Context:

My informant is a 18-year-old girl from Seattle, Washington. She is half Filipino and grew up learning about Filipino culture.

Text:

“One of my old, like, great grandpas from the Philippines told me a story about this guy who I’m pretty sure is like reincarnated into a drum, like a traditional drum. And he goes around and he’s like being used by the people and it’s bringing back all the memories of like, how important music is for like, the community and cultural celebrations. And it’s talking about just like how traditions are passed down through generations through music. He later wrote a short story, called Dip Dippo about it. But it was really cool.”

“Do you know where he learned it?,” I asked.

“I think that he was drawing on old Filipino folklore, but he told it to me as a children’s story in his own way.”

Analysis:

I noticed that as my informant was telling the story of this folktale, although she did remember the specifics of this tale, what she took away seems to be the core values of Filipino culture. This tale revolves around music, community, and culture. The tale builds off of the belief of reincarnation but adds in Filipino values. I think the story describes that, even after their loved ones have passed on, they can still connect with their spirit through music, building off of their community and culture.