\n\t\t\t\tGuma\u2019 Simiyan Ma\u00f1aina-ta Cultural Group performs at SYP\u2019s August gathering. (Contributed Photo)\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\nAside from featuring local delicacies, they also featured a special dinner show performance by a Chamorro cultural group called \u201cGuma\u2019 Simiyan Ma\u00f1aina-ta,\u201d a non-profit organization\u00a0that aims to give individuals an opportunity to experience the uniqueness of the Chamorro culture through visual and performing arts.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Founder Luis John \u201cL.J.\u201d Castro shared information about their group, stating that the performers that evening were comprised of young teenagers from the high school and early college level. He said the group recently traveled to Guam to perform at the 2015 Chamorro Dance Competition and Festival. Aside from performing abroad, the group also performs at festivals on island including the Annual Flame Tree Arts Festival.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe decided to feature a Chamorro performance to highlight our unique culture. Their performance was one-of-kind and all the songs were sung in Chamorro, giving everyone a truly cultural experience complete with Chamorro language and dance,\u201d said SYP chair Mable Ayuyu.<\/p>\n
She shared that the committee, this month, learned the significance of giving tourists an understanding of the \u201cChamorro\u201d culture.<\/p>\n
\u201cMuch of what we see in hotel dinner shows features Polynesian dancing, which we enjoy because it\u2019s exciting and entertaining. However, it\u2019s even more significant to explore the idea of featuring the very thing that makes us unique,\u201d Ayuyu said.<\/p>\n
The performance featured a cultural blend of Chamorro-sung songs and dancing (including a fire dance). SYP member Thomas Basa Jr. of MARPAC said, \u201cI loved it! What better way to tell our ancestors\u2019 stories and cultures through music, chants, and dance.\u201d<\/p>\n
SYP member Camille Orallo of Tan Holdings said, \u201cIt was really nice taking a breather from our busy work schedules to come together for a nice dinner under the stars. The performance by the Guma\u2019 Simiyan Ma\u00f1aina-ta group was breathtaking!\u201d<\/p>\n
The SYP Committee extends its deepest appreciation to Guma\u2019 Simiyan Ma\u00f1aina-ta board chair Elaine Cabrera, Castro, and all the group performers and musicians.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo all the cultural groups like Guma\u2019 Simiyan Ma\u00f1aina-ta, we thank you for continuing to keep our culture alive,\u201d said Ayuyu, adding that the Saipan Young Professionals Committee is proud to support and advocates for groups like the one that performed for them.<\/p>\n
For more information about the Saipan Young Professionals Committee, visit www.saipanchamber.com or call (670) 234-7150. The Saipan Young Professionals is a Committee of the Saipan Chamber of Commerce. (SYP)<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Saipan Young Professionals enjoyed an evening of great food and entertainment at their barbecue\/potluck…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":211710,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[5584,5585,4740,3853],"class_list":["post-211698","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news","tag-elaine-cabrera","tag-guma-simiyan-ma","tag-mable-ayuyu","tag-syp"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211698","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=211698"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211698\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/211710"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=211698"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=211698"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=211698"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}