Folklorico Filipino Canada hosts Maguindanaoan Living Traditions Community Day with visiting master artist in Toronto
Folklorico Filipino Canada brought Maguindanaoan master artist Sir Faisal Monal to Toronto for a community day of performances, workshops and discussion on Mindanao heritage, Frequency reported on 17 October.
Filipino Canadians gathered in Toronto on Sunday, 11 October, to learn about Maguindanaoan music, dance and cultural traditions at the Maguindanaoan Living Traditions Community Day, Frequency reported on 17 October. The event, organised by Folklorico Filipino Canada (FFC), took place at 765 Queen St. E. in Toronto.
The day featured Sir Faisal Monal, a Maguindanaoan master artist, cultural bearer and educator who travelled from the Philippines to share his knowledge with Filipino communities in North America. Frequency said the opportunity came through Parangal Dance Company in San Francisco, and that Monal had taken part in performances and cultural activities in San Francisco and New Orleans before arriving in Toronto.
"It's been our goal to learn directly from culture bearers," FFC executive director Chelsea Carpio said. The programme included musical performances, three dances from FFC's Maranao repertoire, a Filipino martial arts demonstration by Jo Maramba, a public dance workshop led by Monal and a guided community discussion that included Jonathan Macala of the Muslim Filipino Association of Canada.
The event was organised alongside community partners Kapisanan Philippine Centre for Arts and Culture and the Muslim Filipino Association of Canada. Frequency reported that FFC is also preparing to send members to Mindanao for cultural immersion. "This is now the second time we're sending someone or a group to the Philippines, and we're definitely going to continue to do so," Carpio said.
According to its website, Folklorico Filipino Canada is a not-for-profit organisation based in the Greater Toronto Area that was established in 1974 by a group of new immigrants, and its dance suites include Mindanao.
Key facts
- Folklorico Filipino Canada held the Maguindanaoan Living Traditions Community Day at 765 Queen St. E. in Toronto on Sunday, 11 October.
- The event featured Maguindanaoan master artist Sir Faisal Monal, who travelled from the Philippines.
- Community partners were Kapisanan Philippine Centre for Arts and Culture and the Muslim Filipino Association of Canada.
- FFC is preparing to send members to Mindanao for cultural immersion.
Official sources
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