Luntang
Encyclopedia
Also called kwintangan kayo (Yakan
)
The luntang is a type of Philippine xylophone
of the Maguindanao
n people, strung vertically, with five horizontal logs hung in ascending order arranged by pitch. The Maguindanao
n refer to this instrument as a luntang while the Yakan call it a kwintangan kayo. The cylindrical logs are beaten at the edge to create sounds and can be played either solo or with two people on either side. Among the Maguindanao
n, the luntang is used only for self-entertainment purposes, to keep farmers awake while at the same time keeping the birds away from the fields. Commonly used for long distance communication some times ago by the Maguindanao
n,
the Yakan have taken its use a step further: using it for social interactions between sexes as well.
Yakan
The Yakan people are among the major indigenous tribes in Mindanao. Having a significant number of followers of Islam, it is considered as one of the 13 Moro groups in the Philippines. There are also a good number of Christians in this tribe as a result of the conversion of the line of Datu Kalun -...
)
The luntang is a type of Philippine xylophone
Xylophone
The xylophone is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets...
of the Maguindanao
Maguindanao
Maguindanao is a province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Its capital is Shariff Aguak. It borders Lanao del Sur to the north, Cotabato to the east, and Sultan Kudarat to the south....
n people, strung vertically, with five horizontal logs hung in ascending order arranged by pitch. The Maguindanao
Maguindanao
Maguindanao is a province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Its capital is Shariff Aguak. It borders Lanao del Sur to the north, Cotabato to the east, and Sultan Kudarat to the south....
n refer to this instrument as a luntang while the Yakan call it a kwintangan kayo. The cylindrical logs are beaten at the edge to create sounds and can be played either solo or with two people on either side. Among the Maguindanao
Maguindanao
Maguindanao is a province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Its capital is Shariff Aguak. It borders Lanao del Sur to the north, Cotabato to the east, and Sultan Kudarat to the south....
n, the luntang is used only for self-entertainment purposes, to keep farmers awake while at the same time keeping the birds away from the fields. Commonly used for long distance communication some times ago by the Maguindanao
Maguindanao
Maguindanao is a province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Its capital is Shariff Aguak. It borders Lanao del Sur to the north, Cotabato to the east, and Sultan Kudarat to the south....
n,
the Yakan have taken its use a step further: using it for social interactions between sexes as well.
Pictures of Luntangs and its Other Derivatives
- Photograph of a Luntang - A Luntang - by Terry L. Baldridge.