Tagumpay de Leon

Greater Los Angeles Asian/Asian-American/Pacific Islander Music

Rondalla music, the traditional string ensemble of the Philippines, often provides the music for Philippine folk dances and is prominent in community celebrations like fiestas, weddings, and other civic and social events serving the Filipino-American community.  Coming from a prominent musical family in the Philippines, where he and his brothers and sisters formed the De Leon Rondalla, Tagumpay de Leon is now deeply involved in the Filipino-American community of Los Angeles where he plays rondalla music with the Fil-Am Family Cultural Group.

Says Tagumpay, “Having been involved with the Philippine cultural scene since my childhood days in the Philippines, I have been deeply attached to the beautiful sounds of rondalla music.  It is very important for the Filipino-American community to be constantly reminded of their culture and where they came from and one way I can accomplish this is to let them hear the beauty of their own music by listening to the rondalla.”

In 2002, Tagumpay was a master artist in ACTA’s Apprenticeship Program with apprentice Patrick Tanega, who has been playing in the same group with the Tagumpay since 1990.  The apprenticeship focused on increasing Patrick’s repertoire across all instruments of the ensemble.