tracing some family roots....

Hi Manong Vic,

 

Siak ni Danny,  that was my dad Herminigildo (Indong) Malalang, who was one of those four musicians.  Thanks for remembering him.  He really loved playing his instruments.  He did the Diana and the funerals until he came to the US in 1975.  He passed away four yrs ago at  age 94.  

 

The Malalangs and Tabions by the munisipyo are my cousins.

 

Please say hi to Madam Ester we use to be boardmates in Bagiuo at Mrs Elay Agne ( my mother in law) when she was taking her Masters at SLU.

 

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Hi Danny,

 

Thank you for the response..!

 

The members of the Malalang family I know are: Manang Bitang  ( the retired school teacher Miss Malalang ), then Juan Malalang who was a constant friend of Herminio Tabion during our Elementary and High School days..They come and leave the school together, and they were a very quiet pair..Our classmates knew they were cousins...

 

I was breaking my head trying to remember the names of the four Asingan musicians..then I finally remember the 4th one who is Valeriano Badua, a cantor who teams up with the other musician Antonio Sison and they are invited by many households in Asingan to sing some religious songs ( I think the hymn is the Litany of the Holy Rosary sang in Latin ) ..Even if the hour is late on the eve of All Saints Day, they would still come to do their prayers in song..They sing in perfect harmony, by the way because they are gifted with fine voices.. They were paid for their time. Of course, there was also the PAMPANTAWAG  group who made rounds during the same night. They sang dirges of the poor souls who died and are still in purgatory...

 

Your dad must have played the  slide trombone. I confess I forgot already his countenance.. 

 

Mr. Badua the clarinet, Mr. Sison the snare drum and Mr. Guillermo was the sax player.  They could play a wide range of music, ala Dixieland style. But they have their own way and for many years, they were music icons in Asingan until age caught up with them.

 

Mr. Guillermo would assist also in the church choir at the St. Louis Bertrand church  for his daughter Flora is a member of the choir then. He would sometimes join the caroling that takes place from the start of the Christmas misa de Gallo up to January 6, the feast of three Kings..It was a tiring but happy activity and whatever funds we raised went to the church needs..

 

The choir then was most active during the administration of Fr. Lazaro de Guzman,  with his assistants Fr. Aurelio Ruiz and Fr. Geronimo Marcelino.---#

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