Jay, my cousin Chachaga’ and I went to FestPac in Hawai’i this June, which was amazing. We spent quality time with family and took in as much as we could from the different events and workshops. One event we attended was the Micronesia Festival at the Bishop Museum on June 15th, which opened with a Latte Stone Ceremony to honor the latte stones at the museum that were taken from the Marianas. In this post is the chant, composed by Brant Songsong and Elyssa Santos, that was sung to honor the latte stones at the ceremony. The tune and composition was done by Elyssa Santos – she researched the Kåntan Chamorrita tune that is featured in this chant, and added her own stylistic inflections in the singing based upon how she was taught to sing the Kåntan Chamorrita. She also offered her words and ideas for the lyrics, and Brant Songsong completed the translation. The result is a beautiful chant, distinctly Chamorro in its sound with a modern feel.

In this post, the Chamorro and English lyrics are included, with an audio recording of Elyssa Santos singing the chant in Chamorro. I have also included photos, provided by Elyssa Santos, of their practice sessions so we can celebrate everybody involved in making this chant happen at the ceremony. For those who could not be there in person, please consider this a piece of the ceremony that we can all share. Happy listening 🙂

Continue reading “Latte Stone Ceremony Chant by Brant Songsong and Elyssa Santos” →