The Ibanags of Cagayan and Isabela provinces in the Cagayan Valley may be one of the few, if not the only, ethnic group in the Philippines who have the custom of chanting what some consider the “longest Christmas carol” in the country, or perhaps the entire world.
The Salomon Gozosos, or simply “Salomon,”, is a chanting form performed by the Ibanag, and through Spanish influence, the Itawit people, which revolves around the Joyful Mysteries of the Roman Catholic faith. It depicts the story leading to the birth of Jesus Christ and his childhood, as narrated in the Bible.
The tradition is practiced during the Catholic liturgical season of Advent. In its entire chanted form, the narration of the story usually takes around six hours, similar to its Lenten counterpart, the pasyon.
A not-so-simple performance
The custom of the Salomon is a communal and social activity where attendees may either listen or join with seasoned performers, or minassalomon, who chant the Ibanag lyrics, which are typically written in booklets. These booklets are now mostly antique heirlooms, which are considered priceless possessions of the families hosting the Salomon.
A page from an old salomon booklet shows signs of damage. (Photo courtesy of Harold de la Cruz)
The chant is an art in itself, and mastering it cannot be done overnight. Salomon performers usually form a group of four consisting of the lead chanter, or primera, and two more singers who harmonize with the leader—the segunda and tercenilla—and the musician, who provides the accompaniment through a guitar or a singko-singko, a lute-like instrument indigenized from the Spanish guitar.
Juan Datul of Amulung, Cagayan tests a newly crafted singko-singko lute. Datul is one of the few remaining craftsmen who are knowledgeable about constructing this rare instrument. (Photo courtesy of Harold de la Cruz)
To make it more complex, chanting the Salomon employs four singing styles thatdiffer in tempo and tune: the menor, abanilla, sagulaylay, and llano. It falls on the lead chanter which style he or she uses for a particular mystery of the Salomon; the mixing of styles is also common.
The Salomon as a mark of spirituality
The Salomon is a Christian influence originating from the Spanish colonial period, though chanting in general is an indigenous practice of the people of Cagayan. The adoption of Catholic traditions by the Ibanag people resulted in the performance of significantly lengthy chanting forms as acts of spiritual devotion. The Salomon itself, being lengthy as it is, is said to have been derived from an extremely long version of the Pasion Ibanag, which starts from the Book of Genesis and ends with the Gospels.
As for the Ibanag and Itawit communities, who are mostly Roman Catholics, the Salomon also provides an opportunity for people to reflect on the Joyful Mysteries and the spiritual meaning of Christmas.
The future of the Salomon
The Salomon, as a unique cultural aspect of the indigenous people of Cagayan, is often noted as being threatened by extinction as chanters, most of whom are middle-aged or seniors, fail to pass the tradition on to the members of the succeeding generations.
In this age of social media, documentation of the Salomon is not new, and video materials depicting the chant can be viewed on platforms such as Facebook and YouTube. However, one may notice that most performers lack representation from the youth.
Nonetheless, there are a few young people, in Tuguegarao and elsewhere who are beginning to embrace the custom and keep it thriving for future generations. Moreover, young researchers have begun to encode the old, fragile, and fading booklets into digital copies so the texts can be stored safely and reproduced in the future.
Students from Tuguegarao City chant the Salomon with the accompaniment of a guitar. (Photo courtesy of Harold de la Cruz)
After all, the Salomon can be considered a significant solidifier of the ethnic identity of its culture bearers, as its presence can evoke pride and confidence for the people of Cagayan Valley. The few young people who have learned to perform it bring hope—the same hope that the season of Advent and Christmas place in Jesus of Nazareth as the savior of the world. (OTB/JKC/PIA Region 2)
