Pilipino Culture Night at University of Washington

Photo by Kristin Okinaka.

By Annie Atherton
The Daily of University of Washington

Senior Natida Sribhibhadh performs with SAYAW, a traditional Filipino folk dance group, at Filipino Night 2008 last Sunday. The Filipino American Student Association put on the event, which had performances ranging from dancing to a martial arts demo.

In its annual, two-day event last weekend, members of the UW’s Filipino American Student Association (FASA) hosted “Filipino Night” to celebrate cultural pride.

“We wanted to showcase performers from many different parts of the community — from high school all the way up,” said senior Sharla-Lianne Leonen Semana, FASA’s Academic Chair.

The name “Press Play: Filipino Night 2008” played off the idea of YouTube, with the intent that the acts would be so good you would want to keep “pressing play.” Also, YouTube works to build connections within the community, as FASA hopes to do.

Twenty performances, ranging from dances, skits, stand-up comedy, musicals, martial arts, spoken word, bands and singers, kept crowds entertained throughout the event. Rather than featuring one headliner, the many acts were divided and varied to keep up interest. In between, videos that fit into the theme served as transitions.

“This is the first year it’s been a variety show,” said Carmelita Mejino, senior and FASA’s Cultural Chair. “In past years, the Cultural Chair wrote a play and that would be the whole show.”

FASA did write a shorter play this year — a 10-minute production called “Filipino Night Musical” that satirized the popular movie High School Musical.

Mejino has known of UW’s Filipino Night since she was young.

“I watched Filipino night when I was thirteen,” Mejino said. “My mom brought me then, and here I am now directing it.”

Though UW students comprised much of the audience and made up a good portion of the performers, a number of acts came from groups in the broader Filipino community. For instance, Project F.A.M.I.L.Y. featured spoken word acts from high school students involved in FASA’s mentorship program. Another group, the FILHARMONY choir, brought in adults from the Seattle area.

One especially popular act was a ukulele show by Lorenzo Tautua, a half Filipino, half Samoan musician who writes his own songs.

“Anyone who hears Lorenzo — girls and guys alike — fall in love with him,” Mejino said.

Those who attended Filipino Night felt it was highly attended and successful. Mejino estimated about 600 total people came to watch.

“It was a big event and people had a good time,” FASA member Mark Butin said.

Though the intent of Filipino Night was not to fundraise, tickets were $3 for students and seniors and $5 for the general public, primarily to cover the cost of production.

FASA has about 120 members, with about 70 involved in organizing the event. They began planning for this year’s Filipino Night in October and are excited to begin planning again for next year.