Tribu takes on timeless tunes

CULTURAL GROUP Tribu will be transporting audiences to the romantic canals of Venice and serenading them with classical opera arias, Broadway melodies, and Disney tunes.

The showcase on Oct. 26 will take place at Teatrino, The Promenade in the Greenhills Shopping Center, San Juan City.

Presented by Ephesus Teatron Group, the concert will see group members Sweet Samaniego-Buchanan, Margarita Roco, Terence Guillermo, Nazer Salcedo, and Onyl Torres put on a family friendly extravaganza.

“We want the show to provide entertainment and musical education that will resonate with audience members of all ages,” said Ms. Samaniego-Buchanan, who is also the musical director, at a press conference on Oct. 1.

Performing alongside the five classically trained singers will be special guest Nicole Laurel-Asensio, known for her modern takes on classic music genres. The show is arranged by Pipo Cifra.

Tribu traces its roots to the Aliw Award-winning cultural group Tribung Pinoy from the 1980s, led by the late Danny Dolor, an ardent advocate of Filipino culture. Ms. Samaniego-Buchanan, a University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music-trained coloratura soprano, had the opportunity to sing with this iteration of the group, with her mentor Gloria Dizon Coronel.

In 2011, Mr. Dolor received an invitation from the Cultural Center of the Philippines to mount a concert titled Harana sa Dapit Hapon. Because reuniting the pioneers of Tribung Pinoy proved to be a challenge, Ms. Samaniego-Buchanan instead continued its legacy by forming the five-piece vocal ensemble that Tribu is today.

The repertoire for the upcoming concert will consist of “specially arranged immortal Filipino songs ranging from timeless kundiman, beloved folk songs, captivating zarzuelas, and stirring patriotic anthems, to well-loved Original Pilipino Music,” she said.

Speaking with BusinessWorld, she added: “The repertoire is what it is because of the varied range of talents and interests the five of us have. What happens is we naturally list songs we want to sing while together.”

Compared to their concert last year, titled Klasical at the now-closed Onstage theater at Greenbelt, Makati, the upcoming edition will have more medleys of Disney tunes (think “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo” from Cinderella) and popular musicals like Les Miserables. Their repertoire of opera arias and kundimans will make up a huge part of the show.

“For an arranger like me, it’s a joy to work with such experienced and professional singers such as the five of them. It makes my job much, much easier, knowing the wide range that they can pull off individually and as a group,” Mr. Cifra told BusinessWorld.

During the pandemic, Tribu held several online shows — still available on YouTube — ensuring that they continued to hone their craft.

In 2023, the group released its first album, Klasical Tribu: A Collection of Immortal Filipino Folk Songs. Their activities over the years earned them the accolades Best Cultural Group at the 2023 Aliw Awards and Outstanding Vocal Ensemble at the 2023 Live Entertainment, Arts, and Festival (LEAF) Awards.

Aside from performing with Tribu, the five members are music educators in various Philippine schools and universities. When asked what their goal is for the future, they all responded with a resounding dedication to “help grow music education in the Philippines.”

“That’s why we make our shows fun, engaging, and very informative, with the narrator role giving insight to everything we perform,” said Ms. Samaniego-Buchanan. “Filipinos love music, and Tribu aims to give everyone the opportunity to learn about different kinds of it.” — Brontë H. Lacsamana