In this post, well look back at 10 deadly typhoons that have rocked the

Philippines.

10) Typhoon Angela (Rosing) This typhoon was one of the strongest storms to
hit the Philippines. Rosing brought winds of up to 260 kms per hour. 936 people
lost their lives because of Rosing which battered Bicol and Manila in November
1995.

9) Typhoon Fengshen (Frank) Typhoon Frank ripped through the central

Philippines in June 2008. This typhoon caused the death of 938 people.

8) Typhoon Nina (Sisang) In 1987, Sisang tore through the Bicol region where it
caused mudslides down Mayon volcano. 979 people died because of Typhoon
Nina.

7) Typhoon Amy (Yoyong) The floods and landslides caused by Yoyong in

December 1951 killed 991 people when it ripped through the central Philippines.

6) Typhoon Trix Typhoon Trix caused floods and landslides in the Bicol region.
The devastation caused the death of 995 people back in October 1952.

5) Typhoon Washi (Sendong) 1,080 people lost their lives when Sendong hit
northern Mindanao in December 2011. What made this typhoon very deadly was
that it hit an area that is not typically visited by typhoons. Sendong dumped as
much as 50 millimeters of rain, which was as much as what Ondoy dumped in
Metro Manila in 2009.

4) Typhoon Ike (Ruping) In August 1984, Ruping ripped through the central
Philippines and caused the death of 1,363 people.

3) Typhoon Bopha (Pablo) A year after Sendong, Mindanao was again hit by
another deadly typhoon. 1,900 people were dead or missing when Pablo
Mindanao in December 2012. Pablo was the strongest tropical cyclone to hit the
Philippines that year.

2) Tropical Storm Thelma (Uring) In November 1991, flash floods hit Ormoc in
Leyte when Tropical Storm Thelma (Uring) smashed through the island. This
storm killed more than 5,100 people. Uring let loose 150 mm of rain on the
Visayas and as much as 580 mm of rain on Leyte.

1) Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) Typhoon Haiyan is one of the strongest tropical

cyclones ever recorded. This super typhoon had gusts of as strong as 315 km/h.
6,340 people were confirmed dead because of this typhoon and another 1,061
were declared missing. Most of the fatalities were recorded in Eastern Visayas.

The list of deadly typhoons above serves as a reminder that the Philippines is
prone to these Typhoons that not just damage property, but also take lives. This
coming typhoon season, you might want to do some drills with your whole family
on what to do in case of a disaster. You should have a four-day supply of food and
water, warm clothes, fuel, and having flashlights and radios with extra batteries
when you know that a big storm is coming. You might also want to make sure
your house insurance and comprehensive car insurance policy got you covered in
case of flooding and other natural disasters.

Knowing where the nearest emergency shelters are also recommended as this
might just save your lives when the floods strike.

Japanese Traditional Music

Around the world, the koto and shakuhachi are known as typical Japanese
instruments. And the theatrical forms of classical Noh, Kabuki and the Bunraku
puppet theater, all forms where music plays a very important part, have
international fame as well. Ancient court music or Gagaku came to Japan from
the Asian continent along with religion and a system of government with the
establishment of a state centered on the imperial house. It is still preserved in
Japan long after it has disappeared in the countries of its origin. In the middle
ages, Noh emerged as a masked drama with recitations of dense poetic texts
accompanied by a very spare percussion and flute ensemble. Then, in the early
modern period, a vibrant commoner culture seething with energy underneath the
dominant warrior class found its expression in the exuberant Kabuki theater and
the intense, sophisticated drama of the puppet theater. For contemporary
Japanese, even though all of these traditional forms of music are overshadowed
by more popular western style, they continue to be performed and appreciated
as a living bond to Japan's past.

Almost nothing is known about music in Japan's prehistory, through the Jomon
and Yayoi periods, but there are ritual figures of musicians, suggesting the early
importance of music. The late Yayoi period is marked by the building of immense
tombs, and there were probably many powerful clans that gradually culminated
in the dominance of the Yamato clan. The state that they built used language,
religion and legal systems from the Asian continent and resulted in the high
development of the imperial court as a political and cultural center in the Nara
(645 - 710) and Heian (794 - 1185) periods. Even when the political power of the
imperial court declined after this time, the court retained its cultural traditions,
many which continue to this day.
The little that remains from the prehistoric period seems to be some songs,
legends and rituals recorded in the "Kojiki" and "Nihon Shoki," the first
chronicles of the new state. When the "Kojiki" was compiled during the reign of
Emperor Temmu (reigned around 673 - 686), these songs were already part of the
tradition of the imperial court.

From the earliest stages of Japanese history, poetry and song have been very
important and the distinction between the two is not clear. The word "uta" can
mean either "song" or "poem." What is clear is that poetry is almost always
imagined as being recited aloud. The Nara and Heian periods set the standards
for poetry with the imperial anthologies Manyoshu and Kokinshu. The forms of
verse and use of poetic images developed at this time lives through almost all of
Japanese music to the present.

