Makabayan Z
Uwang Ahadas
Uwang Ahadas was born on February 16, 1945. He is a folk musician of the Yakan indigenous group in Lamitan, Basilan. He wears a pair of dark glasses since he went near blind when he was just five years old. The people in his community claimed that it must be divine punishment from the nature spirits at Bohe, Libaken, where he often bathed.
Despite that, he continued to pursue his passion for music and learned to play the Yakan traditional instruments with his siblings. He learned to play the gabbang, the agung and the kwintangan and more.
He wanted to children to learn how to play the Yakan instruments and so, he would go and teach them, including his children. He also goes out of his native town and promote these musical traditions of theirs to other children.
“… despite being near-blindness, he still continues to travel in other towns of Basilan where he always finds warm welcome from students, young and old who eagerly wait for his arrival. Uwang’s teaching style is hands-on which made him build a close and enduring ties with people in the places he visits.” (Pinoy Adventurista, 2015)
Ahadas devoted his life to preserving, promoting and teaching the traditional instruments of his people to others. He had been traveling around Basilan to do so and has met people who indirectly helped spread the word about the Yakan people and their traditions.
