About Me
"It is very important for the Filipino-American community to be constantly reminded of their culture and where they came from and one way I can accomplish this is to let them hear the beauty of their own music by listening to the Rondalla." -- Tagumpay de Leon
Rondalla Club of Los Angeles (RCLA) was formed in 1991 in Los Angeles through the efforts of the late Nitoy Gonzales, former Rondalla maestro of the famed Bayanihan Dance Troupe from the Philippines, Leonilo "Boy" Angos, also a former member of Bayanihan, son of Nitoy Gonzales, and Tagumpay "Pi" M. de Leon, son of the late Philippine composer and national artist, Felipe Padilla de Leon.
Rondalla, the traditional string ensemble of the Philippines, often provides the music for Philippine folk dances and is prominent in community celebrations like fiestas, weddings, and other civic and social events serving the Filipino community.
With the proliferation of so many cultural groups (especially in folk dancing) during that time, Nitoy Gonzales, an avid advocate of the rondalla as an integral part of the Philippine cultural scene, conceived an organization whose members can be any individual who is either proficient in playing any rondalla instrument or has the aspiration of becoming a rondalla player. Such a pool of musicians can then be made available to other groups or events that need the services of a rondalla.
Since its inception, RCLA has remained active in various Filipino social and civic functions and is recognized as one of the leading rondallas in southern California. It has been a familiar fixture in Pilipino Cultural Nights (PCN) held in different universities, colleges and high schools. Together, RCLA's members have decades of world-class rondalla playing experience between them, having toured, performed and educated extensively.
RCLA has also provided musical accompaniment for many folk arts concerts including, among numerous others, Kayamanan ng Lahis Decade of Discovery concert where "[RCLA] drenched the air with intricate and intoxicating melodies." -- LA Times, April 2000
Tagumpay de Leon (Master) and Patrick Tanega (Apprentice) were Award Recipients for the Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA) Apprenticeship Program Round 3 (2001-2002).
Tagumpay de Leon is the instructor for the only college-level rondalla courses in the country, beginning at the University of California, Riverside and now also UCLA.
RCLA produced a CD entitled "Alay" through a grant from the California Arts Council (CAC) in 2002. As annotated by Joel Jacinto, director of Kayamanan ng Lahi, "Alay: A Musical Tribute", a "thoughtful collection of popular and well-known musical pieces weaves together the talents of both seasoned artists and a class of younger musical prodigies and the result of this intergenerational, intercultural experience is a musical gift not to be missed."