Poetry and music are also central to the prose works of the time. Genji
Monogatari is the story of a great lover in the imperial court and much of the
dialogue is in the form of exchanges of poetry. The dances of Gagaku, flute, koto
and biwa lute music runs through the background of this classical novel.

Much of Japan's official culture was in Chinese, but the Chinese and Japanese
languages are very different. Chinese is monosyllabic and has tones, while
Japanese has long polysyllabic words and does not have tones. Chinese was
used both in the original pronunciation and with various techniques for reading it
with Japanese words, but pure Japanese literature in the Heian period and
especially Japanese poetry, tried to avoid words of Chinese origin as much as
possible.

The Importation of Foreign Forms of Music

Although Japan had a distinctive culture, the imperial state used Chinese
language and imported culture in many of its entertainments and ceremonies. In
the early period, the masked drama called Gigaku entered Japan, but now only
exists in the form of masks preserved in the Shosoin. The Nara period and Heian
period are dominated by Gagaku imperial court dance and Shomyo Buddhist
chanting. In addition, preserved within the current repertory of Gagaku there are
other native forms of song like Saibara and Roei and there is also the popular
song form called Imayo.

Gagaku consists primarily of music by wind and string instruments accompanied

by percussion. Some of the instruments like koto and biwa and the drums are
related to instruments used in other genres, but others, like the nasal hichiriki
and the harmonica-like sho are only used in Gagaku and are a part of its
distinctive sound. Many of the pieces include dance and when the dance is
emphasized, it is called Bugaku, ("Bu" meaning, "dance"). The pieces of Gagaku
are divided into two groups, To-gaku or pieces from Tang China and Rimpa-gaku
or pieces from the region that is now the southern part of the Vietnam peninsula
are called "pieces of the left". And pieces from the three ancient countries of
Korea and Pohai-gaku are called "pieces of the right". The instrumentation and
forms of these two groups of pieces are also different and originally they were
performed by different groups of musicians that also enter the stage from
different directions.

By the end of the ancient period at the end of the Heian period, the instrumental
music was reformed to be simpler and there were new pieces composed in
imitation of the imported pieces. But there are also distinctively Japanese styles
that are preserved as a part of Gagaku. These include Kagura, Azuma Asobi,
Fuzoku and Saibara. There are many kinds of Kagura, but in this case it refers to
the Mi-Kagura preserved in the Imperial Court, while Azuma Asobi refers to folk
songs from the eastern part of ancient Japan that have been preserved in the
Imperial Court. Fuzoku refers to other ancient folk songs from the provinces.
Saibara is a distinctive genre, but probably had its origins in some form of folk
music as well. All of these forms came to be sung in the Imperial Court and were
refined and polished and then passed on for centuries. All of these are pure sung
forms, but along with the form called Roei, which is accompanied by the Gagaku
orchestra, these genres are preserved within Gagaku. Although there doesnt
seem to be that much influence of Gagaku on later Japanese music, one of its
most important legacies is the aesthetic concept of "Jo-Ha-Kyu." This means to
begins slowly, increase speed and variety in the middle and then go very fast in
the concluding section, slowing down once more at the end. This principle
governs every dance movement as well as the overall structure. It is most
famous in its articulation by Zeami, who compared it to the flow of a river:
beginning slowly, then reaching rapids and white water and finally ending as a
waterfall splashing into a pool of water.

Shomyo (Buddhist Chant)

Buddhism in the Nara and Heian periods was mostly for the state and for the
elite. There was a strong emphasis on elaborate ritual and chanting that was so
elaborate only highly trained professionals could perform it was an important
part of the types of Buddhism dominant in this period.

One form of Buddhist music is called "Shomyo." This is a style that entered
Japan in the Nara period and early Heian period and consists of reciting sutras
by adding a melody. There are three styles, one called "Bonsan" which uses
Sanskrit (ancient Indian language), one called "Kansan" which uses Chinese, and
one called "Wasan" which uses Japanese. There are two main streams of
Shomyo based in different branches of Buddhism. These are Tendai Shomyo and
Shingon Shomyo. The strong influence of Shomyo on Heike Biwa and Noh is
obvious by just listening and comparing the different genres. In turn, Heike Biwa
and Noh strongly influenced Joruri, and so, the indirect influence of Shomyo can
be seen there as well.

Imayo

In the mid-Heian period, forms of music like Saibara and Roei, which were
popular until then, gradually declined. The form called Imayo appeared and
became popular in the late e Heian period. The word "imayo" means "modern"
and seems to have begun with shortened forms of the Wasan shomyo using
Japanese. Eventually the form stabilized as four lines, each with units of seven
plus five syllables. Since this was a popular form that originated with the
common people, there were many famous performers of Imayo who were
courtesans or Shirabyoshi dancers. Then, toward the end of the Heian period,
Imayo was taken up by imperial court aristocrats and became very popular.
Incidentally, the original music for Imayo soon disappeared, but in the early
Kamakura period, a method of singing the texts of Imayo to the melody of the
famous Gagaku piece "Etenraku" was developed, which has left traces in
Japanese folk song even today.