Story
Lam-ang... The Son of Thunder and Earth
In the northern lands of Luzon, where rivers sing with the voice of mountains and winds whisper ancient names, a child was born beneath a cloudless sky. His mother, Namongan, had barely breathed her last in labor when the newborn opened his eyes… and spoke.

“Mother, where is my father?”

Thus began the life of Lam-ang, the prodigy, born with the strength of ten men and the soul of a hero. His father, Don Juan, had gone to war against the savages of the east and never returned. Lam-ang, still wrapped in swaddling clothes, swore vengeance.
He grew in days what others grow in years. When his body was as tall as the bamboo stalks and his voice as firm as thunder, he set out in search of his father’s killer. He crossed raging rivers, enchanted jungles, and mountains that spoke in their dreams. On his journey, he battled stone-skinned giants, tamed mythological beasts, and vanquished an army with only his spear and his roar.

But war was not all in his heart. In dreams, a vision called to him: Ines Kannoyan, the maiden with hair like a starry night and eyes like deep lagoons. To woo her, Lam-ang brought not flowers or jewels, but a retinue of magical creatures: a rooster that spoke with a sage's voice, a dog that could topple houses with its bark, and a golden fish that danced in the air.
Ines's parents, astonished by his power and nobility, accepted the union. But fate was not yet finished with him.
In an ancient ceremony, Lam-ang plunged into the enchanted river of Amburayan, where the water spirits demanded tribute. There, he was devoured by a sea monster. But his story didn't end in death: his faithful rooster and his magic dog summoned the gods, and Lam-ang was resurrected, wiser and stronger than ever.

🎶 Listen 💫 Share 💬 Comment ➕📃🎧 Add to your playlists... Because this journey is meaningless without you... Thank you for being here... J. Bilbao

Sonic Universe II

Lam-ang II

Story
Lapu-Lapu... The Guardian of Mactan
In 1521, when westerly winds brought strange sails to the shores of the Philippine Islands, the sky over Mactan darkened with omens. The elders spoke of pale-skinned men who came with fire in their hands and crosses on their banners. But on the island of Mactan, a leader stood like a rock against the waves... Lapu-Lapu, chief of the Datu, a warrior with a steady gaze and an indomitable heart.

Lapu-Lapu was not just a man; he was the echo of ancestral spirits, the roar of the conch shell announcing war, the protector of his people and their traditions. When Ferdinand Magellan, explorer in the service of the Spanish Empire, tried to subdue the islanders under the banner of Castile, Lapu-Lapu refused. “There is no king over our waters, nor god to impose chains upon us,” he said, and his words became flame.

The Battle of Mactan erupted at dawn. The waves ran red, and the shouts of warriors mingled with the songs of seabirds. Magellan, confident in his weaponry and his fame, landed with his men. But the land itself seemed to fight against them. Coral slashed their feet, spears flew like lightning, and war drums thundered.

Lapu-Lapu, with his kampilan in hand and a sword curved like the crescent moon, confronted the foreigner. The clash was brief but fierce. Magellan fell, and with him, the myth of European invincibility. The Filipino hero not only defended his island; he ignited a flame that would burn in the hearts of future generations. His name is synonymous with resilience, dignity, and freedom.

🎶 Listen 💫 Share 💬 Comment ➕📃🎧 Add to your playlists... Because this journey is meaningless without you... Thank you for being here... J. Bilbao

Lapu-Lapu

Lapu-Lapu II

Yeyette has been involved with ritual music performances since the early 90s but has been learning sound healing for the past decade.

She has a group of white crystal bowls and a few other instruments. She made her nose flute and rain stick at instrument-making workshops taught by members of the KontraGaPi, a music group that plays indigenous Filipino instruments.

This track began with the fragile sounds of the nose flute. After playing some drones on the bowls, she eventually settled on a single tone and started singing. She called it ‘Spirit Singing’.

“If it comes, it comes. I don’t have control of it.”

It was an emotionally heavy track as she shed tears until the last note was sung.

https://insig.ht/jYMsSkdfNSb


Insight Timer

Sound Bath Sessions 118: Yeyette San Luis

Friends Francesca and Tet combined their sessions in this recording. Though their styles are different, their respect for each other’s work create a tight bond. They have played with and learned from Rosan and LJ whom I recorded on my visit last year. They seldom have an opportunity to play together and were happy that this recording was a reason to do so.

The recording was in Francesca’s house in a quiet residential area, so she had her entire sound object collection to use for her session, the main focus being her crystal bowl and gongs. Tet came with two gongs, chimes, and a tongue drum.

They played together in this recording, taking turns to play their individual performances on one track. Francesca started with her crystal bowls. Tet seamlessly continued with her gongs followed by Francesca and her gongs finishing with the large Sun gong presiding overall. Bird calls from the tall trees outside can be heard on the track.

https://insig.ht/u6NX82RcNSb


Sound Bath Sessions 142: Francesca DeGuzman Warnke

Friends Francesca and Tet combined their sessions in this recording. Though their styles are different, their respect for each other’s work create a tight bond. They have played with and learned from Rosan and LJ whom I recorded on my visit last year. They seldom have an opportunity to play together and were happy that this recording was a reason to do so.

Francesca’s concept for her solo session was a sound journey. I felt this was more of a hybrid composition in that it starts off as a meditative piece and transitions to a melodic performance with a handpan and tongue drum which was quite unique. She samples all of her instruments in a single improvised composition which gives a good introduction to the different instruments one may encounter in a sound bath.

https://insig.ht/6TLxy1QcNSb


Sound Bath Sessions 164: Tet Fojas Bachmann, Francesca DeGuzman Warnke

Rachel Jamiro began her sound healing journey in 2019 and offers sound baths to complement her essential oil business. We recorded at Hush Haven in BF Resort Village in Las Piñas. The space is a repurposed photo studio/multi-use space with high ceilings and a perfect amount of natural light. Rachel also has recently taken up powerlifting (awesome) and sometimes works out at the gym one of the residents has established in the garage adjacent to the space. 

