Filipino Brass Band Sa Korte Ng Hari Ng Cambodia (ca. 1880's)



Kagabi habang nagbabasa ng ilang artikulo at tala ng mga siyentipiko at politikong Europeo na bumisita sa Asya noong ika XIX Siglo, nasumpungan ko ang isang talata sa libro ng isang kawani ng French "Ministère de l'Instruction publique" (Katumbas ngayon ng Ministry of Education) na si Mon. Edmund Cotteau. Ang libro ay patungkol sa kanyang biyahe sa Indochina taong 1881-1882.

Binanggit ni Cotteau ang selebrasyon nangyari sa kaniyang sinasakyang barko patungo ng Angkor. (Ang biyahe ay sponsor mismo ng hari ng Cambodia). At sa pagdaong nito kasabay ang mga fireworks o pailaw, narinig naman ang pagbati at pagsigaw "Vive le roi!" ng mga marinong Franses at "Vive la Republique!" naman ang tugon ng mga sundalo at mamayang Cambodian. Sinabayan naman ito ng pagtutog ng isang brass band ng mga Pilipinong nagsisilbi sa hari. Musika at selebrasyong tila dumaig sa indak at titik ng "La Marseillaise".

Sa ilalim ng talata, may insinulat na anotasyon ang may akda tungkol sa terminong "tagale". Mula ito sa salitang "Tagals" - ang terminong Pranses para sa mga Tagalog. Na inakala noon ng maraming dayuhan, kasama na ang may akda, ay ang terminong kumakatawan sa lahat ng mga natibong mamayan ng Pilipinas. Binanggit din sa anotasyon na katulad ng mga "brass band musicians" ng hari ng Cambodia, ang "gardes royale du palais" o ang sarili mismong guwardya ng hari, ay mga Pilipino.

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