Origin: Lamitan, Basilan, Philippines

Born: February 15, 1945 (age 77)

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When he was five years old, he went nearly blind. People in his town believed that this was due to the punishment of nature spirits who dwelt in Bohe Libaken, a brook where Ahadas frequently bathed. As children, Ahadas and his siblings were taught to play Yakan traditional instruments. He began by learning to play the gabbang, a wooden bamboo instrument comparable to the xylophone, and then moved on to the agung, an instrument traditionally played by Yakan men.

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Uwang Ahadas is a Yakan, a people who value instrumental music since it is linked to both the agricultural cycle and the social sphere. The kwintangan kayu is a historic agricultural tradition that consists of five wooden logs hanging horizontally, from the shortest to the longest, with the shortest closest to the ground. Following rice planting, an unroofed platform is constructed high in the branches of a tree. The kwintangan kayu is then played to serenade the palay, much like a lover wooing his beloved. It is said that its resonance gently caresses the plants, waking them from their deep sleep and urging them to thrive and produce more fruit.