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BABAO, RENIEL SHIM C.
BSMA 1-11 (Filipinology and National Development)/ Wednesday & Saturday (3:00-4:30 pm)
Prof. Jackson Jake U. Llames
History of Novelty Songs
A Brief History of Music
Music is an art that is part of the culture of every person or group of people. It takes the form of
singing melodies and lyrics and/or playing musical instruments that create sounds and melodies
(Pascua). The earliest form of music is said to be drum-based, and percussion instruments were
the only ones available at the time such as rock and pat-pat. Music evolved with the rise of
instruments used to accompany music (Hollis 2017).
Music in the Philippines reflects a rich culture rooted in both indigenous origins and foreign
influences, as well as the result of their adaptation and fusion. In the pre-colonial period it can be
said that the types of songs that existed were those related to typical activities. There is singing
while working in the garden, weaving cloth or weaving baskets. There is also the singing of
adults to children or the whole community (Torralba, 2006) and so on.
Music in the Philippines can be classified into three: (1) indigenous, (2) Spanish-influenced, and
(3) American-influenced according to Besa. Native Songs are songs that reflect the daily life of
the natives and people of the Philippines. These songs tell stories about the natives, especially of
the provinces in their simple lifestyle, and how they do different tasks. Like other folk songs in
Asian countries, the lyrics and subject are related to nature. in the colonial Philippines under the
Spanish there was a song about love, the Kundiman (Totanes, 1998) and songs related to the
Catholic religion and Catholic lifestyle and beliefs (CCP, 1994). "Popular music," such as the
song Jazz, along with Kundiman, became popular in the Philippines during the time it was under
the Americans (Foronda, 1975).
Novelty Songs
The word "novelty" according to the dictionary means "new or unusual" and "the state or quality
of being novel: newness" (Merriam-Webster, 1995). Therefore, it can be said that "novelty song"
means "new or unique song." But every season something new always appears which is also the
reason why it is unique.
Since the beginning of the Popular music charts, Novelty songs have been a type of popular
music. To be a complete novelty song, the song must be uniquely funny or unusual enough to
sell because it captures the idea and describes the current state of popular song culture at the time
it was made, or because the song itself creates its own brand in popular culture. There are many
forms and novelty songs such as parodies or funny imitations, and comic versions of social
events that contradict the usual character of the music. Many use unusual lyrics or
accompaniment that become unexpectedly popular. It's no surprise that the Christmas season is a
good time to make a comic song to go along with people's spending. The peak of popularity of
novelty songs was between the 40's and 60's in America but after the British conquest (Cameron
2017).
The novelty song has crossed from the 70s to the present and can be considered as one of the
important representatives of music in the Philippines after the colonial period to the present.
Another good basis for considering the novelty song as a representative of Philippine music in
the contemporary era is based on the essay in the CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art in 1994
where it can be noted that there is no mention of copied or original popular novelty songs or -
sing novelty songs outside the country, the concept of novelty songs in the Philippines when it
started. This means that the writers and singers of novelty songs in the Philippines are their own
versions of novelty songs. Popular music—pinoy rock, pinoy ballad, pinoy, pinoy pop, pinoy
folk are all bases on ideas of its colonial origins.
Examples of novelty songs that originated in America are: Der Fuehrer's Face by Spike Jones
which is about Hitler, Tom Lehrer's Poisoning Pigeons in the Park, Allan Sherman's Hello
Muddah Hello Faddah, Buchanan and Goodman's The Flying Saucer which is about alien due to
the rise of the supernatural in America. All of the above are very different from the novelty songs
popularized by Filipinos in the 70s led by novelty song singer Yoyoy Villame. His songs
"Buchikik" and "Mag-Exercise Tayo" came out in 1972
Which was considered a popular song at that time. Villame received an award for his songs as
“Best Novelty” at the Awit Awards in 1993 (Lucas, 1994) and was also called the ‘King of
Filipino Novelty Songs’ (Jorge, 2007). From the 90s to the present, Lito Camo’s songs are better
known as novelty songs. The lyrics of novelty songs popularized by Willie Revillame, Bayani
Agbayani, Angelica Jones, Ya Chang, Sexbomb group, Viva Hot Babes, JaBoom Twins, K and
the Boxers, Maskulados, and others are mostly composed by Camo. He is considered as the
“King of Novelty Songs” of the present time because of the popularity of each of his works. Due
to its extreme popularity, the song “Otso-Otso” in particular, is said to be the “national song”
among Filipino children (Ramos, 2005). The Parokya band of Edgar and Kamikaze is
Also considered the promoter of funny songs initiated by Yoyoy Villame (Jorge, 2007).
References:
CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art Volume 6: Philippine Music. Manila: Cultural
Center of the Philippines, 1994.

Foronda, Marcelino. Cultural Life in the Philippines during the Japanese Occupation: 1942-1945.
Manila: Philippine National Historical Society, 1975.
Totanes, Henry S. History: the Story of the Filipino People. A Timeline of Philippine History,
vol. 10. Asia Publishing Co. Ltd., 1998.
Torralba, J. E., “Videoke at Tiis: Popular Culture as Anesthesia in Crisis,” Malay (August 2006),
123-135.
Jorge, Rome, “Pop Culture Icon Dies,” Manila Times (May 19, 2007): C2.
Lucas, Cora N., “Yoyoy Villame: A Lasting Novelty,” Manila Times, (August 13 1994): B10
Cameron K, “Brief history of Novelty Songs (1940-1979)” August 26, 2017
Retrieved from: http://toeslayer.blogspot.com/2007/12/brief-history-of-novelty-songs-1940.html
Benjamin Hollis, “History of Music”. 2017
Retrieved from: https://method-behind-the-music.com/history/history/

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BABAO, RENIEL SHIM C.

History of Novelty Songs

A Brief History of Music

CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art Volume 6: Philippine Music. Manila: Cultural

Center of the Philippines, 1994.

Cameron K, “Brief history of Novelty Songs (1940-1979)” August 26, 2017

Retrieved from: http://toeslayer.blogspot.com/2007/12/brief-history-of-novelty-songs-1940.html

Benjamin Hollis, “History of Music”. 2017

Retrieved from: https://method-behind-the-music.com/history/history/

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