Events:

Iloilo Prepares for Weekend’s Event

by Pepin

In the next three days, the streets of Iloilo city will be jam-packed with people from all walks of life. Cheers and yells of locals and foreign guests will blend on air as different tribes will be showcasing their creative performances for the annual Dinagyang Festival.

On Saturday (January 23, 2010), the Kasadyahan Festival will be the highlight of the celebration. It will feature interpretative dances of groups from different municipalities of Iloilo Province.

“A dance drama of cultural undertakings of the Ilonggos,” this is the way I want to describe this competition because I personally believe that the message of every presentation is about how the natives of this province built a strong tradition, and the roles of the present and future generations in preserving or enhancing what the forefathers had crafted. This message is conveyed through an emotional execution of dance steps and the delighting mix of rhythms of drums and other native musical instruments.

The main course is the Dinagyang Ati-ati competition that will be held on Sunday (January 24, 2010). Every ati-ati tribe will be presenting again a staggering and remarkable dance performance to their own unique mix of drumbeats.

There is indeed a great deal of transformation on the performance of each tribe. Way back in the late 90’s, the dances are not yet passionate enough to excite one’s hormones. But now, every move is refined, every hand raise has a meaning, and every stare and smile radiates with enthusiasm. The music is not merely repeated cycles of drumbeats, but other percussion and wind instruments are now part of the picture, thus making every dance demonstration a brilliant experience. All of these contribute to augment the quality of the competition and authenticate the Dinagyang Festival in the hall of fame. Indeed, it is something to be proud of.

Aside from the two main events, other activities to watch out for in the coming days are the Tambur Trumpa Martsa Musika, Luces in the sky (Fireworks competition), Food Festivals, Modern Dance Contest, Miss Dinagyang Beauty Pageant, and most especially the special mass at St. Joseph Parish Church in honour of the sole reason of these all, Sr. Sto. Niño.