LESSON 4 MUSIC - It is an umbrella term that encompasses a multitude of

different genres of music such as

- Filipinos is a race that is bursting with talents. o RnB

o Rap
- Not only do we excel in visual arts, we are also o Rock
considered to be a source of world class performers. o HipHop
o Dance
- In the diverse field of the performing arts, whether in
Music, Dance or Theater, there will always be Filipinos - Many critics look down on this type of music because
that attest to our country’s artistic giftedness. some songs gain recognition due to its popularity and
rarely for its quality.

- A song’s popularity can be manipulated through the

amount of radio play, marketing hype, and gimmicks
of recording companies which often overshadow a
song’s creative merits.

- Many of the popular music played in the Philippines

are Western imports that become a strong influence to
many contemporary singers and artists.

- Filipino musicians create their own version of pop

music by combining the Western style and Filipino
taste.

✔ “O! Ang Mga Babae” by Fred Panopio (1939-2010)

Music
- Filipinos love to sing. ✔ “Mag-exercise Tayo Tuwing Umaga” by Yoyoy
Villame (1932-2007)
o No celebration is complete without a karaoke or
videoke machine. - Pinoy pop or Filipino pop music came about when
Filipino musicians wanted to create music that they
- Contemporary Music in the Philippines is a product of can call their own.
our indigenous traditions and the colonial influences.
- These composers and musicians focused on the youth
- Though the country is geographically located in the for support and gave birth to early Pinoy rock.
East, our music is heavily influenced by the West. Due
to being under centuries of Spanish rule and almost ✔ “Ang Himig Natin” by the Juan de la Cruz Band
half a century under American control
▪ Inspired other Pinoy rock artist such as
- Before the arrival of the Spaniards, the types of Sampaguita and Mike Hanopol
indigenous music found in the country were
instrumental and vocal.
Manila Sounds
- Musical sounds were created by various instruments
- Hotdog combined Western pop with Filipino lyrics and
such as flutes, shell trumpets, drums and gongs.
created what was then known as Manila Sounds.
- Vocals were performed by individuals or as a group.
 Light and carefree

 Combined Tagalog and English lyrics

Pop Music
- Popular music or pop music is used to describe music  Quickly accepted by the youth
that is readily available to the broad populace.
 ✔ Religious hymns and chants
✔ “Ikaw ang Miss Universe ng Buhay Ko” by Hotdog ✔ Orchestras

✔ “Mahirap Magmahal ng Syota ng Iba” by Apo ✔ Bands

Hiking Society
✔ Rondalla ensemble

Pinoy Folk Music ▪ Other than various stringed instruments of the

rondalla, favored musical instruments in homes
- Genre of Pinoy pop during the Spanish colonial times were the
piano and the harp.
- Heavily influenced by the musical style of Western folk
singers ▪ Young ladies were often asked to play these
instruments to entertain their guests.
✔ Bob Dylan
▪ Musical entertainment was also enjoyed during
✔ Peter, Paul, and Mary the various stage plays, dances, and operas.

- Well-known Pinoy folk musicians - The Americans through the public school system
taught children simple hymns and Filipino songs
✔ Freddie Aguilar rendered in a western style or beat.

✔ Noel Cabangon - Schools also became a venue to study other musical

instruments such as cello, violin, etc.
✔ Grace Nono
- These schools produced musicians that would later
✔ Gary Granada become leading figures in the development of Filipino
contemporary music
- Like their Western counterparts, these songs are often
accompanied by classical and acoustic guitars ✔ Nicanor Abelardo

