Sining Samahan: The Art of Coming Together

Sining Samahan is a full-length Philippine music and dance concert presented by Samahan Filipino American Performing Arts and Education Center of San Diego, California. Rooted in lived experience, community practice, and direct cultural transmission from the Philippines, the program celebrates the depth and diversity of Philippine artistic traditions as they exist both in the homeland and the diaspora.

The Philippines is not a single culture, but a constellation of Indigenous, Indomalayan, and colonial histories shaped by geography, trade, and survival. Sining Samahan brings these worlds into conversation on one stage—honoring how distinct traditions coexist, influence one another, and continue to live through community practice.

The program journeys through:

1: Indigenous Philippines

• The Cordillera Mountains, featuring grounded rhythms and movement shaped by highland life and rituals of the Kalinga tribe

• The Maranao Epic, highlighting the refined musicality and geometric brilliance of Maranao court from the island of Mindanao

 2: Colonial Philippines

• The Ilustrado Era, expressing the elegance and social refinement of the Spanish colonial period

• The Barrio Countryside, reflecting everyday life of the lowland provincial communities, labor, and celebrations

More than a showcase, Sining Samahan is an act of gathering—of stories, histories, and people. It affirms that Philippine culture is not static or singular, but carried forward through community, memory, and shared space. This concert invites audiences to witness the artistry that emerges when many voices move together.