Lumad Basakanon turns 30, vows for memorable 31st appearance in Sinulog stage

Performers from Barangay Basak San Nicolas wow the crowd during the street dancing of the Sinulog Tribu sa Kabataan 2020 competition held on January 12, 2020. | Gerard Francisco

CEBU CITY, Philippines – They are celebrating their 30th anniversary as a group this year, and they will be making their 31st appearance on the Sinulog grandstand stage on Sunday, January 19.

The Lumad Basakanons of Barangay Basak San Nicolas in Cebu City is hoping to grab the championship trophy in the Free Interpretation (FI) category in the grand parade to make the celebration of their diamond anniversary more meaningful.

They last won the FI crown in 2014.

“Focus gyud mi sa among choreography unya minimal lang ang props. Ang among gamiton kato rang props nga naay relevance sa among concept,” choreographer Norman Navarro told CDN Digital

Their performance on Sunday will revolve on the theme “the old Basak San Nicolas.”

It will feature the farmlands that used to be found in the area.

Farmlands were converted into residential and commercial areas with the opening of the Tagonol Road in the 1970s which provided access to Barangay Inayawan.

“Karon wala na kay makit-an nga basakan. Mga balay na lang,” he said.

(To date, farmlands were already replaced with homes.)

Barangay Basak San Nicolas won the grand prize and special awards in the Sinulog Tribu Kabataan 2020 held on January 12, 2020. |CDND File Photo

The Basakanons will be using the same theme that won them the championship in the Sinulog sa Tribu Kabataan 2020 held on January 12, 2020 in Sunday’s grand parade.

But Navarro said that they made some changes in their presentation to  especially give emphasis on their concept and storyline.

“Naa mi gipang usab sa among performance. Among gi klaro ang among concept, storyline. Among gi enhance ang among costume. Amo pa gipanindot,” Navarro said.

(We introduced some changes in our presentation. We gave clarity to our concept, storyline. We also enhanced our costume. We made sure that our presentation will be much better [than the one that won us the championship trophy in the Sinulog sa Tribu Kabataan 2020])

Navarro, who choreograph’s the group’s dance steps with his brother Dennis, said that the group had used their winnings amounting to P570, 000 to especially enhance their costumes.

The contingent from Barangay Basak San Nicolas consists mostly of high school students.

They have 100 dancers, 140 propsmen and 50 instrumentalists.

“Daghan ang bag-o ni apil kay ang among mga karaan nga dancers naa na may mga trabaho,” he told CDND.

(We have several newcomers since our former dancers are already employed.)

The contingent from Basak San Nicolas celebrate their victory in the Sinulog Tribu sa Kabataan 2020. | CDND File Photo

Navarro said they started their practices in October 2019, but met only from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday since they also had performers who were enrolled in night high schools in Cebu City.

In December, they started to hold Sunday practices to make sure that they had complete attendance.

Navarro said they were determined to make a comeback in the grand parade’s top spot this year and to make their 30th anniversary celebration more memorable.

They only landed on the 6th spot in the Sinulog 2019.  They won their championship crowns in 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2014.

The Lumad Basakanons made their Sinulog debut in 1990 and they were then under the barangayan division of the Sinulog grand parade.  They started to expand their membership to already include non-barangays residents in 2004. / dbs