✔ Felipe Padilla de Leon

Ethnic Music
✔ Francisco Santiago
- The singing styles differ from one ethnic group to
another.
- Music that was made during this time are mostly
imitation and assimilation of mainstream western
- Though many types and examples of indigenous
music, adapting its style and melodic structure.
music have been lost, there are still a number of local
music that exist due to the preservation efforts of
- The mid-twentieth century Filipino music, through still
many artists and of the government.
influenced foreign music, eventually developed a more
‘Filipinized’ flavor through the use of vernacular in
- During the Spaniards colonization, parallel with the
lyrics and creation of wholly original compositions.
visual arts, the Spaniards promulgated religious
music.
- This technique of combining western musical form
with Filipino sensibilities is the most popular and
- The different religious orders believed in the power of
common style employed by many contemporary music
music to convert the natives that is why the friars in
artists.
turn taught the Filipinos music whose pedagogy were
based on Western musical traditions.
- Some artists of folk music have incorporated ethnic
instruments and styles from the different ethnic groups
- This resulted in music that is a combination of both
combining the traditional with modern sounds.
Indigenous and western aesthetics.
✔ Joey Ayala
- Musical forms that were born from this period
 ✔ Bayang Barrios
Rap
- Rap is a music genre that became popular in the late
1980s in the Philippines.
- It originated from the African-Americans and is
distinctive of its fast and rhythmic narration
accompanied by electronic music.
- Pioneers of Pinoy rap
✔ “Mga Kababayan Ko” by Francis Magalona (1964-
2009)
✔ “Humanap Ka ng Pangit” by Andre E. (b.1967)
- Closely related to rap is hip-hop.
- Incorporated not only rap but also include RnB,
beatboxing, and electronic and turntables as
accompaniments.
- Many contemporary Filipino rap artists identify
themselves as both hip-hop and rap artists.
- Contemporary rap artist include:
✔ Gloc-9 (b.1977)
✔ Abra (b.1991)
✔ Apl.de.ap (b.1974)
- Pinoy pop music continues to struggle against foreign
songs for airplay, whether it is from the West or from
other Asian countries like Korea and Japan.
- But Filipino musicians have not given up; they
continue to write music, adapting to the ever-changing
taste of the public.
Protest Songs
- Protest songs are songs that bring to light injustices
and inequality in society.
- These seek to inspire nationalism and heroism from
their listeners.
- These can come in many musical forms and genre
such as kundiman
✔ "Bayan Ko" (1928)
▪ One of the most popular and recognizable
examples of a protest song
▪ A collaboration between Jose Corazon de
Jesus (1896-1932) who wrote the lyrics that
was set to music by Constancio de Guzman
(1903—1982).
▪ Although it was made almost a century ago,
this song is still used in many protest
movements because of the strong emotional
effect it has on its audience.
▪ The song's melody is similar to that of a love
song, but instead of it being dedicated to a
woman it is a tribute to the Motherland and the
plea of its citizens to be free from struggle and
oppression.
▪ The song was first used as a call of
independence from the Americans and later on
from the Japanese.
▪ It was also a popular song used in rallies and
marches during the Marcos Era.
- Some protest songs tackle environmental issues
✔ "Masdan ang Kapaligiran" by Asin (1978)
✔ "Nag-iisang Mundo" by Gloc-9 (2005)
Choral Music
- Choral music is a musical composition intended to be
performed by a group of singers called a choir.
- The choir is arranged according to voice categories
such as soprano, alto, tenor, and bass.
- The earliest choirs in the Philippines performed in
churches, singing religious hymns during the mass.
- This is still practiced today with many churches and
religious groups having their own choir composed of
talented volunteers.
- The term “acapella” indicates a chorus or choir
performing without instrumental accompaniment.
- Schools also have their own choral groups that
perform here and abroad.
- The Philippine Madrigal Singers or the “Madz”, a
choral group of the University of the Philippines is
perhaps the most well- known school choir.
o They are the most awarded choral groups in the
Philippines and in the whole world.
o They have been taught and trained by some of the
country’s best musical composers and arrangers
✔ Eudenice Palaruan (1968)
✔ Robert Delgado
✔ Fidel Calalang
- Some other well-known and internationally recognized
choral groups in the Philippines include
✔ Samiweng Singers of Laoag Ilocos Norte
✔ The University of Visayas Chorale
✔ Zamboanga Hermosa Chorale
Liturgical Music
- Liturgical music are songs intended for Christian
church services.
- Its early form was inspired by Jewish chants during
their religious rituals.
- Many musicians have adapted liturgical music to
reflect contemporary musical styles and forms.
- Some of these artists include
✔ Francisco E. Feliciano (1941-2014)
▪ National Artist
▪ In his work Mass of Saint Andrew (b.1981)
✔ Ryan Cayabyab (b. 1954)
▪ With his work Misa,
✔ Gary Valenciano (b. 1964)
▪ praise and gospel songs
Opera
- Opera is a combination of both music and theater.
- It is a sung drama that entails collaborative efforts of
singers, dancers, composers, choreographers, etc.
✔ Aria
▪ one type of song found in an opera
▪ a song sung in solo that portrays the
character's emotional state
- The opera was introduced in the Philippines in the
middle of the 1800s.
- Many Filipino musicians have adapted the form to
reflect more contemporary Filipino experiences and
tastes.
✔ “Noli Me Tangere” by Felipe Padilla (1912-1992)
▪ The first full-length Filipino opera
✔ “Mayo Bisperas ng Liwanag” by Reynaldo T.
Paguio (1935-1999) and Fides Asensio (b. 1931)
▪ Based on a short story by Nick Joaquin.
Kundiman and Harana
- The kundiman is a musical form that is a product of
Spanish colonization.
- Kundiman is an art song that signifies love and
affection for someone.
- The kundiman, like many art songs, is performed as a
solo vocal composition combined with an instrumental
accompaniment to achieve musical harmony.
- The kundiman is described as highly emotional and
sentimental because it expresses personal sorrow.
- It can be about love or patriotism.
- The lyrics of the traditional kundiman made use of old
and archaic Tagalog.
- The melody is often smooth, flowing, and gentle
rhythm.
✔ "Nasaan Ka, Irog?" by Nicanor S. Abelardols
(1893-1934)
✔ "Pakiusap" by Dr. Francisco Santiago (1889-1947)
- Many kundiman music were often used for traditional
Filipino courtship.
- The traditional kundiman is rarely heard in the present
except for the occasional radio play in the AM radio.
- Contemporary kundiman is often the modern iteration
of the art form using contemporary vernacular lyrics
and accompanied by electronic instruments.
- The kundiman is often mistaken for the harana, which
is another Spanish-influenced musical form.
- The harana is a traditional courtship ritual in the
Philippines wherein a suitor serenades his object of
affection.
Ballad
- The ballad is traditionally a song that narrates an
event in a community.
- There are many examples of traditional ballads
throughout the Philippines.
- Chamber music is a form of instrumental music
composed by a small ensemble wherein each part is
played by one player, as opposed to an orchestra
where a part is performed by a group of musicians.
- Chamber music is usually performed by a group of
three to eight musicians.
- Chamber music in the country were pioneered by Dr.
Francisco Santiago and Nicanor S. Abelardo, who
received training abroad, and later on shared with the
younger generation of composers.
- More contemporary chamber music examples
✔ “Luduyan I and II” by Arlen Chongson
✔ “Yugto” by Conrado del Rosario

