Wood acoustics

From Spain to Philippines and now in Singapore, Rondalla music has traveled far beyond its native soil. Produced by an ensemble of wooden acoustic plucked-string instruments native to Spain, Rondalla music has matured since it was taken to the shores of the Philippine islands. NUS Rondalla, founded in 1981, has modeled its music largely after the Philippine form. NUS Rondalla plays the main instrument, banduria. Together with the piccolo, laud and octavina, these instruments form the ensemble to produce the unique sounds of NUS Rondalla.

Over the years, NUS Rondalla has extended its repertoire from traditional folk music to include styles like classical pieces and even pop songs. Rondalla music has to be written specially to suit the unique sounds of Rondalla, said the group's ex-President and now Welfare Manager, Ms Tan Suat Lay. As it is quite difficult to find music suitable for Rondalla-playing, most of their music has to be brought in from either the Philippines or Spain, she added.

The NUS group may be small but what is clear is the members' dedication, even to the extent of borrowing the instruments to practise at home. Most of the 15 members did not have musical backgrounds but learned to play the instruments of their choice over time. To date, NUS Rondalla has performed at many functions, including State Dinners and the ASEAN University Games.

The group chose to perform 'evergreen' music at Rhythms And Rhapsodies. The group played folk compositions from Latin America, Europe and Asia, including Jambalaya, La Camparsita, Marianne, O Sole Mio, Plaisir D'Amour, Scarborough Fair, and Suki Yaki. With the unique sounds of Rondalla, the audiences were treated to a fresh and creative interpretation of familiar music.

The views and opinions expressed on this web site are those of the authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of The Centre for the Arts. This webpage is last updated on the 17th June 2002. Content by NUS Rondalla.