2021 Lakbai Diwa, Diasporic Spirit Cultural Ceremony
May 1, 2021 and May 2, 2021
Yerba Buena Gardens
An immersive event focused on the illuminating and healing element of fire/light with DJ and live music and a living dance prayer performance with spirit boats against a backdrop of video projections.
May 1, 2021
Photos by Erina C. Alejo
May 2, 2021
Photos by Erina C. Alejo
REFLECTIONS
NIKILA BADUA
Live Diwata Painting Muralist
@mamawidsom1
Water Diwata by Nikila Badua & assisted by Zaiah Calvin-Luna. Photo by Hana Sun Lee.
Inspired by stories of the Visayan Water Diwata Lidagat, who was the daughter of Maguayan, who ruled the Waters, and Kaptan, great God of the Sky. Lidagat married Lihangin, the God of Wind. They had three sons, whose names translate to The World, The Day, and The Moon, as well as one daughter, who's name means The Light. When Lidagat's husband passed, Lidagat died of a broken heart and entered Sulad - the Underworld. In this image, atop Lidigat's head sits the Mannungal burial jar, excavated from the neolithic period was used to house the bone ashes of the Dead. The boat handle on top of the jar with the two figures represents the journey of the Soul to the Afterlife... Lakbai Diwa...
The veneration of Lidagat was stopped when the Spanish missionaries propagated Christianity all over Visayas, but her contribution in the creation myths is still undeniable and is very much alive in the memories of Visayans today.
Air/Wind Diwata in progress by Nikila Badua. Photo by Erina C. Alejo.
A depiction of the feminine archetype of Amihan ~ a Bird Deity in #pilipinx creation stories who was the first creature to inhabit the Universe. Amihan also represents the crisp cool Monsoon Winds coming in from the Northwest between October and May.
YERBA BUENA GARDENS FESTIVAL
@ybgfestival
Image courtesy of Yerba Buena Gardens Festival
ICYMI - @Kulartspresents presented their spectacular performance-ceremony of Lakbai Diwa, Diasporic Spirit Cultural Ceremony this last weekend at Yerba Buena Gardens!⠀
The Saturday, May 1 program included beautiful mural painting, parol making demonstrations, DJ and live music and the amazing dance-ceremony complete with gorgeous projections.⠀
Sunday, May 2 featured continued mural paintings and a warm ceremony performance on the Esplanade.⠀
Thank you to everyone for attending and for following our safety protocols. What a heartwarming, community-filled experience to kick-off the month of May 💜⠀
Earth Diwata by Paolo Salazar. Image courtesy of Paolo Salazar.
PAOLO SALAZAR
Live Diwata Painting Muralist
@theslantedeyez
Grateful to be a part of the 2021 Lakbai Diwa @kulartspresents event at Yerba Buena Park.
Teao Sense & Azeem Ward of Audiopharmacy. Photo by Erina C. Alejo.
AUDIOPHARMACY
Live performance by Teao Sense and Azeem Ward of Audiopharmacy
@audiopharmacy
What an amazing weekend of culture, ceremony and community! Thank you so much @kulartspresents for calling in the elements, our ancestors and guides, to be with us, to guide us into the future with courage, gratitude and beauty. Thank you for inviting @audiopharmacy + @love_speak_productions to be a part of Lakbai Diwa: Diasporic Spirit 💜🙏🏽🎶🙌🏽 Truly a special offering 💦🌿🌬🔥 We wish more continued success for such a phenomenal production to the world!
Cultural Ceremony on May 1, 2021. Photo by Erina C. Alejo.
PATRICIA M ONG
Lakbai Diwa Volunteer
@pmbarong
MARAMING SALAMAT 💗👏🏽 so happy to experience this again. Much love to Manai @alleluiasfprojects and all the artists 🌊🥰🔥🙏🏽 🚣🏽♀️
Claudine del Rosario, Cultural Ceremony on May 2, 2021. Photo by Erina C. Alejo.
CLAUDINE DEL ROSARIO
Cultural Ceremony Dance Artist
@wyyyld
Thank you @kulartspresents and @alleluiasfprojects for creating space for me to dance with the shadows as I initiate another journey around the sun. It is an honor and a privilege.
Fire Diwata by Mariela G. Montero. Image courtesy of Mariela G. Montero.
MARIELA G. MONTERO
Live Diwata Painting Muralist
@m4riela
Thank you to @kulartspresents for giving me my first opportunity to do a large scale chalk mural of my version of the Fire Diwata for #lakbaidiwa. I ran out of chalk spray halfway through and had to improvise, and the wind was stronger than I had expected 🤡 lol. Mural on view until the elements and enough footsteps gradually fade it away. Hope she invokes the fire in your hearts 💪🏽🔥 💅🏽