Om Shanti Soul musical tour for peace tonight at Saguijo

MANILA, Philippines - Om Shanti Soul, the collaborative performance between Filipino folk singer-songwriter Nityalila Saulo and Taiwanese pipa player Chung Yufeng, will perform tonight at 9 PM at Saguijo. 

The artists have called their series of performances, which started at Cynthia Alexander's farewell performance at '70s Bistro, Om Shanti to "reflect how music connects people together notwithstanding culture and language."

"Om Shanti is a Vedic mantra that has a philosophical meaning. 'Om' is a Hindu symbol that is believed to be the sound of the whole cosmic manifestation and 'shanti' means peace for all humankind, living and non-living beings, the universe, and for each and everything in this whole cosmic manifestation," said Saulo, who met Chung in Taipei during the 1st Bitan Music Festival in 2009.

The two artists first worked together in 2010 when Saulo co-facilitated a workshop with Chung during the Tainan International Chishi Arts Festival in Taiwan. They again worked together for another songwriting workshop at the NCCU College of Communication Popular Music and Culture.

It was during Saulo's last visit that she and Chung finally staged an all-original 90-minute concert at NCCU and the Bobwundaye Cafe, both in Taipei.

Saulo has been previously nominated in the Best Performance by a new female recording artist category of the 2008 Awit Awards. She is an active member of Dakila, a group of artists, musicians, and individuals who use art and music for advocacy; Yabang Pinoy, a campaign that aims to unite Filipinos in supporting and believing in themselves, their fellow Filipinos, and Filipino products; and TikTok Pilipinas, which campaigns against climate change and environmental justice.

Chung, meanwhile, received formal training in Chinese classical music. She made her first appearance at the Migration Music Festival in 2004 as a member of Lin Sheng-Xiang’s former group, Water3. 

Chung’s performances have garnered acclaim from audiences in Taiwan and Europe. She is also  a music lecturer at Foguang University and plays the pipa in the Chinese classical ensemble Wuan Yuei Hsiao Chi (Trance Music Ensemble), which is known for the creation of dialogue between ancient Chinese music pieces and traditional tea ceremony.

After their performance at Saguijo, the two artists will take their Om Shanti Soul tour to Baguio at Bliss Cafe. For more information, visit www.nityalila.com/projects.