We hope to foster support and solidarity across these groups, as well as others, including writers from indigenous communities at IAIA and RAWI (Radius of Arab American Writers), so that together, we can bring forward the many identities and experiences seeking a voice in literature. In fact, in Kundiman, the singer who expresses undying love for his beloved is actually singing for love of country. Avella described the kundiman in his 1874 work The Spanish writer and historian Wenceslao E. Retana recorded in 1888 the lyrics of a popular kundiman in Batangas. This particular kundiman, however, is not dedicated to a particular maiden but to that one Maiden whom the hero fully dedicated his life – the Philippines. Kundiman believes that out of those difficult stories can come healing, beauty, humor, and transcendence. The melody of "Jocelynang Baliwag" is undeniably older than the title and the lyrics. Kundiman’s programs build community, nurture writers and readers, and ensure Asian American stories reach broad audiences throughout the country: More than 250 writers have attended the Kundiman Retreat now held at Fordham University. We also work to provide advice, support, and training to writers seeking careers in the literary arts, from teaching to publishing to non-profits. Dr. Francisco Santiago (1889-1947) is known as the “Father of the Kundiman Art Song,” while Filipina singer Sylvia La Torre was widely known as the “Queen of Kundiman.”Three possible etymological sources of the word kundiman: 1. Or with a child, spiritual figure, motherland, ideal or cause. According to its text, a kundiman can be romantic, patriotic, religious, mournful.
The kundiman style was used for patriotic songs during the revolution against Spain. It is a slow and sweet love song that’s easily adaptable for more modern and political purposes. Kundiman fellows have published work inThe challenges facing Asian American writers include access to resources, geographical and cultural isolation, lack of visibility, and language barriers. Dr. Francisco Santiago (1889–1947), the "Father of the Kundiman Art Song", briefly explains in his scholarly work The Development of Music in the Philippines that the reason this Tagalog song is called kundiman is because the first stanza of this song begins thus:
Fellows report first-time publication in national literary journals, finalist distinction in literary awards and a greater sense of confidence in their pursuit of literary excellence. Kundiman is a traditional Filipino love song. Kundiman has also grown to encompass an annual Poetry Prize, Fiction fellows, a Creative Nonfiction Intensive, a 6-month long Mentorship Lab, Food Writing workshops, online workshops, craft classes, and Wikipedia Edit-a-Thons, and in-person readings and workshops held in eight regional chapters across the United States.Kundiman’s Retreat was modeled after Cave Canem: A Home for Black Poetry and guided in its early days by Cave Canem’s founders. We see the arts as a tool of empowerment, of education and liberation, of addressing proactively the legacy we will leave for our future.
By fostering the mentorship and community that many emerging Asian American writers lack, Kundiman hopes to shift the literary landscape towards equity and inclusion. The music sheet introduced by Molina describes the melody of "Jocelynang Baliwag" as “musica
The melancholic lyrics in the Tagalog original as recorded in Retana's book In 1916, Dr. Juan V. Pagaspas, a doctor of philosophy from Indiana University and a much beloved educator in Tanauan, Batangas described the kundiman as "a pure Tagalog song which is usually very sentimental, so sentimental that if one should listen to it carefully watching the tenor of words and the way the voice is conducted to express the real meaning of the verses, he cannot but be conquered by a feeling of pity even so far as to shed tears."Dr.
Kundiman is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to nurturing generations of writers and readers of Asian American literature.Kundiman creates a space where Asian Americans can explore, through art, the unique challenges that face the new and ever changing diaspora.
Kundiman is a traditional means of serenade in the Philippines. Its melody is characterized by smooth flowing and gentle rhythm with dramatic intervals. Kundiman is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to nurturing generations of writers and readers of Asian American literature.