Nobody’s doing it like ALAMAT.
Related: Filipino Folk Dance Meets Modern Romance In Alamat’s ‘Maharani’ Music Video
By this time, you should know that in terms of incorporating Filipino elements into their music or choreography, the sing-rap-dance group ALAMAT has distinguished itself in the P-Pop scene. Whether it be in their passionate lyrics and melodies, the message of their songs, or in their sleek moves, Taneo, Mo, Tomás, R-ji, Alas, and Jao, together with their equally talented creative team, have been crafting masterworks that are distinctly Pinoy. Indeed, nobody is doing it like ALAMAT. And with their new choreo for their latest romantic ditty, Maharani, ALAMAT impresses us anew as they get inspiration from three different native dances.
THE ALAMAT BRAND
When Maharani’s music video released two weeks ago, we were yet again presented with music from ALAMAT that’s uniquely Pinoy Pop. A part of their debut mini-album Pasulong, Maharani is composed by award-winning songwriter and music producer Thyro Alfaro and is a welcome addition to ALAMAT’s already impressive and rich body of work. From the Southeast Asian instruments used for the song and singkil as its primary concept for the MV to its irresistible groovy and neo-soul beats, Maharani is one gem of a P-Pop creation.
But wait, apparently, there’s more Pinoy influences that have inspired Maharani. As revealed by ALAMAT’s frequent collaborator and director Jason Paul Laxamana, there were three other Filipino native dances that became his and the group’s choreographer coach Jim Amen’s reference for Maharani (that’s now becoming a hit dance challenge on TikTok, FYI). The team chose courtship dances as their primary concept, which include regional dances takik, beneracion, and pangalay.
@alamat.official 3 native Pinoy dances inspired this choreo. : takik, beneracion & pangalay
♬ Maharani – Alamat
Based on the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ (CCP) Encyclopedia of Philippine Art, takik is a love, flirtation, and wedding dance of Western Mountain Province performed during the begnas ritual every planting or harvesting season. Here, a man mimics the movement of a rooster, putting a foot forward, flapping his arms like wings with his torso bent forward while the women simulate those of a hen’s trying to evade the rooster. Meanwhile, pangalay is a traditional dance popular in the Sulu archipelago and has slow and flowing movements usually performed in ceremonial gatherings by the royalty. While beneracion is a romantic folk dance from Capiz performed by a pair with gentle and circular movements.
All these Pinoy cultural influences make for a special and original Maharani choreography that is a wonder to watch and even perform. It’s a different feeling when you not only get to enjoy P-Pop music and dance but also pay homage to our heritage. And that’s the magic of ALAMAT who, in ways more than one, always strives to represent and hero the vibrant cultural tapestry of the Philippines. For that alone, they’re already a one-of-a-kind P-Pop group.
Continue Reading: 8 Moments When Alamat Blessed Our FYPs With Their Talent
