Rocket Kapre – Fantastic Filipino Speculative Fiction

Two weeks ago, the Ateneo de Manila University hosted “Songs of Memory”, an international conference on epics and ballads (this is where the Ateneo’s online archive of Philippine epics and ballads was launched). Here’s how the official site describes the mission of the conference:

Songs of Memory seeks to make the Philippine Epics and Ballads Archive of the Ateneo de Manila University accessible to all. Preserving epics helps conserve Intangible Heritage, fosters pride of the self in cultural communities and in the nation, as a whole, and advances UNESCO’s emphasis on the conservation of Intangible Heritage.

I wasn’t able to attend all the talks/lectures, but I did manage to catch a few that may be of interest to Rocket Kapre readers, and anyone interested in the mythic heritage of the people of the Philippines. Over the next two weeks, I’ll be posting the videos I managed to take of the event. Each talk will be a separate post, but for greater convenience, this post will serve as an index to the videos.

Congratulations to the Ateneo and all those involved in “Songs of Memory” for what seems to have been a very succesful conference. Special thanks to Professor Calasanz for inviting me to attend the conference.

Songs of Memory Video Index

• “Introduction to Ifugao Culture Sung Tradition” by Professor Rosario de Santos del Rosario Ph.D.
• “Launch: Ateneo’s Online Philippine Epics and Ballads Archive” (partial) by Professor Nicole Revel PhD
• “Chanted Landscapes: The Interweaving of Tangible and Intangible Heritage” (partial) by Professor Fernando N. Zialcita Ph.D.
• “Epic as a Means to Control the Memory and Emotions of Gods and Humans: Ritual Implications of the Ifugao Hudhud” by Professor Maria Stanyukovich Ph.D