Athalia Lexine Conti Marfil

Grade 5 St. Martin de Porres

HISTORY OF PHILIPPINE MUSIC

Philippine Music, A Historical Overview

CORAZON CANAVE-DIOQUINO
The Philippines, an archipelago of 7,100 islands, is made up of 77 provinces grouped into 16 regions.
The main groups include Luzon, the Visayan islands, and the Mindanao islands. Based on religion, the
population may be grouped into three broad categories: Christian groups, indigenous religion groups, and
Muslim groups. The Christian groups are the largest and are concentrated in the lowlands of Luzon and
the Visayan islands. Indigenous religion groups are found in upland northern Luzon, Mindanao and
Palawan. Muslim groups are concentrated in Mindanao, the Sulu islands and southern Palawan.
Although, geographically, the Philippines belongs to the East, its music has been heavily influenced
by the West owing to 333 years of Spanish rule and 45 years of American domination. Music in the
highland and lowland hamlets where indigenous culture continues to thrive has strong Asian elements.
Spanish and American influences are highly evident in the music of the urban areas. In discussing
Philippine music, three main divisions are apparent: (1) an old Asian influenced music referred to as the
indigenous; (2) a religious and secular music influenced by Spanish and European forms; and (3) an
American/European inspired classical, semi-classical, and popular music.
The Indigenous Traditions
The indigenous traditions are practiced by about 10% of the population. Eight percent of this minority
comprises some 50 language groups of people who live in the mountains of northern Luzon and the
islands of Mindanao, Sulu, Palawan, and Mindoro in southern and western Philippines. The remaining
2% of these groups are the Muslims from Mindanao and Sulu.
While there is no written information about the music in the Philippines before the arrival of Magellan
in 1521, subsequent reports made by friars, civil servants and travelers include descriptions of
instrumental and vocal musicsometimes mentioned in passing, other times in greater detail. From these
documents, various kinds of interments made of bronze, bamboo, or wood are cited. These include gongs
of various kinds of size and shapes, drums, flutes of different types, zithers, lutes, clappers, and buzzers.
Vocal genres include epics relating genealogies and exploits of heroes and gods; work songs related to
planting, harvesting, fishing; ritual songs to drive away evil spirits or to invoke blessings from the good
spirits; songs to celebrate festive occasions particularly marriage, birth, victory at war, or the settling of
tribal disputes; mourning songs for the dead; courting songs; and childrens game songs. It is this type of
music that is still practiced today by the indigenous groups.
The Spanish-European Influenced Traditions
With the coming of the Spaniards the Filipinos music underwent a transformation with the influx of
western influences, particularly the Spanish-European culture prevalent during the 17th to the
19th centuries. The Hispanization during the succeeding three centuries after 1521 was tied up with
religious conversion. It effected a change in the peoples musical thinking and what emerged was a hybrid
expression tinged with Hispanic flavor. It produced a religious music connected to and outside the
Catholic liturgy and a European-inspired secular music adapted by the Filipinos and reflected in their folk
songs and instrumental music.
The American Influenced Traditions

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The American regime lasted from 1898 to 1946 during which time Philippine music underwent
another process of transformation.
In the newly established public school system, music was included in the curriculum at the elementary
and later at the high school levels. Music conservatories and colleges were established at the tertiary

level. Graduates from these institutions included the first generation of Filipino composers whose works
were written in western idioms and forms. Their works and those of the succeeding generations of Filipino
composers represent the classical art music tradition which continues to flourish today.
Side by side with this classical art music tradition was a lighter type of music. This semi-classical
repertoire includes stylized folk songs, theater music, and instrumental music. The sarswela tradition
produced a large body of music consisting of songs patterned after opera arias of the day as well as short
instrumental overtures and interludes.
The strong band tradition in the Philippines, which began during the previous Spanish period and
which continues to this day, produced outstanding musicians, composers and performers. Another
popular instrumental ensemble was the rondalla which superceded an earlier type of ensemble called
the cumparsa. The latter was an adaptation of similar instrumental groups, the murza of Mexico and the
estudiantina of Spain.
American lifestyle and pop culture gave rise to music created by Filipinos using western pop forms.
Referred to as Pinoy pop it includes a wide range of forms: folk songs, dance tunes, ballads, Broadway
type songs, rock n roll, disco, jazz, and rap.
These three main streams of Philippine music indigenous, Spanish influenced religious and secular
music, American/European influenced classical, semi-classical, and popular music comprise what we
refer to today as Philippine music.
About the Author:
Corazon Canave-Dioquino musicologist, is a professor at the University of the Philippines, College of
Music where she has taught for the past 42 years.She is actively involved in the collection and archiving
of musical Filipiniana at the UP Center for Ethnomusicology at Diliman, Quezon City.
Source:
http://ncca.gov.ph/subcommissions/subcommission-on-the-arts-sca/music/philippine-music-a-historicaloverview/

