Profile
Filipino Arts & Music Ensemble (FAME) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
located in Brooklyn, New York, that contributes to the preservation,
presentation, and promotion of the arts and musical heritage of the
people of Filipino descent in New York and neighboring states. It
was organized on August 8, 2003 by Maria Bella Locsin and Maria Ruth Manligoy,
and formally incorporated September 7, 2007.
It started with seven (7) children and has markedly increased its number
to forty-eight (48) children. Its aim is to preserve a rich culture that
can be handed from generation to generation while promoting better
relationships between children and their Filipino-American parents
within diverse ethnic communities.
The Filipino Arts & Music Ensemble provides a variety of programs that
support musical growth and creative achievement.
• The FAME Rondalla String Ensemble is composed of five different
14-string instruments (Banduria, Octavina, Laud, Bass, Picolo).
These are played by children, ages four to sixteen,
under Musical Director Hector Martinez.
Renditions of famous Philippine music as well as Western European
symphonies make the ensemble unique, winning the admiration of
politicians, dignitaries, and the community at large.
• The Folk Dance program instructs students in the folk dances
that depict rich ethnicity of Philippine culture from different regions
of the country. The mastery of this expression gives the children
self-confidence, grace, and respect for their indigenous heritage.
• To enhance the accomplished concepts and knowledge of music
and dance programs as stated above, the children are broadening their capabilities,
experience, and creative achievement by learning theatre and its
discipline in a formal production structure. This year, we are
introducing our first production, "The Pearl in the Orient Sun".