Oktabina

Music plays such a big role in Filipino culture but what about looking at older music and how it was presented? Karaoke culture is very current and prominent in the Philippines and even Filipinos overseas continue this. Haranas were traditionally a romantic gesture in which individuals would serenade someone they love by singing outside their window. Music was not only a big thing when it came to singing but also in dance. Groups like rondalyas would be made up of bandurrias, la-uds, and sistas or guitars with the oktabina to play music for groups dancing Barrio/Rural dances like Tinikling and Spanish/Maria Clara dances like Cariñosa. This is where the oktabina became quite prominent.

The oktabina is an instrument that comes from a heavy Spanish influence during their time in the Philippines. It has a very similar shape to a guitar and is quite commonly mistaken for a guitar, with a figure eight body shape and a round central sound hole, but it has a shorter fretboard and more strings. While it comes from the Spanish influence, Filipinos still see it as part of our culture and use it to this day in rondalyas to perform folk dances and haranas.