IHUDYAT! 2017

Ihudyat: (Tagalog) to signal, to call attention. It is also a word for the marching band festival in the Philippines. Marching bands is always a part of being a Filipino. During town fiestas, it is the sound of the marching bands that wake us up which tells us it’s time to participate.

Back in the old fashioned warfare when armies still carry muskets, formations and marches are choreographed with the sound of the drumbeat and flute just like in the American Revolution. As I said, marching bands are part of the Filipino lifestyle. We also have marching bands at schools, when cheering for our favorite team, processions during fiestas and also in funerals and a lot of occasions to mention.

Ihudyat! will feature not just the marching bands of our nation’s armed forces but also from the local communities. During the launch, I am privilege to hear some tunes from Pandacan Community Band  from Pandacan, Manila where I used to live.

The festival will be in UP amphitheater and the Academic Oval where all participating marching bands will strut their unique choreographed marches and tunes and probably a variety of uniforms that will entice the students and passersby in the area. The actual completion will be in the amphitheater.

John Phillip Sousa may be known worldwide for his marching themes, but we also have two composers for the marching bands. The festival will pay tribute to the National Artists for Music Col. Antonino Buenaventura and Maestro Lucio San Pedro, who composed many pieces for marching bands in the country.

The competition will focus only on Col. Buenaventura and Maestro San Pedro’s works. Nowadays, marching bands are no longer exclusive to guys. Ladies can also be part of marching bands not just majorettes but also band players.

Ihudyat! 2017 will be on March 25, 2017 1800hrs at UP-Diliman Academic Oval and the Amphitheater. This was made possible by the UP. Vanguard Inc. Makati Chapter and the Cultural Center of the Philippines. For more updates, follow this blog and like L.E.N.S. blogs on Facebook.