HISTORY OF

PHILIPPINE
MUSIC
 Pre-Spanish Period
 At time when paper and pen was not
invented the Filipinos sought the help of
palm leaves, bamboo canes and barks
of trees and pieces of sharp stick to write
the song.
 Pre-Spanish Period
 Natives were without a doubt,
music lovers.
 Singing is accompanied by
dancing.
 Functions of their music is:
 Religion
 Social Life
 Dal-lot
A song sung by farmers during
wedding, baptismal, and other
parties.

Pamulinawen
A Filipino folk song (in the Ilocano
language) that tells about
courting a girl with a heart of
stone. Pamulinawen is her name.
 Spanish Period
 More conservative style of sacred
music.
 Pasyon is a Philippine epic, narrative of
the life of Jesus Christ, focused on his
passion, death and resurrection.
 Spanish Period
Harana
-a lyrical courtship style based on Mexican-
Spanish traditions and takes the form of love
songs strummed on the guitar in public nighttime
displays of romance, traditionally with a boy
singing to woo the girl he loves.

Kundiman
- is a passionate form of Tagalog romantic song
based on Spanish melodies and song structures.
Its lyrics depict a romantic theme, usually
portraying love, passion, or sadness.
 Sylvia La Torre
• Known as the “Queen
of Kundiman” in the
1950s and 1960s.
• Her first song release
was “Si Petite Mon
Amour” under the
Bataan Records label
in 1950.
 Tagulaylay
- Bicolano folk song
- It is originated from the words
“taghoy” which means lament and
“alalay” which means sustained. It’s
grieving over a tragic event.

Balitaw
- An extemporaneous exchange
of love verses between a man and
a woman
 Palimos
- A song of a blind asking for alms,
or in short, a song for begging.

Kumintang
- The oldest and most popular song
among Christian Filipinos.
- It is the name given to several distinct
styles, techniques and forms in music
and dance probably originating in the
areas used by early Spanish
cartographers
 PIIPINOS WHO
CONTRIBUTED TO
PHILIPPINE MUSIC
Lucio D. San Pedro
• a master composer, conductor,
and teacher whose music
evokes the folk elements
of the Filipino heritage.
• Cousin to “Botong” Francisco, San
Pedro produced a wide-ranging
body of works that includes band
music, concertos for violin and
orchestra, choral works, cantatas,
chamber music, music for violin and
piano, and songs for solo voice.
Some of his orchestral music includes:
• The Devil’s Bridge
• Malakas at Maganda Overture
• Hope and Ambition
• Sa Ugoy ng Duyan
 Col. Antonino Buenaventura
• a renowned composer, conductor, and
teacher. It was he who restored the
Philippine Constabulary Band, reputedly the
only military band that sounded like a
symphony orchestra, to its former glory as
one of the best military bands in the world.
The band would later be renamed the
Philippine Army Band.
• promoted Philippine music by
extensively using folk materials
in his works.
He composed the following:
o Minuet
o Divertimento for Piano and
Orchestra
o Variations and Fugue
o Pandanggo sa Ilaw
 Jose Maceda
• composer, musicologist, teacher
and performer, explored the musicality of the Filipino
deeply.
• Maceda embarked on a life-long dedication to the
understanding and popularization of Filipino traditional
music.
• Usually performed as a communal ritual, his compositions
like Ugma-ugma (1963), Pagsamba (1968), and Udlot-
udlot (1975), are monuments to his unflagging
commitment to Philippine music. Other major works
include Agungan, Kubing, Pagsamba, Ugnayan, Ading,
Aroding, Siasid, Suling-suling.
 Levi Celerio
 a prolific lyricist and composer for decades.
He effortlessly translated/wrote anew the lyrics
to traditional melodies: “O Maliwanag Na
Buwan” (Iloko), “Ako ay May Singsing”
(Pampango), “Alibangbang” (Visaya) among
others.
 He made it to the Guinness Book of World
Records as the only person able to make
music using just a
leaf.
 Ernani Joson
• a seasoned
Cuenco
musician born in May
10, 1936 in Malolos, Bulacan.
• a composer, film scorer, musical
director and music teacher, he wrote
an outstanding and memorable
body of works that resonate with the
Filipino sense of musicality and which
embody an ingenious voice that
raises the aesthetic dimensions of
contemporary Filipino music.
His songs and ballads include:
 Nahan, Kahit na Magtiis
 Diligin Mo ng Hamog ang Uhaw na Lupa
 Pilipinas
 Inang Bayan
 Isang Dalangin
 Kalesa
 Bato sa Buhangin
 Gaano Kita Kamahal
 Jovita Fuentes
• first Filipino international
star in the world of opera.
• Fuentes made her
international debut as Cio
Cio San in Puccini’s Madame
Butterfly, staged in Italy’s
Teatro Municipale di
Piacenza
Antonio J. Molina
• versatile musician,
composer, music educator.
• He was the first composer
invited to perform his own
works at Malacañang Palace
in 1931, when George Butte
was the acting Governor
General of the Philippines.
• His most familiar
composition is Hatinggabi, a
serenade for solo violin and
piano accompaniment.
 Honorata “Atang” Dela Rama
• She was formally honored
as the Queen of Kundiman
in 1979.
•Atang became the very
first actress in the very first
locally produced Filipino
film when she essayed the
same role in the sarsuela’s
film version.
 INDIGENOUS MUSICAL
INSTRUMENT

