The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-04-04
TWAS BEDLAM LIT LOOSE
NIGHTLY NOISES OF FILIPINO
VILLAGE
Natural and Artificial Sounds Which
Danish Sleep by Assailing the Ears
of the Sleeper.

There is not. another noisier place in
the world, says a recent visitor to the
island, that Filipino village. The ma
tives sit up all night to chatter, and
now and then to blow a horn, rattle
dishes and make a general hub-bub.
From sunset to near midnight the ST.
lence might almost merit the name.
But then it begins, and it bedins the
rest of the night. Malays cannot do
anything without noise To hear two
or more of them together and to see
their frantic gesticulations, one might
imagine them in a fierce quarrel, which
might at any time lead to blows; but
no, it is merely amicable bawling, the
way of the people. We call it chatter
but where there are any number of
people together it is a howl, roar and
hustle. like Bedlam let loose. There is
no occasion for the uproar, and the
whole thing is needless. Every con-
versaton is like a discussion, and the
tones which engage in it are shrill and
discordant. A Filipino talks more rap
idly than an Italian or a Frenchman,
and his loud talk is accompanied by
violent gestures. Invariably the re-
marks are prefaced with 20, Ubaduhr."
90 Hamacan," 80, YesideXis," what
ever the name of the person addressed
may be- Here is Swibba SereXis Sc
banniki at Hau Fartinelli Banache-
each repeats the others name in full
with every sentence. So with the smo-
kers each howls out his fellows name
as he conVerses, and every name is
formidable.
These natural sounds are supplement
ted by some of the most hideous that
artifice ever suggested. The artificial
sounds are soon familiar to the ear,
such as that of the little native drums,
called tom-toms, which are beaten ev-
erywhere on all occasions, night and
day. Then there are the pipes, Shep-
herds pipes, bagpipes, if you will agree
to call them so. Two reeds, about two
feet long and perforated much like a
flute, are held to the mouth and blown
through alternately, making noise
loud, wild and lugubrious Make any
inquiry and you are solemnly assured
that the natives are only practicing. AT
night, however, it is ill luck" to in
dulge in the use of the pipe or tom tom
and instead, to keep the night spirits
away" the average citizen blows oc-
casionally on his sacred shell, which
he calls a sunk, and which makes a
noise that sinks all others for the mo-
ment.
But the drum, shell horn and pipe
are not in popular estimation instru-
ments of music. If the visitor cares to
inquire about these, he is apt to be
waited on by band. There are gen
orally nine men in it and they wear a
peculiar head Dress consisting of folds
of calico over the head and around the
throat. They come to give a sere-
nade,' and sitting close together on
the ground they sing first in unison, in
wild and plaintive key which might
be called sad and sweet. You get tir-
ed of this after little, and perhaps
fall to wondering why there stands a
beer keg behind each singer. But
presently the man at the left snaps his
fingers and all together the singers put
their hands behind them and thump up
on the goatskin heads of the kegs.
which are nothing more nor less than
drums For a few minutes there is a
horrible din, and then there appears a
tenth man in the background with an
enormous brazen trumpet nearly as
long as himself. The drumming stops
and he blows two most terrific blasts,
just two, but eXcruciating to American
ears. These sounds are prolonged and
cause the trumpter considerable effort.
AS he finishes the second blast he
stands erect and stiff, the trumpet at
his side. Then appears two banJoiSts
with four stringed banjoes, the lower
part made of a gourd and the strings
| passed through glass beads. They are
! played on quite melodiously for per-
| haps two minutes. Then trumpter and
| banjoSists retreat and the singers re-
sumo The same order is gone through
with again and again, a serenade last
| ing at least three hours. Such a con-
| cert occurs nearly every evening In
| almost all of the villages and the hour
| when it commences is IL.