MUSIC

Music of the Philippines (Filipino: Musika ng Pilipinas; Spanish: Música de Filipinas) include

musical performance arts in the Philippines or by Filipinos composed in various genres and styles.
The compositions are often a mixture of different Asian, Spanish, Latin American, American,
and indigenous influences.

Primal music[edit]
A series of recordings made on music played on the spot is primal music. It does not have to be
repeated and has to be performed only once.

Indigenous music[edit]t
Main article: Filipino folk music
Notable folk song composers include the National Artist for Music Lucio San Pedro, who composed
the famous "Sa Ugoy ng Duyan" that recalls about the loving touch of mother to her child. Another
great composer who's known as patriotic composer, Antonio Buenaventura.

Gong music[edit]
Philippine gong music can be divided into two types: the flat gong commonly known as gangsà and
played by the groups in the Cordillera region of the bossed gongs played among the Islam and
animist groups in the southern Philippines.
Kulintang refers to a racked gong chime instrument played in the southern islands of the Philippines,
along with its varied accompanying ensembles. Different groups have different ways of playing
the kulintang. Two major groups seem to stand-out in kulintang music. These are the Maguindanaon
and the Maranaw. The kulintang instrument itself could be traced to either the introduction of gongs
to Southeast Asia from India before the 10th century CE, or more likely, to the introduction of bossed
gong chimes from Java via India in the 15th century. Nevertheless, the kulintang ensemble is the
most advanced form of music from before the late 16th century and the legacy of the Europeans in
the Philippine archipelago.
The tradition of kulintang ensemble music itself is regional, predating the establishment of present-
day Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia. It transcends religion, with Buddhist, Hindu Animist, and
Christian ethnic groups in Borneo, Flores and Sulawesi playing kulintangan; and Muslim groups
playing the same genre of music in Mindanao, Palawan and the Sulu archipelago. It is distantly
related to the gamelan ensembles of Java and Bali, as well as the musical forms in Mainland
Southeast Asia, mainly because of the usage for the same bossed racked gong chimes that play
both melodic and percussive.

Hispanic-influenced music[edit]
Spain ruled the Philippines for 333 years, and Hispanic influence in Filipino culture is ubiquitous.
This influence can be easily seen in folk and traditional music, especially in the Tagalog and Visayan
regions, where Spanish influence was greatest.

Rondalla music[edit]
The Rondalla is a traditional string orchestra comprising two-string, mandolin-type instruments such
as the banduria and laud; a guitar; a double bass; and often a drum for percussion. The rondalla has
its origins in the Iberian rondalla tradition, and is used to accompany several Hispanic-influenced
song forms and dances.
Harana and Kundiman[edit]
The Harana and Kundiman are popular lyrical songs dating back to the Spanish period, and are
customarily used in courtship rituals. The Harana is rooted in the Mexican-Spanish tradition and
based on the rhythmic patterns of the habanera. The Kundiman, meanwhile, has pre-colonial origins
from the Tagalophone parts of the country, uses a triple meter rhythm, and is characterised by
beginning in a minor key and shifting to a major one in the second half.
In the 1920s Harana and Kundiman became more mainstream after performers such as Atang de la
Rama, Jovita Fuentes, Conching Rosal, Sylvia La Torre and Ruben Tagalog introduced them to a
wider audience.
Tinikling[edit]
The Tinikling is a dance from Leyte which involves two individual performers hitting bamboo poles,
using them to beat, tap, and slide on the ground, in co-ordination with one or more dancers who
steps over and in between poles. This is one of the more iconic Philippine dances, and is similar to
other Southeast Asian bamboo dances.
Cariñosa[edit]
The Cariñosa (meaning "loving" or "affectionate one"), is the national dance, and is part of the María
Clara suite of Philippine folk dances. It is notable for use of the fan and handkerchief in amplifying
romantic gestures expressed by the couple performing the traditional courtship dance. The dance is
similar to the Mexican Jarabe Tapatío, and is related to the Kuracha, Amenudo and Kuradang
dances in the Visayas and Mindanao Area.

