RONDALLA
The musical components of Samahan were formed in 1980 with the assistance of Bayani Mendoza De Leon, well known Filipino ethnomusicologist and composer. Under his expert tutelage, Samahan's Rondalla, Gangsa and Kulintang Musical Ensembles were formed. A grant from Parker Foundation enabled the Company to obtain musical instruments from the Philippines.  His students who have continued to play with the Rondalla, Dr. Juanita Caccam, Sheryl Aguilar Rodriguez and Dr. Carmen Galang, have become the foundation of the current group. Today, it  benefits from the leadership of Frederick Embalsado, as music director and Dr. Caccam as the coordinator.

KULINTANG
             Danongan Sibay Kalanduyan, master artist/teacher of Kulintang Music became a guest teacher and artist with the Company from 1989 to 1991 and 1994 to 1997. He introduced Samahan to the authentic music of the Maguindanao people as well as to the music of the Maranao people.  Kalanduyan was honored in 1995, as a recipient of the prestigious National Heritage Fellowship Award by the National Endowment of the Arts. His patient guidance resulted in the development of Bernard Ellorin, one of his students, as a Kulintang player of great promise.  Bernard's talent and dedication to Kulintang music and his knowledge of authentic Maguindanao and Maranao Kulintang music as learned from Master Kalanduyan is vital in the growth of Samahan's Kulintang Music Ensemble. Since 1996, he has been the Kulintang player and Director of the Samahan Kulintang Ensemble which provides live Kulintang music for Mindanao dance performances. Original members of the Kulintang Ensemble are SDSU alumni, Eric Abutin, Chris Feraro and Severino Reyes, who all went through the basic Kulintang training with Master Kalanduyan. Bernard's students, Mitchell Almoite, Raynard Abalos and Christine Quidim play with the Ensemble, too.  The group eventually adapted the name Pakaraguian Kulintang Ensemble, merging with the group formed by Bernard and his UCLA music colleagues.           

          Bernard obtained his Bachelor's degree in Ethnomusicology, cum laude, from the Univ. of California, Los Angeles in 2003 and his Masters in Music, majoring in Ethnomusicology in 2008 from the University of Hawaii, Manoa.  He is presently pursuing his Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology at the University of Hawaii, Manoa.