Recording of a Rondalla Group
One of our interesting and challenging recording sessions last month was that of a 13 member rondalla group – the Drugmakers Rondalla Group. It was a logistical and physical challenge to fit 13 persons with their musical instruments in the relatively limited space of our tracking room – even including the Studio B room as an isolation booth. Fact is the complete rondalla is comprised of 24 members!
The Drugmakers Rondalla is comprised of amateur/hobbyist musicians – all of are also employees of the company. We were informed that their company president loves music and in fact the company has a chorale group and a brass marching band, too. What a cool company to work in huh?
I understood the Rondalla as the Philippine equivalent of a formal orchestra. Rondallas as a group played mostly traditonal Filipino songs. Rondalla groups are comprised of string instruments namely the Banduria, Octavina, Guitar, Upright Bass and percussion. I learned that the purpose of the Drugmakers recording is to audition for the Dumaguete International Rondalla Festival – a popular music festival attended even by international groups.
Back to the Rondalla recording sessions in the studio, here are a few notes and photos to share with the public (with permission from the artists). Most of the musicians have not been to a recording session before and they are also used to playing off other musicians for their parts as well as for their timing. Thus, we decided to approach the recording in a live format – get 1 representative of each voice (instrument) to lay down “guide” tracks – then record each voice (instrument) separately. There were a total of seven (7) voices/instruments; Banduria 1, Banduria 2, Octavina 1, Octavina 2, Guitars, Upright Bass and Drums/Percussion. Each voice/instrument was played by two musicians. The rondalla was lead by Professor Ric Calubayan conducting through each musicial piece with gusto and bravado, he was also the one to tune each instrument before each take (it wasn’t an easy job).
The Rondalla recording sessions have been allotted two days only as they need to send their entry in CD format to the organizing committee of the rondalla festival. But all we had at the end of the 2nd day was a “basic mix” – actually a very “rough mix” – we explained to the rondalla that we can mix raw the tracks and get a better and more balanced sound. The Drugramakers Rondalla group agreed to a mixing session – thanks to the support of company president Eliezer del Mundo. At the end of the mixing sessions, the tracks were more balanced, really rough edges have been smoothened out, with the sound at the listener position less “in your face” and more theatre like. We felt that the rondalla recording project is a success by any means!
Now we wish the Drugmakers Rondalla Group all the best and that be selected to showcase their talents at the International Rondalla Festival in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental Philippines.
Related Rondalla information:
- International Festival of the Rondalla 2004 (Inquirer)
- Dumaguete to Host International Rondalla Festival 2006 (Sunstar)
Tags: Rondalla, Plucked string instruments, Octavina, Laud, Banduria
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