Samaon Sulaiman | @nccaofficial
Samaon Sulaiman ± (Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan) (Born March 3, 1953)
Musician
Maguindanaon
Mamasapano, Maguindanao
In the field of music, the Magindanaon have few peers among Filipino cultural communities. Their masters on the ‘kulintang’ (gong-chime) and ‘kutyapi’ (two-stringed plucked lute) are comparable to any instrumental virtuoso in the East or West. The kutyapi is a favorite solo instrument among both Muslim and non-Muslim Filipinos, and is also played in combination with other instruments. It exists in a great variety of designs, shapes, and sizes and known by such names as ‘kotyapi’ (Subanon), ‘fegereng’ (Tiruray), ‘faglong’ (Blaan), ‘hegelong’ (T’boli), and ‘kuglong’ or ‘kudlong’ (Manobo).
Samaon Sulaiman achieved the highest level of excellence in the art of kutyapi playing. His extensive repertoire of dinalayday, linapu, minuna, binalig, and other forms and styles interpreted with refinement and sensitivity fully demonstrate the creative and expressive possibilities of his instruments. Aside from kutyapi, Samaon was also proficient in kulintang, ‘agong’ (suspended bossed gong with wide rim), ‘gandingan’ (bossed gong with narrow rim), ‘palendang’ (lip-valley flute), and ‘tambul’.
Read more: https://ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/culture-profile/gamaba/national-living-treasures-samaon-sulaiman/