• Aerophones
• Chordophones
• Idiophones
• Membranophones
 Aerophones
• any musical instrument which
produces sound primarily by
causing a body of air to vibrate,
without the use of strings or
membranes, and without the
vibration of the instrument itself
adding considerably to the
sound
 Kalleleng
Ethnic group: Bontoc
Location: North Luzon (Cordillera)
Classification: Aerophone, vertical flute, nose flute
 Lantuy

Ethnic group: Hanunoo

Location: Mindoro
Classification: Aerophone,
horizontal flute

Description

Bamboo tube, closed at

one end by a node (on the
right on the picture).
Dimensions; length: 31,5
cm., diameter: 1,5 cm.
Palandag
 Local name : unknown
Group: Bontoc
Location: North Luzon (Cordillera)

Classification: Aerophone, vertical flute

Description
Short bamboo tube, cut off on the node and closed
with a piece of wood, lower part of the hole half
covered, with a burnt in hole.

Dimensions: length: 14,7 cm., dimater: 1,6 cm.

 Paldong
Ethnic group: Kalingga
Location: North Luzon (Cordillera)
Classification: Aerophone, lip valley
flute (notch

Paldong is the one on the left.

 Pulalu
Ethnic group: Mansaka
Location: SE Mindanao
Classification: Lip valley flute
(notch flute), aerophone

Description

Open bamboo pipe,

top end cut at an
angle (see pictures).
Two by two
fingerholes.
Dimensions: length:
48,7 cm, diameter
1,4 cm

Pulalu is the one on the right

Ethnic group: Kalingga
Location: North Luzon
(Cordillera)
Classification: Aerophone,
vertical flute; nose flute

Tongali

It is held against the nostril; the

other nostril is plugged.
 Sahunay
Ethnic group: Taosug
Location: Sulu archipelago
(muslim south)
Classification: Pipe with reed
(clarinet): aerophone
 Chordophones
• any musical instrument which
makes sound by way of a
vibrating string or strings stretched
between two points
• Include bamboo zithers, guitars,
violins, and lutes
 Kudlung
Ethnic group: Bagobo
Location: SE Mindanao
Classification: Chordophone,
two stringed boat lute
The body, carved with geometric patterns, the glued
on frets and the strap.
Ethnic group: Marano
Location: West Central Mindanao
(muslim south)
Classification
Chordophone, two stringed boat lute
The head, decorated with
floral motives, 'okiran'

