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Filipino Music History |
The history of Filipino songs or music can be traced back to the time when Spaniards colonized Philippines. Filipino songs and music is a fusion of American, European and indigenous sounds. It is influenced by Spanish colonization, pop music, rock and roll and hip hop music from US. The native sounds include Austronesian population and the Indo-Malayan Gamelan Music. Filipino music was enriched by Spanish and Mexican influences. The native talent for music was developed with Spanish encouragement. When the Spanish and Mexican dances were introduced in the Philippines, Filipino composers made them part of Filipino culture. The polka, tango, jota, rigodon, and surtido are today considered Filipino dances, but they all originated from Spain. From its pre-Hispanic life, Filipinos expressed themselves through their ethnic musical instruments. These early settlers in fact played variety of musical instruments including flutes, nose flutes, and guitars to play appropriate songs in celebration of courtship, marriage, harvest and offerings. Original Philippine Music (now commonly known as Original Pinoy Music), started and popularized during the 70's decade. Foreign music during this decade reigned supreme because the highest level of the society or the rich and the middle class enjoy this kind of music and the masses or the so-called ordinary Pinoy are the one who enjoy this. During early 70's, Pinoy compositions became more nationalistic and socio-political as well as the use of tagalong, but the emerging of social and political consciousness somehow crept in to the industry with the traditional allied genres that are folk and rock music. Folk musicians included Freddie Aguilar, Asin, Florante. Fredie Aguilar had a debut single, "Anak" and it became known in Asia and Europe. Asin, a folk ethnic band, was the first commercial band to successfully bring a pro-environment song to the airwaves with "Masdan Mo Ang Kapaligiran". The earliest foreign-influenced Filipino entertainment is the Awit and Kurido or Corrido- a musical show of dances and songs replacing the ancient epics during the conversion of early Filipinos to Christianity. Local talents adapted and performed this musical form into several dialects such as Pampango, Ilokano, Ilongo, Tagalog and Bicol. The Spanish missionaries greatly contributed to the development of Philippine music. Fr. Geronimo de Aguilar, a Franciscan priest who arrived in Manila in 1582, was the first Spanish music teacher to win distinction in the Philippines. He founded a music school in the Franciscan convent in Manila and was the first to teach music to the Filipinos of Bicolandia. Traditional music in the Philippines never reached national public acceptance and polarity mainly due to the fact every region of the Philippines has its own language. A lot of traditional songs from the Philippines have a strong connection with nature. Famous Filipino Artist under this genre: * Levi Celerio * Mabuhay Singers * Ruben Tagalog Cecil Lloyd (1910-1988) started singing on radio in 1930. He was featured as the Mystery Singer on KZRM in 1934. He first recorded Tagalog compositions "Ikaw" and "Buhat" in 1939. In 1948, he established the first Filipino-owned record company, Philippine Recording System, which featured his renditions of Filipino folk songs. He is considered the Father of the Philippine Recording Industry. He was also a professional lawyer. |