Experience Tagum City "The Music Capital of Mindanao"

Tagum City, the capital of the Davao Province, takes pride as one of the country’s top-20 fastest growing urban centers and one of the most viable and most competitive business site. As a first class city, Tagum is the seat of the Davao Province with the largest share and highest growth of investments.

Likewise, the city is a top exporter of banana (cavendish and cardava) including banana chips and other related products. Wood-based, meta and agri-based industries are also vital in the city’s booming economy. Under the administration and leadership of the Honorable Mayor Rey T. Uy and with the support of the City of Tagum Legislative Council presided by the Honorable Vice Mayor Allan L. Rellon, the City of Tagum has trained youth music artists through special program that consist of continuing music workshops focused on skills enhancement on musical instruments playing and culminates in annual music recitals. To date, there are more than 1,700 graduates of the year-long annual music workshops.

Moreover, the City Mayor provided support for the acquisition and enhancement of the musical instruments used by the various Drum, Bugle and Lyre Corps and Marching Bands based in more than thirty one (31) public elementary and secondary schools in the City.

Located in the juncture of the southeastern route of the Daang Maharlika in Mindanao, Tagum City is strategically a significant hub where all passenger buses and jeepneys from Northern Mindanao going to Davao City or from Davao City to any point in Eastern and Northern Mindanao pass by. There are also taxis, bus or vans plying from Davao City to Tagum City in approximately one-and-a-half hour journey.

Musikahan Festival Watch Musikahan Teaser
Musikahan Festival in Tagum City is a distinct cultural event that celebrates the Filipino excellence in Music composition, performance and production, the end goal of which it to provide the youth with more opportunities to excel in the Music Industry. The annual festival engenders a vision of a fairer and brighter future for the youth through the enhancement of skills in arts and in building creative pathways for gainful employment specially for the out-of school youth.

The annual festival engenders a vision of fairer and brighter future for the youth through the enhancement of skills in arts and in building creative pathways for gainful employment especially for the out-of-school youth.

Last year, through the City Ordinance No. 237, series of 2007, Musikahan sa Tagum Festival is celebrated every February 21 to 27.

Objectives:

MUSIKAHAN SA TAGUM is a distinct and the only music-focused festival in Mindanao that envisions to:

  • Celebrate the wealth of talents and the richness of music and arts traditions;
  • Showcase the acclaimed Filipino excellence in the Music traditional, popular, folk or contemporary;
  • Generate support for students and youth artist to enhance their skills in the field of music composition and performances, and;
  • Promote Tagum City as the Music Capital in the Mindanao region.
Participation:

Musikahan The festival shall host more than 2,000 music and performing artists from all over Mindanao who shall participate in the variety of music competitions, evening concerts and special events. The performing artists joining in the nine music competition may either be school based or LGU supported community artists. Moreover nationally-acclaimed concert artists from Bohol and Manila shall also grace the Musikahan special events sa guest artist performers.

Musikahan Pre-Festival Events:

Several exciting pre-festival events are organized to include among others the following: PASIKLABAN (Battle of the Bands) Raprapan eliminations and Musikahan sa Barangay: Magsadya Ta!


Musikahan Festival Components

Raprapan, Musikahan: The Finals of the Mindanao’s Youth-based performing artists and finalists shall compete in the following genres: rap solo-singing, and musical instrument playing to include acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, drums, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, among others. The finalists are classified into junior (below 15 years old) and senior (15 years and above) categories.

Pasikalaban (Battle of the Bands): an annual competition of Mindanao’s best bands featuring different music genres in two categories:

a. Children/Teens (16 years old & below)
b. Folk/Acoustic/Bossa/EMO/SKA/Reggae
c. Alternative/Rock/Poprock (Open Genre, not more than 25 years old)
d. Contemporary Christian Musikal
e. Ethno Muzika (w/the presence of Kulintang, gimba, agong & bamboo flute and other traditional instruments.)

Biyaheng Musikahan (Mindanao Music Video): an original song writing competition and 10-minute music video creation featuring local tourism destinations in every barangay, municipality or city, province of Mindanao Region.

Musikahan sa Barangay – Magsadya Ta! - a barangay-initiated, people-managed, and community-participated celebratory event in the barangay that shall showcase the creativity and talents of local residents, celebrate the spirit of the Musikahan sa Tagum in the local level and encourage recreation for local folks and visitors in the barangay.

Kasikas sa Dalan (Drum and Bugle Corps (DBC) or Drum and Lyre Corps (DLC) Competition): a street performance of synchronize and colorful dance exhibition to the melodic tunes of drums,bugles and lyres from the different participating groups of Mindanao Region.

Avenida Musika (Marching Brass Band Competition): a music avenue cum competition where various marching brass band from all over Mindanao region, either school-based or a composite community based who shall be performing in strategic areas in three (3) contexts: Marching Band in a Street Parade, Symphonic Pieces in specified station and Fancy Drill or Band Showdown at the Freedom Park.

Himig Handog (Choral Competition): a grandiose choral competition in a concert format performed by the different singing groups of Mindanao and category is open to Children (below 13 years old), Youth (14-17 years old) and Adult (18 years old above). Each group shall perform two musical pieces: a choral piece of their own choice and a prescribed contest piece provided by and the Music Division of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Awitan-Limahan: (Quintet Singing Competition): a grandiose presentation of five (5) voices in one musical performance by the different singing ambassadors from Mindanao Region.

Rondalsayaw: Rondalla an exquisite combination of string ensemble and folk dance competition participated by the different music and dance companies in Mindanao Region.

Musikahan Festival Special Events

Pahinungod: The Musikahan starts with an ecumenical service in an Opening Ceremony featuring the Past Musikahan Grand Winners and the Lighting of the Festival Symbol.

Pahalipay: Several Musikahan competing artists shall be performing in various places in the city integrating music namely:

- Music and Wellness
- Music in Terminals
- Music in Malls
- Music in Markets

SPONSOR’S NIGHT: a special night of music concert featuring national artist sets on February 26 at the Tagum Trade and Cultural Center.

MINDANAO MUSIC THEATER: A full length original music theatre composition in a performance-showcase featuring the creativity of Mindanao artists-creators, performers and production teams.

Musikahan Parade: is a street parade spiced up with a visual spectacle through a creative and thematic float parade and competition interpreting the annual festival theme.

Pagpupugay: the Festival Grand Finale Night with a two-hour music concert as a fitting tribute to and in recognition of the Filipino excellence on the field of music.

RTU Music-Makers – a concert performance of one hundred and forty selected graduates of RTU Music Workshops performing a variety of songs from rock-n-roll to pop, latin and jazz, folk, broadway musicales, RNB and other Pinoy Hits Songs. This is an annual tribute-cum-concert-at-the-park to cap every year’s music fest.

GMA Kapuso TV Show - a special musical variety show to be organized by the GMA TV 5 Davao as support to the 2009 Musikahan sa Tagum Festival

New Events:

Mindanao Music Theater Play - a full length and lab play productions showcase performed by the different musical theater groups in Mindanao as product of the 1st Mindanao Theater Workshop initiated by the City of Tagum Tourism Council in partnership with the City Government of Tagum and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts last August to September, 2008.

Music Workshop and Conference - a Mindanao wide training workshop on various music arts such as songwriting & composition, music recording and talent building by FILSCAP under Nonoy Tan and Mon del Rosario, Music teacher workshops and production output training by Joel Ayala under NCCA Committee on Music, Band Groups performance building workshop by Rebel Magdagasang and Popong Landero.