Original Pilipino Music[edit]

Original Pilipino music, now more commonly termed original Pinoy music, original Philippine
music or OPM, originally referred only to Philippine pop songs, particularly ballads, such as those
popular after the collapse of its predecessor, the Manila Sound of the late 1970s. In the 1970s,
popular artists were Nora Aunor, Pilita Corrales, Eddie Peregrina, Ramon Jacinto, Victor Wood,
and Asin. The more major commercial Philippine pop music artists were Claire dela Fuente, Didith
Reyes, Rico Puno, Ryan Cayabyab, Basil Valdez, Celeste Legaspi, Hajji Alejandro, Rey
Valera, Freddie Aguilar, Imelda Papin, Eva Eugenio, Marco Sison, Nonoy Zuniga, and many others.
Between the 1980s and the 1990s, OPM was led by artists such as Regine Velasquez, APO Hiking
Society, José Mari Chan, Janet Arnaiz, Dingdong Avanzado, Rodel Naval, Janno Gibbs, Ogie
Alcasid, Joey Albert, Lilet, Martin Nievera, Manilyn Reynes, Lea Salonga, Raymond
Lauchengco, JoAnne Lorenzana, Francis Magalona, Sharon Cuneta, Sheryl Cruz, Zsa Zsa
Padilla and Gary Valenciano, among many others.
In the 1990s, famous artists included Eraserheads, Smokey Mountain, Rivermaya, Jaya, Donna
Cruz, Jolina Magdangal, Jessa Zaragoza, Ariel Rivera, South Border, AfterImage, Side A, Andrew
E., Lani Misalucha, Ella May Saison, Roselle Nava and Blakdyak, among many others.
In the 2000s and the 2010s, leading OPM artists include Aiza Seguerra, Toni Gonzaga, Sarah
Geronimo, Nina, Yeng Constantino, Spongecola, Christian Bautista, Charice, Jed Madela, Erik
Santos, Parokya Ni Edgar and Gloc-9, among many others.
Underground bands emerged and along with them were their perceptions of idealism and self-
expression. The famous lyricist of Circle's End, Geno Georsua landed on top as the melodramatic
expressionist. Bassist Greg Soliman of UST Pendong grasps the title as the best bassist of
underground music.
From its origin, OPM has been centered in Manila, where Tagalog and English are the dominant
languages. Other ethnolinguistic groups such as Visayan, Bikol and Kapampangan, despite making
music in their native languages, have rarely been recognized as OPM. Unusual cases include
the Bisrock (Visayan rock music) song "Charing" by Davao band, 1017. Multiculturalism advocates
and federalists often associate the discrepancy to the Tagalog-centric cultural hegemony of Manila.
Having successfully created a subgenre of Philippine rock that they call "Bisrock", the Visayans, by
far, have the biggest collection of modern music in their native language, with great contributions
from Visayan bands Phylum and Missing Filemon. However, a band called Groupies' Panciteria that
hails from Tacloban, a Winaray-speaking city, launched a free downloadable mp3 album
on Soundclick.com in 2009 containing 13 Tagalog songs and only one very short song in
the Cebuano language.[1]

Pop music[edit]
See also: Pinoy pop
OPM pop has been regularly showcased in the live band scene. Groups such as Neocolours, Side
A, Introvoys, The Teeth, Yano, True Faith, Passage and Freestyle popularized songs that clearly
reflect the sentimental character of OPM pop.
In the new millennium up to the 2010s, famous Filipino pop music artists included Sarah
Geronimo, Erik Santos, Yeng Constantino and Christian Bautista, among many others.

Choir music[edit]
Choral music has become an important part of Philippine music culture. It dates back to the choirs of
churches that sing during mass in the old days. In the middle of the 20th century, performing choral
groups started to emerge and increasingly become popular as time goes by. Aside from churches,
universities, schools and local communities have established choirs.
Philippine choral arrangers like Robert Delgado, Fidel Calalang, Lucio San Pedro, Eudenice
Palaruan among others have included in the vast repertoires of choirs beautiful arrangements of
OPM, folk songs, patriotic songs, novelty songs, love songs, and even foreign songs.
The Philippine Madrigal Singers (originally the University of the Philippines Madrigal Singers) is one
of the most famous choral groups not only in the Philippines, but also worldwide. Winning
international competitions, the group became one of the most formidable choral groups in the
country. Other award-winning choral groups are the University of Santo Tomas Singers, the
Philippine Meistersingers (Former Adventist University of the Philippines Ambassadors), the U.P.
Singing Ambassadors and U.P. Concert Chorus, among others.