Philippines Music History

The recitative and simple two note music of Philippines originated as a result of the trade relations with
different races such as the Arabs, Chinese, Indonesians, Japanese, Malaya, Hindus and the Indo
Chinese.
Music had an important role in Philippines in regulating and coordinating the religious and social life of
the Filipinos.
Music was considered sacred and was treated as a fine art, and a subject to be taught. Though
Philippine music timeline narrates sanctity of Philippine music, 1795 was the year of Golden Age of
sacred music in Philippines music history.

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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.
A number of instruments made out of bamboo and wood were created during the primitive days and the
reed type of wind instruments was introduced by the Chinese and the Japanese.

Plucked instruments such as the guitar, banduria, octavina, laud and the banjo were also used to create
music in Philippines. The Gansa and the Kulintang are some of the Muslim Filipino instruments and the
bamboo flute and gong are the mountain region instruments.
The traditional music of the Philippines comprises of Gong music which was further divided on the
region into gangsa and bossed gongs and the Harana and the Kundiman lyrical songs which reminds
the islands of the Spanish period.
The Rondalla is also one of the traditional music which was performed in Philippines using the
mandolins and the guitars. A fragrance of traditional music is also observed in Philippine dance forms
like the Tinikling and Carinosa.
The Philippine madrigal singers have portrayed before the world the tradition of Philippines in the field
of choral music. Today Philippines can proudly say that they have contributed almost 200 choral
composers and arrangers to music.
Pepe Smith, Mike Hanopol and Wally Gonzales laid the roots of rock music in Philippines. Philippine
rock also conducted experiments by adding folk songs to rock. It captured the attention of the younger
generation.
In the 1960s with the song 'Killer Joe' Philippine rock received recognition worldwide for its major
achievement in the history of music. Soon the Philippine rock topped the American charts.
In 1841 the Tondo theatre in Philippines was erected to stage Tagalog plays and the Spanish plays. An
Engineer named Jose Bosch created the Teatro Castellano theatre for the purpose of presenting songs
and plays.
Teatro Comico in manila built in 1970 and the Arroceros theatre near the Mehan garden for performing
Tagalog plays were some of other popular Philippine theatres in the history of Philippine music.

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Source: http://www.themusichistory.com/philippines-music-history.html

I.

Indigenous Music

Largely functional
Expressed either instrumentally, vocally, or a combination of both
Indigenous Musical Instruments

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. Best represented by the many
types of bamboo flutes that are found all over the country

1. Lip Valley Flute

o paldong, or kaldong of the
Kalinga
o palendag of South
Maguindanao
o pulalu of Manobo
o Two by two fingerholes. Protruding mouthpiece with a hole. The instrument is decorated with
carvings blackened by burning.

2. Nose Flute

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The northern tribes call

this kalleleng (Bontoc and
Kankanai), tongali (Ifugao and Kalinga)
and baliing (Isneg). In the Central
Philippines, it is known as lantuy among
the Cuyunin, babarek among the
Tagbanua and plawta among the Mangyan.

Long bamboo tube, closed at one end by the node in which

the blowing hole is burnt. The flute has three finger holes. The
blowing hole is placed under an angle against the nose and
the player gently blows into the tube.

3. Suling of Maguindanao
o This is so called because the blowing end is encircled with a
rattan ring to create mouthpiece

4. Pipe with Reed

o
o

Sahunay of the Taosug

Tube with six fingerholes; mouth piece of bamboo with cut
out reed; mouth shield made of coconut shell; bell made of
leaf (probably bamboo) and blue plastic ribbon.

