Salomon Gozosos
Chants
List of Chants & Prayers 01. Primer Misterio - The Annunciation: The Angel Gabriel announces to the Virgin Mary that she will conceive Jesus, the Son of God, by the Holy Spirit. 02. Segundo Misterio - The Visitation: The Virgin Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth, who is also pregnant (with John the Baptist), and Elizabeth recognizes Mary as the Mother of God. 03. Tercer Misterio - The Nativity: The birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in a manger in Bethlehem. 04. Kwarto Misterio: The Nativity: The birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in a manger in Bethlehem. 05. Kinto Misterio - The Purification of Mary, where Mary and Joseph bring the Infant Jesus to the Temple on the fortieth day after His birth to fulfill the Mosaic Law's requirements for a mother's cleansing and the presentation of the firstborn. 06. Akimallo ta kani Santa Maria - a concluding prayer for the 5 Joyful Mysteries, chanted for favors, indulgences, and the remission of sins for host families, chanters, the "Salomon" book owner, and the faithful departed.
Other Resources
Our Mission
The Ibanag Salomon Gozosos Archive is an open-access digital platform dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the Ibanag Salomon Gozosos of Concepcion Amulung. Our core mission is to provide unrestricted access to a comprehensive collection of Ibanag Salomon Chants and essential educational resources.
About
The Salomon Gozosos
The Salomon Gozosos is a very important and very long traditional chant sung by the Ibanag and Itawit people in the Cagayan Valley of the Philippines. It is a Christmas tradition practiced during the Advent season that focuses on the Joyful Mysteries of the Catholic faith, telling the full story of the birth and childhood of Jesus Christ. Historically, this custom mixes local chanting styles with Catholic themes, a fusion that began during the Spanish colonial period. Because of its length, the chant can take about six hours to perform in full. The Salomon is complex, featuring four distinct singing styles—the menor, abanilla, sagulaylay, and llano—and is sung by experienced performers, or minassalomon, often guided by rare, antique lyric booklets. Efforts to document this tradition include the Amulung, Cagayan version, which was recently recorded at Fountain Studios in Tuguegarao City on October 16 and 17, 2025.
The Digital Repository
This repository serves as the official, publicly accessible home for the project’s output. It hosts the complete digital archive, including the high-quality audio recordings of the Ibanag Salomon chants of Concepcion, Amulung, and accompanying metadata and documentation.
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The archive ensures that this indigenous oral tradition is not only preserved against decay but is also made globally accessible for research, education, and cultural continuity. This platform is designed to be a sustainable model for community-driven cultural heritage digitization projects.
Danger of Loss and Why We Must Save It
Despite its deep spiritual and cultural roots, the Salomon Gozosos is in serious danger of being lost forever. The main problem is that older chanters are having trouble teaching the complex musical and language traditions to the young people. There are many urgent reasons why we must save the Salomon: it is a unique piece of living history that can't be replaced, and it strongly confirms the ethnic identity of the Ibanag and Itawit people. If the chant vanishes, these communities would lose a key way to express their faith and would lose the unique language and music developed over hundreds of years. Because of this, ongoing documentation, like the recent recording sessions, and efforts by young researchers to digitize the lyrics are crucial for making sure this cultural treasure continues to thrive for future generations.
The Team & Chanters
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Nathan Joseph L. Alvarez (Researcher)
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Jan Justin Rodriguez, DCOMM (Research Adviser)
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Hailyn Dela Cruz (Chanter)
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Clarita Corpuz (Chanter)
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Ederlina Salvador (Chanter)
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Marcela Sera (Chanter)
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Wagner Addun (Chanter)
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Juan Datul (Chanter & Instrumentalist)
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Harold Dela Cruz (Cultural Consultant & Chanter)
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Jhon Carlo Laggui (Sound Engineer)
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Ethical Use of the Recorded Chants
Given the sacred and culturally sensitive nature of the Salomon Gozosos, the recorded chants must be treated with the utmost ethical consideration and respect. The primary use of this audio documentation is strictly for educational, archival, and research purposes to ensure its survival and study. Critically, these sacred chants must not be used as musical samples, background tracks, or for commercial remixing in popular media, as this risks disrespecting its deep spiritual value and cultural context. Any use beyond legitimate research requires the explicit, written permission of the chant's cultural bearers and the community elders to ensure that their intellectual property and cultural integrity are protected. Standard ethical practices also require proper attribution to the performers, the cultural group (Ibanag/Itawit), and the specific recording details. For citation, users must refer to the Source of Recording Details provided in the References section.
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References
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Source of Descriptive Content:
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Coballes, J. K. (2023, December 27). Ibanags celebrate Nativity story through traditional chant. Philippine Information Agency. https://pia.gov.ph/news/ibanags-celebrate-nativity-story-through-traditional-chant/
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Source of Recording Details:
Alvarez, N. J. L. (2025). Development and evaluation of a digital audio recording and archiving system for the preservation of Ibanag Salomon chants. [Unpublished master's thesis or dissertation].
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