This recording was a gong piece with her 4 planetary gongs. The gongs had enough energy to fill the space and make use of the reverberant acoustics that amplified their feelings. There were some weight-clanging sounds that I felt had a relationship to Rachel’s powerlifting ambitions. A passing metal bell also complements the metallic theme of the gongs and offers a snapshot of the surrounding environment. I think I will keep them in.

https://insig.ht/OPwAoRUdNSb


Sound Bath Sessions 070: Rachel Jamiro

Story
Maria Makiling... The Guardian of Mount Makiling
In the eternal mists of Mount Makiling, where the trees whisper secrets and orchids bloom without fear of time, lives Maria Makiling, the diwata with a profound gaze and hair like a moonless night.

The elders say she was created by the earth itself, when the volcano still slumbered and the sky wove stars with bamboo threads. Her voice is like the wind through the leaves, and her presence, a perfume of guava and jasmine.

The Gift of the Diwata
Maria Makiling is not only beauty: she is generosity incarnate. When the villagers suffer drought, she makes it rain with her tears. When hunger looms, she leaves golden fruit along the paths, and when someone gets lost in the jungle, her fireflies guide their way back.

Many have felt her help without seeing her: a shadow that heals, a song that soothes, a sigh that saves.

The Punishment of Greed
But not everyone respects their sacred forest. One day, three young people climbed the mountain in search of treasure. They ignored the warnings, picked rare flowers, hunted songbirds, and laughed at the silence that surrounded them.
Maria watched them from the mist. She didn't scream, she didn't cry. She simply made the path fold back on itself. The young people wandered for days, finding no way out. When they finally descended, their backpacks were empty and their hearts filled with regret.

🎶 Listen 💫 Share 💬 Comment ➕📃🎧 Add to your playlists... Because this journey is meaningless without you... Thank you for being here... J. Bilbao

Maria Makiling

Maria Makiling II

Story
Rainbow Serpent... Long before humans walked the earth, when the sky was still untouched by blue and the sea slept in silence, the Rainbow Serpent awoke in the heart of the world. Its body was as long as the horizon and shone with the colors of creation: red like the blood of life, blue like the breath of water, green like the promise of forests.

The Rainbow Serpent danced across the virgin land. Where its belly touched the ground, singing rivers sprang forth. Where its back arched, mountains rose that touched the clouds. And where its tongue licked the earth, fertile valleys emerged, filled with fruits yet to be named.

The first peoples venerated it. They offered it songs in the rains, dances in the droughts, and silence in the storms. They knew that it was not only a creator, but also a guardian of the invisible laws: respect for the earth, harmony among beings, and gratitude for water.

But there was a time when men forgot. They built upon the rivers, cut down the sacred trees, and mocked the spirits of the wind. Then, the Rainbow Serpent rose from the depths of an ancient lake. Its body darkened, and its colors turned to shadows.

With a roar that split the sky, it made the mountains tremble. The rivers overflowed, the valleys closed up, and the rain fell without song. It was not destruction, it was a warning.

A girl named Mayari, who still remembered the ancient songs, approached the Serpent. She offered it a flower born in dry earth, and sang in a trembling voice: “Serpent of colors, mother of the water, forgive those who forgot your dance. Teach us again to listen to the earth, to drink without breaking, to sow without wounding.”

The Rainbow Serpent looked at her with eyes that held centuries. And then, it rained. But this time, the rain was gentle. The rivers sang again. The mountains breathed. And the men, guided by Mayari, learned to live with the land, not on it.

🎶 Listen 💫 Share 💬 Comment ➕📃🎧 Add to your playlists... Because this journey is meaningless without you... Thank you for being here... J. Bilbao

Rainbow Serpent

"Sound Bath Sessions" fuses sound art and wellness by recording sound baths around Asia. The main purpose of the project is to be a platform that connects local practitioners and listeners together. 

These are not your usual sound bath recordings. Recorded live and on location, they are honest portraits of what a live sound bath sounds like to immerse you in their world. They capture the flavor of each location giving them a sense of identity and culture for everyone to hear and belong. 

Please note that some recordings may contain noises that could make the experience quite challenging, but listeners of all levels will be able to find a track to enjoy. Sound Bath Sessions is a Bivouac Recording project.

More tracks on our Insight Timer page.
https://insighttimer.com/sbsessions/

Between myths, stories and galaxies... welcome to my Sonic Universe.

There are songs that aren't just heard... they are remembered like a dream or felt like a ritual.
I am J. Bilbao, creator of worlds where music intertwines with Basque and international legends, forgotten constellations, and stories you may have never heard. Every note I compose, every word I write, is born from a cross between the ancestral and the futuristic.

🎶 I'm arranging and uploading to the Sonic Universe space all my compositions from the last twenty-five years (2000-2025), +1000 original Soundtracks explore everything "Sonic Universe" & "Symphony"...

Here I don't just share songs... I share visions.

If you've ever been moved by a story that seemed written for you, if you've ever felt like a melody spoke to you from another time or planet... then this space is yours too.

🎶 Listen 💫 Share 💬 Comment  ➕📃🎧  Add to your playlists...  Because this journey is meaningless without you... Thank you for being here...   J. Bilbao

New tracks tagged #Manila