MUSIC REVIEWER

NOTE: PLEASE STILL STUDY IN YOUR MUSIC BOOK ON PAGES 10 – 47

Music of the lowlands of Luzon – composed of Vocal and Instrumental music which varies in every
province of Luzon

Farmers, fishermen, artisans, vendors, traders, and common people – lowland folks

Folk songs – songs written by the folk and are sung to accompany daily activities such as farming,
fishing, and putting the baby to sleep.

Folk songs of Luzon lowlands are in native language such as Ilocano, Pangasinense, Kampampangan,
Tagalog, Bicolano.

SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF FOLK SONGS:

 Originally passed down orally to the family and society

 Learned through rote
 Sung in his/her own dialect
 Short and simple
 Mood can be sentimental, playful, and humorous

SOME EXAMPLES OF PHILLIPINE FOLK SONGS FROM THE LUZON LOWLANDS:

ILOCANO
 Pamulinawen
 Manang Biday
 Ti Ayat ti Maysa nga Ubing
 Naraniag a bulan
KAPAMPANGAN
 Atin Cu Pung Singsing
 Caca, O Caca
 Dorero
 Patag a Bundoc
TAGALOG
 Magtanim ay ‘Di Biro
 Bahay Kubo
 Leron Leron SInta
 Sitsiritsit
 Paru-Parong Bukid
BICOLANO
 Sarung Banggi

Sarung Banggi – “one evening”, a folk song from Sto. Domingo, Albay.
Religious music of Luzon lowlands – reveals the impact of Spanish colonization to the Philippines
which lasted for almost three centuries.
Pasyon – a Phillipine narrative of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ in a form of song
with a dramatic theme. The whole txt is chanted and known as “Pabasa” and is recited during Holy
Week (Semana Santa)
Salubong – a religious ritual that re-enacts the meeting of the Risen Christ with His mother on the dawn
of Easter Sunday.
Regina Coeli Laetare – Queen of Heaven
Flores De Mayo / Flowers of May – a Catholic festival held on the month of May. It is one of the
devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary or “Alay” (offering). Song: “Alay ng Bulaklak kay Maria”
Santa Cruzan – a religious-historical event that dramatizes the finding of the Holy Cross by the Queen
Helena and her son, Constantine the Great. Song: “Dios Te Salve Maria” / Hail Mary
Harana – a serenade traditionally sung by a man to express his love to a lady.
EXAMPLES OF HARANA:
 Ang Tangi Kong Pag-ibig
 O Ilaw
 Dungawin Mo Hirang
Kumintang – originated from Batayan, Batagas which is a song in triple meter with themes of love and
courtship
Mutya ng Pasig – composed by Nicanor Abelardo in kumintang tempo.
Kundiman (Art Song) – came from the words “kung hindi man” which conveys a selfless and spiritual
attitude, intense love, longing, caring, devotion, and oneness not onlt with a romantic partner, but also
with a parent, child, a spiritual figure, or the motherland.

SOME FAMOUS FILIPINO KUNDIMAN COMPOSERS:

 Francisco Santiago
 Nicanor Abelardo
 Bonifacio Abdon
 Francisco Buencamino
 Angel Peña
SOME FAMOUS KUNDIMAN PERFORMERS:
 Atang de la Rama
 Jovia Fuentes
 Conching Rosal
 Ruben Tagalog
SOME EXAMPLES OF KUNDIMAN:
 Pilipinas Kong Mahal – Francisco Santiago
 Nasaan Ka Irog, Huling Awit – Nicanor Abelardo
 Jocelynang Baliwag – unknown
 Sa Sariling Bayan – V. Tolentino
 Iyo Kailan Pa Man – Angel Peña
Brass band – an ensemble of woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments.

EXAMPLES OF BRASS BAND INSTRUMENTS:

 Piccolo
 Clarinet
 Alto Saxophone
 Tenor Saxophone
 Flute
EXAMPLES OF BRASSWINDS:
 Trombone
 Trumpet
 Euphonium
 Sousaphone
 French Horn
PERCUSSION
 Cymbals
 Snare Drum
 Bass Drum
Lupang Hinirang – originally entitled “Marcha Nacional Filipina”, composed by Julian Felipe,
performed by the San Francisco de Malabon Band at the Proclamation of Philippine Independence
on June 12, 1898 in Kawit, Cavite.
Jose Palma – who wrote the lyrics of Lupang Hinirang, adapted from the Spanish poem “Filipinas” and
entitled it “Himno Nacional Filipino”
Bamboo Organ – a Philippine National Treasure. It is made of 902 bamboo pipes
Musikong Bumbong – Filipino marching bands that use woodwind instruments that made of bamboo.
It was renamed several times but it is currently known as “Musikayan”.
Pangkat Kawayan – popularly known as the “Singing Bamboos of the Philippines”, an orchestra that
plays music using non-traditional bamboo instruments.

PANGKAT KAWAYAN INSTRUMENTS:

 Angklung
 Bumbong (bamboo tube)
 Kalatok (bamboo knocker)
 Talunggating (bamboo marimba)
 Kalagong
 Pan Pipes
 Tulali (bamboo flute)
 Kiskis
Angklung Ensemble – a small group of musicians who plays angklung bamboo instruments.
Hornbostel-Sachs system – Erich Moritz von Hornbostel (Austrian music scholar) and Curt Sachs
(German organologist)

HORNBOSTEL-SACHS CLASSIFICATION OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS:

 Idiophones
 Aerophones
 Chordophones
 Membranophones
 Electrophones