Transnational Chinese Music in the Philippines: Chinese Traditional Music in Binondo Manila

Abstract

Transnational music refers to cross-border relationships and migration of music beyond state boundaries. The transmission of Chinese music in a transnational context has been of recent interest in the field of music research. However, there has been very little research studies done on Chinese music in the Philippines despite the long history of economic and cultural exchanges between the two nations. Binondo is an economic area in Manila, Philippines that is inhabited mostly by Chinese people. It provides a most auspicious locale in the study of musical transnationalism because of the long history of Chinese presence and is considered as the oldest China town in the world. This paper analyses the sources and types of the music and presents the basic appearance and inheritance authenticity of traditional music in the Binondo. With the transmission of Chinese traditional music overseas, its study and investigation is of great significance to the study of the evolution and development of Chinese music in Manila. At the same time, as an important part of Manila's Chinese community music, the study of Chinese traditional music is helpful for people's understanding of Chinese music culture in Binondo.