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Ring Flute

Nose Flute

Pipe with Reed

Chordophones
o
o

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

1. Zither
o

A stringed instrument made from a single bamboo section, around three to four inches in
diameter, with a node at each end. Serving as strings are raised narrow strips of the outer skin
fibers of the bamboo itself, with the ends still attached to the body of the instrument.

Zither

2. Kudyapi/Kudlung

Kudliung (Central Mindanao)

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Kudyapi (Bukidnon)

Two stringed lute made of wood, one string for the melody, one for the drone. Eight frets
originally held in place placed on the neck of the lute by a sticky rubbery substance. The lute is
decorated with floral motives; the tail is carved to represent a stylised crocodile head.

Idiophones
o
o

Any musical instrument which creates sound primarily by way of the instrument vibrating itself,
without the use of strings or membranes
Include bamboo buzzers, percussion sticks and gongs

1. Jaw Harp

o
o
o
o

kubing of Maranao
kolibauTingguian, arudingTagbanua, kolibauTingguian,
A very thin slit of bamboo or brass with a narrow vibrating tongue in the middle longitudinal
section
Considered a speaking intrument, Placed between the lips of the player, its tongue is made to
vibrate by striking the projecting end of the instrument with the thumb or by pulling a string
attached to it. The mouth of the playeracts as the resonator, and as the shape of the mouth
cavity changes, the pitch and quality of the sound varies. This enables the player to
communicate message with his instrument. For this reason, the jews harp is a favorite of
lovers and is played by both men and women. It is thus considered a speaking intrument.

2. Bamboo Buzzer

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o
o
o

balingbing, or bunkaka Kalinga; batiwtiw (Central Philippines)

a bamboo tube which is open or split at one end
This instrument is played alone or in groups as a form and diversion or to drive away evil spirits
along a forest trail.

3. Kulintang (Maguindanao and Maranao)

It consists of eight gongs placed horizontally in a frame and tuned to a flexible pentatonic or fivetone scale. The kulintang ensemble is often considered as the most cultivated of the regions
musical expressions. Aside from being a medium of entertainment and hospitality, the kulintang
also serves as a vehicle for social interaction and group solidarity and for learning ethical
principles

AGUNG (Bagobo)
Bangibang

Membranophones

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Any musical instrument which produces sound primarily by

way of a vibrating stretched membrane

Vocal Forms
o
o
o
o
o
o

Lullabies (owiwi, dagdagay, oppia, lagan bata-bata, bua, and kawayanna)

didactic/figurative
Occupational dinaweg (boar), the kellangan (shark-fishing), and the didayu (wine-making)
Occasional appros, nan-sob-oy, sarongkawit, dikir
War
love ading, sindil

Ethnomusicologist Jose Maceda

o

Songs mark every stage of human development from birth and infancy to adulthood and death,
night and day, and many occasions in the cycle of natural events and the flow of human
activities whether personal, social, economic, political, spiritual or cosmic.

Patterns and Characteristics

o
o
o
o
o
o
o

II.

Improvisation
Low and limited range of notes
Melodic ornamentations
Greater variety of voice quality
Chant-like monotone singing in most groups
Rhythmic freedom
large number of reiterated and marked accents on one vowel

Spanish-European Influenced

Liturgical music
Gregorian chant
Pasyon
Secular music
Harana
Kundiman
Rondalla
Sarswela

1. Harana
o
o
o

Traditional form of courtship music in which a man woos a woman by singing

underneath her window at night
Structure based on the plosa
Pananapatan, pasasalamat, pagtumbok, paghilig, pamamaalam

2. Kundiman

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o
o

A lyrical song made popular in the Philippines in the early 19th century
Almost all traditional Filipino love songs in this genre are heavy with poetic emotion

3. Rondalla
o
o
o

III.

American influenced
o
o
o
o

IV.

o
o
o

10

Neo-classicism
Conservatory of Music
popularity of American rocknroll, pop music, dance,
and disco
tunog-lata

Post Liberation
o

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Patterned after estudiantina and comparasa

Plucked string ensemble
Bandurria, laud, octavina, guitar, and bajo de uas

Filipino Rock
Killer Joe by Rocky Fellers
Manila Sound
Folk rock
Original Pinoy Music
Filipino Hip Hop and RnB
Contemporary Philippine Music