#MusicMonday: Gingee feat. HATAW "Gong Spirits" Video
I've been meaning to post this video for the past few weeks now, but being back in the motherland (and actually working with these people instead of just fangirling over them, tbh) took over my life for a lil bit. This song and collaboration are SUPER special to me for a few reasons - let me tell you a little story about some crazy synchronicities that allowed Gingee, Jodinand (the founder and artistic director of HATAW), and myself to be in Manila at the same time and work on a photo shoot together last month. This song is totally the link in so many ways!! I'd first heard Gingee's "Gong Spirits" (off her 2015 Tambol EP) early last year through a video HATAW had posted to Instagram of a routine they'd choreographed to it, and I reached out to her about if I could use the song in my fashion show last June, featuring my collaboration with Panay Bukidnon embroiderers. She was super cool and we actually ended up meeting up shortly after the show while she was here in NY for a bunch of gigs through our mutual friend Jana Lynne (who writes for this site). I told Gingee about how I found the song and she connected with Jodi of HATAW, and they ended up making this video together. She hit me up a few months ago as I was planning my Philz trip and said she was going to be out there at the same time playing the Malasimbo Festival and since Jodi was in Manila doing a residency at Pineapple Lab, we should link up and create something - which we ended up doing and it was intense and magical and amazing and I'm still super high from it and can't wait to share the fruits of our labors with y'all!!! Soon.
About the video from HATAW's FB page: "Last summer we debuted our number for "Gong Spirits" by Gingee as part of our NEUE DEITY showcase headlining the 11th Annual Kultura Filipino Arts Festival. Here's a short video (clips shot independently of each other in LA & Toronto then laced together in Manila) highlighting the magic of GINGEE & the spirit of her music. Our choreography was inspired by the teachings of Eric Solano of Parangal Dance Company & Guro JB Ramos of Combat Science - Warrior Arts of Asia. SALAMAT to the universe for uniting us all through the spirit of the gong." It was shot by Nicanor Evans and Ivivi Media and edited by Jean Chloe Yambao.
Sidenote: (Another crazy synchronicity: the choreography for the piece HATAW used this song for was inspired by the teachings of Eric Solano of Parangal, who I went on an immersion trip with at the beginning of 2016 and where I made the connections with the Panay Bukidnon embroiderers I worked with for the fashion show that I used Gingee's song for *hella crystal ball and ghost emojis*) Anyway! Peep the video below!
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