Gongster’s Paradise 2019: A Stronger Kulintang Force

Divine Creative Studio in partnership with Mindanao Lilang Lilang and House of Gongs announces this year’s Gongster’s Paradise, a kulintang party celebrating the growing community of kulintang music in North America. Gongster’s Paradise: A Stronger Kulintang Force is a 5-hour celebration of kulintang music featuring kulintang artists of different genres presenting the music in many different forms. The event will be held at Oakland Asian Cultural Center on May 4, 2019. Doors will open at 4pm.

Last year’s line up included SF Kulintang Project, Kulintang Academy, Little Manila, Pakaraguian Kulintang Ensemble from San Diego; DATU from Toronto, Gingee from Los Angeles, Autonomous Region, Gingee and many more.

This year’s line up will feature a new generation of Maguindanaon Master Artists from Cotabato City, Traditional groups from all over the United States and Contemporary groups from all over the world including Toronto, Philippines, Seattle, Virginia, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Official line-up will be announced on March 18.

Alongside non-stop kulintangan, Gongster’s Paradise will feature visual artists, vendors, and dancers to showcase movements related to kulintang music rooted from all over Mindanao. A feast will be served throughout the evening to be prepared and served by Chef Eric Pascual, rising star and owner of Eats By E and will be joined by collaborator and sponsor, Ramar Foods.

As part of the as part of the celebrations of Asian American Heritage Month, this kulintang festival will be held at Oakland Asian Cultural Center where the father of Filipino-American Kulintang music, Danongan ‘Danny’ Kalanduyan was once an artists in residence. Soon after Danny Kalanduyan became one with the ancestors, an army

of kulintang players, kulintang teachers and kulintang communities were born embodying the music into their own repertoire. The hope of kulintang music remained in the diaspora as the interest in the music grew into a larger community that it is now.

The goal of the event is to to celebrate the growing community of showing its capacity from traditional roots to how far artists have been able to take it in a contemporary form. Outreach for the event will be done through social media, PCN (Pilipino College Networks) and community collaborations.

Proceeds of the event will go to Mindanao Lilang Lilang a non-profit organization to help them fund their projects to grow awareness of Kulintang music and pass it on to the next generation.

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Calendar Listing:

WHO : Divine Creative Studio and Mindanao Lilang Lilang 
WHAT : Gongster’s Paradise: A Stronger Kulintang Force 
DATE : May 4, 2019
TIME : 4:00pm - 9:00pm
WHERE: Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St, Oakland, CA 94607
WHY: Celebrate Danny Kalanduyan’s life and the growing kulintang community

Tickets :

Early Bird : $35 (includes food + 1 drink)
General Admissions : $40 (includes food + 1 drink)
VIP : $60 (includes food, 1 drink, artist sampler bag, after party access) Student : $25 (includes food + 1 drink) ID required at the door

ABOUT THE PRODUCERS: House of Gongs

House of Gongs is a grassroots movement and learning space that honors both tradition and innovation on gong-row music. We cultivate artists from different background through studying, learning and/or practicing art forms from the Southern Philippines and encourage them to bring the traditions into their own artistic creativity and experience. They hold classes on Saturday mornings and are open to workshops, group, semi-private, private lessons. They also offer eskrima classes and tagalog classes. The space was founded by cultural practitioners, Ron Querian and Lydia Querian.

Divine Creative Studio

Divine Creative Studio is a full service marketing and events production team aiming to inspire diversity through empowering Asian American entities. The team leverages the power of art and creativity in meeting business goals while keeping culture within their values.

Mindanao Lilang Lilang

Mindanao Lilang Lilang is a non-profit organization aiming to provide instruction in music and dance of the Southern Philippines, particularly traditional music and dance as practiced by Maguindanao, Maranao and Tausug cultural groups in Mindanao and Sulu Archipelago. MLL gives public performances in the traditional arts accompanied by live kulintang ensemble music and has served as a general public cultural resource for traditional Southern Philippine music.