Ivatan Laji

Indigenous Oral Poetry from Batanes

A living poetic tradition of the Ivatan people.

LISTEN

Sinavung ka paru ninuy / Manganak ka paru ninuy

Paciencia Guitierrez de Guzman

LAJI SINGER

Paciencia Gutierrez de Guzman

Itbayat, Batanes

LAJI SINGER

Rosita Alavado

Malakdang, Sabtang

Rosita Alavado, Sinakan, Sabtang

Poetry of Batanes

“Laji is uniquely Ivatan. It is iconic. This excellent artistic tradition reconnects the Ivatan today to his/her cultural roots and lessens the risk of loss of cultural identity. It may inspire, too, the rebirth of the Muse of poetry among the people of Batanes — Batanes whose landscapes, seascapes, and weather are poetry themselves!”

– Dr. Florentino H. Hornedo, from the liner notes of the audio recordings, Laji: Indigenous Oral Poetry of Batanes