- The style varies from region to region and from one - Some popular chamber music groups in the
ethnic tribe to another. Philippines include the Clarion Chamber Ensemble
and the String Minstrels.
✔ “Idangdang” of Bukidnon

✔ “liyangkit parano sabil” of the Tausug

✔ “Composo” of the Hiligaynon
- A popular example of a traditional ballad would be
✔ "Magellan” by Yoyoy Villarne (1932-2007)
Choral Music
- Type of composition in the Western music idiom for a
group of singers.
- Called “chorus” or “choir”, from the Greek “choros” and
the French ‘choeus,” a choral group may consist of

- It must be mentioned that in modern times, the term o equal voices (all male or all female)
ballad has been applied to describe love songs, and a
balladeer is an artist whose set of songs are primarily o children’s voices
romantic songs.
o mixed voices (male and female voices)
- Notable Filipino contemporary ballad composers
- Usually classified into pitch range categories of
✔ Ernani Cuenco (1936-1988) soprano, alto, tenor, and bass.

✔ Jose Mari Chan (b. 1945)

- Some of the most popular and successful Filipino

contemporary balladeers

✔ Regine Velasquez-Alcasid (b. 1970)

✔ Sarah Geronimo (b. 1988)

✔ Jed Madela (b. 1977)

✔ many more
Chamber Music