) sections. The smaller the bamboo, the higher the note. Each piece of bamboo represents one note and is blown through a mouthpiece to produce the sound.
Kalagong
Kalagong is a wind instrument which also provides bass and sometimes the melody for select musical pieces. Bamboo poles each representing a note are held together by a wooden frame and are played when two paddles made of rubber slippers are struck on each of the hollow bamboo tubes. The name of the instrument comes from the first two syllables of the conductor’s name “kala” and the “gong” for the gong-like sound that it produces when struck by the paddle.
Kalatok
Kalatok is a percussion instrument, with pieces of bamboo with varying tones strung together. The instrument’s name was derived from the first two syllables of the conductor’s surname “Kala” and the“tok” sound that it produces when struck by a rubber mallet.
Kiskis
Kiskis is a bamboo piece with ridges and serves as a percussion instrument. “Kiskis” is a Filipino word for “to scratch” or “to rub against something”. It is played by “rubbing” a rattan stick on its ridges.
Contact
Contact Us
Location:
Banda Kawayan Pilipinas, Inc., Mezzanine Level,
SCC Building, CFA Compound, 4427 Old Sta. Mesa St.,
1016 Sta. Mesa, Manila
Email:
bkreservations@gmail.com
Contact Persons:
Jean Briones - 09281881753
Voltaire Lazaro - 09982543662