MANILA, Philippines — Filipino culture forms the deep foundations of DreamWorks Animation's "Forgotten Island," right down to its musical score by Nathan Matthew David.
The film inspired by Philippine folklore follows two best friends stranded on the titular island Nakali which is inhabited by creatures from Filipino mythology.
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Co-directors Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, the latter a Filipino-American like David, went the extra mile to ensure that the animation and story were colorful reflections of Filipino culture.
David did his part as well in curating the movie's score, making use of his knowledge of Indigenous music and the further research he conducted to guarantee not just accuracy but the dignity of the music he was putting onto the screen.
Philstar.com exclusively spoke with the composer to discuss the music of "Forgotten Island" and how its Filipino identity bleeds into what is heard, not just what's seen.
The composer began by acknowledging how broad the topic is given the rich history of Filipino music and that any body of work would nearly be impossible to categorize its entirety as Filipino.
He pointed instead to what ultimately ends up in the film as a reflection of his own experience where a decade ago David began being curious about his connection to the Philippines and, being diasporic, did not feel either Filipino or American enough to fit either culture.
Wanting to connect more his Filipino background, David began learning to play the Kulintang music — famously played in a number of Mindanao tribes — and connecting with teachers in North America, eventually leading him to connect with Indigenous teachers in the Philippines.
"When that happened maybe five, six years ago, having come from a Western background in music and the privilege to study in universities and all these things, I realized how much I had been missing from my own like musical experience. And I think what I gleaned from that in my own personal experience was very subtle," David shared.
The composer was hesitant to declare discovering more about himself through Indigenous Filipino music, rather he was forever changed by learning about it, meeting with Indigenous masters, spending time with them in their villages, and understanding their perspectives on life.
"I think all of that really affected me personally. That happened sort of at the start of writing this music," David continued. "I guess, from more of a straight musical perspective, I really wanted to make sure that the intention of their music was in place."
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Expert involvement
David used as an example how music for a chase sequence was formed using Kulintang music from Maguindanao.
He sought the assistance of Abdulfarid "Farid" Guinomla, a master artist and culture bearer from Datu Piang, Maguindanao del Sur and asked him what kind of rhythm to use.
Farid told the composer about the Duyug which is "to chase" to be played on the Gandingan or talking gongs. David shared how a person can communicate specific words using the gongs.
"There might be someone in a tree with a Gandingan and [they] do a certain rhythm [that] it means that danger is coming," he explained. "Or a Kulintang ensemble could be at playing at a wedding, and you can say a certain phrase on the Gandingan."
David worked with Farid to translate terms like "the Manananggal is coming" or "She wants her wings" to be used on the Gandingan.
Such were the careful efforts the composer went through to ensure the use of specific instruments and their intention were correct, even speaking to tribe members to make sure all was correct.
Philstar.com asked David if he had any difficulty translating traditional rhythms and sounds for the visual medium, something that tribes never considered when they first made such music.
"I made it known from the beginning in working with my collaborators, that this was a story we were creating. I made sure to say like, 'If there are specific melodies that are sacred, let's not use that. I want to work with you in a modern sense,'" the composer replied.
Consultations with tribe members, makung sure they understood the context of their work, and how to apply it all was an important aspect.
David cited another collaborator Datu Waway Saway of the Talaandig in Bukidnon, one of the main chanters of the film's music and how he used a chant by his ancestors.
Related: Maguindanao chants, 'Jaws' inspired Lea Salonga's 'Forgotten Island' music score
At the same time, Waway is on the forefront of combininig his community's traditions with modern sensibilities, earning David's praise as a collaborative partner.
The composer would describe the scenery or story and Waway would create incredible chants to be used in the "Forgotten Island" score.
"That's always been my approach. It was so important for me to go there and spend time with them," David said. "It wasn't a matter of asking permission, because I think if you you ask permission, there's a pressure for them to give it. I wanted to see if that would come naturally, and I'm very grateful that that did happen."
Tradition lives on
David is in agreement that there is still a place for traditional styles in the modern era of film scores that isn't appropriation, examples being Hans Zimmer in the "Dune" movies or David's own mentor Ludwig Göransson for a string of projects.
He also stressed the importance of connecting lineages, naming names, and having a direct connection to the music being used.
"When I first started 10 years ago, I was on the other side of that and I knew Kulintang music [but] just played with the sounds of it — I didn't know the traditional rhythms, I didn't know the correct order of the gongs," the composer admitted.
It was only through learning and connecting with Indigenous teachers that David understand the history of the music he was playing.
"I think that is an important aspect of that, having care and connection, giving honor to those that came before and knowing where it comes from," David ended.
"Forgotten Island" features the voices of Liza Soberano, H.E.R., Dave Franco, Jenny Slate, Manny Jacinto, Kevin McCann, Ronny Chieng, Jo Koy, Dolly de Leon, and Lea Salonga.
The movie earned P97.2 million on its opening weekend in the Philippines, the biggest haul for Universal in the country this year as well as the highest-grossing opening for a non-franchise animated film.
RELATED: ‘Forgotten Island’ tops Philippine box office with P97.2 million opening