Rock music[edit]
See also: Pinoy rock
The United States occupied the Islands from 1898 until 1946, and introduced American blues, folk
music, R&B and rock & roll which became popular. In the late 1950s, native performers adapted
Tagalog lyrics for North American rock & roll music, resulting in the seminal origins of Philippine
rock. The most notable achievement in Philippine rock of the 1960s was the hit song "Killer Joe",
which propelled the group Rocky Fellers, reaching number 16 on the American radio charts.
Up until the 1970s, popular rock musicians began writing and producing in English. In the early
1970s, rock music began to be written using local languages, with bands like the Juan Dela Cruz
Band being among the first popular bands to do so. Mixing Tagalog and English lyrics were also
popularly used within the same song, in songs like "Ang Miss Universe Ng Buhay Ko" ("The Miss
Universe of My Life") by the band Hotdog which helped innovate the Manila Sound. The mixing of
the two languages (known as "Taglish"), while common in casual speech in the Philippines, was
seen as a bold move, but the success of Taglish in popular songs, including Sharon Cuneta's first
hit, "Mr. DJ", broke the barrier forevermore.
Philippine rock musicians added folk music and other influences, helping to lead to the 1978
breakthrough success of Freddie Aguilar. Aguilar's "Anak" ("Child"), his debut recording, is the most
commercially successful Filipino recording, and was popular throughout Asia and Europe, and has
been translated into numerous languages by singers worldwide. Asin also broke into the music
scene in the same period, and were popular.
Folk rock became the Philippine protest music of the 1980s, and Aguilar's "Bayan Ko" ("My
Country") became popular as an anthem during the 1986 EDSA Revolution. At the same time, a
counterculture rejected the rise of politically focused lyrics. In Manila, a punk rock scene developed,
led by bands like Betrayed, The Jerks, Urban Bandits, and Contras. The influence of new wave was
also felt during these years, spearheaded by The Dawn.
The 1990s saw the emergence of Eraserheads, considered by many Philippine nationals as the
number one group in the Philippine recording scene. In the wake of their success was the
emergence of a string of influential Filipino rock bands such as Yano, Siakol, Parokya ni
Edgar and Rivermaya, each of which mixes the influence of a variety of rock subgenres into their
style.
Filipino rock has also developed to include some hard rock, heavy metal and alternative rock such
as Razorback, Wolfgang, Greyhoundz, Slapshock, Queso, Bamboo, Franco, Urbandub and the
progressive bands Paradigm, Fuseboxx, Earthmover and Eternal Now.
Rock festivals have emerged through the recent years and it has been an annual event for some of
the rock/metal enthusiasts. One big event is the Pulp Summer Slam wherein local rock/metal bands
and international bands such as Lamb of God, Anthrax, Death Angel and Arch Enemy have
performed.[6]
The neo-traditional genre in Filipino music is also gaining popularity, with artists such as Joey
Ayala, Grace Nono, Bayang Barrios, Cocojam and Pinikpikan reaping relative commercial success
while utilizing the traditional musical sounds of many indigenous tribes in the Philippines.

Hip-hop[edit]
Main article: Pinoy hip hop
Filipino hip-hop is hip hop music performed by musicians of Filipino descent, both in the Philippines
and overseas, especially by Filipino-Americans. The Philippines is known to have had the first hip-
hop music scene in Asia since the early 1980s, largely due to the country's historical connections
with the United States where hip-hop originated. Rap music released in the Philippines has
appeared in different languages such as Tagalog, Chavacano, Cebuano, Ilocano and English. In the
Philippines, Francis M, Gloc-9 and Andrew E. are cited as the most influential rappers in the country,
being the first to release mainstream rap albums.