The tail, decorated with

the 'crocodile' motive.
Serongagandi
 Idiophones
• any musical instrument
which creates sound primarily
by way of the instrument
vibrating itself, without the
use of strings or membranes.
Group: Bontoc Ethnic group: Bontoc
Classification Location: North Luzon
Idiophone, jaw harp (Cordillera)
 Ethnic group: Hanunoo
Location: Mindoro
Classification: Idiophone, jaw harp
Description

Made of bamboo; the instrument is held horizontally

with the bamboo tongue in front of the opened
mouth. The left end is hit by the thumb of the right
hand. This makes the bamboo tongue vibrate which
causes a sound. The mouth serves as a resonator and
by changing the shape and size of the mouth
opening, the overtones can be changed, thus
creating a melody. By strongly breathing in or out the
volume can be changed as well. For a picture of the
instrument in use:
Dimensions:
length: 14,9 cm., width: 0,8 cm.
 Ethnic group: Manobo
Location: Central Mindanao
Classification: Idiophone, jaw harp
 Balingbing
Group: Kalingga
Location: North Luzon
(Cordillera)
Classification
Idiophone, bamboo buzzer
 Ethnic group: Ifugao
Location: North Luzon
(Cordillera)
Classification Idiophone,
bamboo clapper

Description
Bamboo tube, one end open; cut open in the
middle; upper part cut into two halves. The
instrument is played by shaking: one half swings up
and down and in the down swing hits the lower
half.
 Gabbang
Ethnic group: Taosug
Location: Jolo (muslim south)
Classification
Idiophone, xylophone

Description
Xylophone with 17 keys made of
bamboo, separated by metal
nails. The resonating case is
dcorated with floral motives. At
the sides are two mirrors.

The beaters are made of wood

with a piece of tube rubber
Dimensions: length: 102 cm.,
width: 51 cm. height: 37 cm.
 Kulintang
(Small)
Ethnic group: Maranao
Location: Central-west
Mindanao (Muslim south)
Classification
Idiophone, metal xylophone
Kulintang Ensemble
Group: Maranao Description
Classification: Idiophone Gong made in iron. The gong
Location: West Central Mindanao is part of the kulintang
(Muslim South) ensem.le
 Membranophones
• any musical instrument
which produces sound
primarily by way of a
vibrating stretched
membrane
 Dadabuan
Ethnic group: Maranao
Location: West central Mindanao (muslim south)

Classification
Membranophone, hour glass shaped drum

Description
Hour glass shaped drum made of wood; the
membrane is made of carabao skin. Decorated
with carvings and painted. The drum is part of
the Kulintang ensemble.
 Original Pilipino Music (OPM)
- now more commonly termed Original
Pinoy Music or Original Philippine Music or
OPM for short, originally referred only to
Philippine pop songs, particularly ballads,
such as those popular after the collapse of
its predecessor, the Manila Sound, in the
late 1970s, up until the present.
 In the 70s: Nora Aunor
- Filipino actress, recording
artist and film producer.
She has also appeared in
several stage plays,
television shows, and
concerts.
- Aunor started her career
in the Philippine
entertainment industry as a
singer after she won an
amateur singing contest.
 Between the 1980s and 1990s:

Regine Velasquez
- a Filipino singer, actress
and record producer.

-Some of her singles are:

Urong Sulong
Isang Lahi
In Love with You
 In the 1990s:

Eraserheads
- Filipino rock band, consisting of Ely
Buendia, Marcus Adoro, Buddy
Zabala, and Raimund Marasigan, the
band became one of the most
successful, most influential, critically
acclaimed, and significant bands in
the history of Philippine music, leaving
a legacy that resulted to them being
the most commercially successful
Filipino music artists of all time.
Some of their songs are:
- Ang Huling El Bimbo
- Magasin
- With A Smile
- Pare Ko
- Alapaap
- Toyang
 In the 1990s:

Jessa Zaragosa
-She is well known as the
dubbed "Phenomenal Diva"
and "Jukebox Queen of the
90's" for her first studio album
"Just Can't Help Feelin" in 1997
with the hit carrier single "Bakit
Pa?" which became a Number
One Ballad in the Philippines
and a Top 40 hit during 1997-
1999.