mamayog akun (ssattbb)

Mamayog Akun is based on a traditional courting song from Mindanao and is typical of Muslim folk music. These types of songs, like the traditional chants and dances, are characterized by vivid colors, rhythmic sounds, and movements, and reflect the influence of Arabian and Indo-Malaysian cultures.  This version of the piece is written by Fabian Obispo (Philippines) and is part of the Cantemus (IFCM) Series.

By the end of the 12th century, traders and settlers had introduced the Islamic faith to the Philippine islands. Today, more than one million Filipinos are Muslims. The Islamic lifestyle that has been preserved throughout the centuries is quite different from that of the majority of the Filipino population.

The word Maranao means “People of the Lake,” and refers to the indigenous people who inhabited the lands around Lake Lanao, a predominantly Muslim region on the island of Mindanao. The Maranaos are part of the wider Moro ethnic group, who constitute the sixth largest Filipino ethnic group.

The Philippines, with more than 90 million people, is the twelfth most populous country in the world. Its distinctive musical culture has been formed by the fusion of indigenous, Spanish, and American musical cultures. As a former colony of both Spain and the United States, its music and social institutions bear the influence of both colonial eras. The country gained its independence from the USA in 1946. The choral culture of the Philippines is vigorous and of a high standard with several choirs garnering considerable international recognition.

Andre de Quadros and Jamie Hillman