Visayan Music

• Kabisay-an refers both to the Visayan

people collectively and the lands they
have inhabited since prehistory.
The Anglicized term Visayas (adapted
from the, in turn, HispanizedBisayas)
is commonly used to refer to the latter.
The Visayan homeland—or the
unofficial, precolonial Visayas—spans
the following present-day Philippine
provinces (from north to south, west
to east within corresponding regions):
• MIMAROPA & Bicol Region
• Palawan
• Romblon
• Masbate
• Western Visayas
• Aklan
• Antique
• Capiz
• Iloilo
• Guimaras
• Negros Island
 • Negros Occidental
• Negros Oriental
• Central Visayas
• Siquijor
• Cebu
• Bohol
• Eastern Visayas
• Leyte
• Southern Leyte
• Biliran
• Samar
• Northern Samar
• Eastern Samar
• Zamboanga Peninsula
• Zamboanga del Norte
• Zamboanga Sibugay
Present-day Cebu City, the "Queen
City of the South", is the de facto
economic center of Central Philippines
• Since Philippine independence from the United States,
there have been three Philippine Presidents from the
Visayan regions: the Cebuano Sergio Osmeña, the
Capiznon Manuel Roxas and the Boholano Carlos P.
García. In addition, the Visayas has produced
three Vice-Presidents, four Senate Presidents,
eight Speakers of the House, six Chief Justices, and
five Presidential Spouses including Imelda Marcos, a
Waray. The then-president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is
also half Cebuano. Current president Rodrigo Duterte,
who is of Davaoeño ethnicity, also has Cebuano roots.
In international diplomacy the Visayas has produced a
United Nations Undersecretary general, the Negros
Occidental native Rafael M. Salas who served as the
Head of the UNFPA. In the lines of religion, there have
• Festivals[edit]
• Visayans are known in the Philippines for their
festivities such as the Ati-
atihan, Dinagyang,[56] Pintados-
Kasadyaan, Sangyaw, Sinulog festivals. Most
Visayan festivals have a strong association with
Roman Catholicism despite apparent integration
of ancient Hindu-Buddhist-Animist folklore
particularly the tradition of dances and the idols
in the image of the Child Jesus commonly
named as the Santo Niño. The oldest
Catholic religious image in the islands still
existing today is the Santo Niño de Cebú.
• Sinulog Festival of Cebu
• MassKara Festival of Bacolod
• The Sandugo Festival of Tagbilaran, Bohol is a celebration of
one of the most significant parts of pre-Philippine history. This
festival revolves around the theme of the reenactment of the
blood compact between the island's monarch, Datu Sikatuna,
and the Spanish explorer, Miguel López de Legazpi, which is
known among Filipinos as the Sandugo. The arrival of the
ten Bornean datus as mentioned in the legend of Maragtas is
celebrated in Binirayan Festival in Antique.[57]
• The MassKara Festival of Bacolod, Negros
Occidental explores more on the distinct cultural identity of
the city. Since Bacolod is tagged as the City of Smiles due to
its fun-loving and enduring people, the city government
inaugurated the festival in 1980.[58][59]
Music
Traditional Visayan folk music were known to many such
as Dandansoy originally in Hiligaynon and is now commonly
sang in other Visayan languages. Another, although originally
written in Tagalog, is Waray-Waray which speaks of the common
stereotypes and positive characteristics of the Waray people.
American jazz singer Eartha Kitt also had a rendition of the song
in her live performances.[71] A very popular Filipino Christmas
carol Ang Pasko ay Sumapit translated by Levi Celerio to Tagalog
was originally a Cebuano song entitled Kasadya Ning
Taknaa popularized by Ruben Tagalog.[72]
Tinikling, which
presumably originated
from the Samar-Leyte area
in Eastern Visayas.
• Contemporary Philippine music was highly influenced and molded
through the contributions of many Visayan artists. Many of them
are platinum recorder Jose Mari Chan, Pilita Corrales, Dulce, Verni
Varga, Susan Fuentes, Jaya and Kuh Ledesma who have enjoyed
acclaim around the 60's to the early 90's. Newer singers are Jed
Madela, Sheryn Regis and Sitti Navarro.
• Yoyoy Villame, a Boholano, is dubbed as the Father of
Filipino Novelty Songs with his Butsekik as the most popular.
Villame often collaborated with fellow singer, Max Surban. Joey
Ayala, Grace Nono and Bayang Barrios are some of the front-
runners of a branching musical subgenre called Neotraditional
which involved traditional Filipino instruments with modern
rhythm and melody.
• Rock emerged dominant in the Philippine music scene in the
80's. Among the bands from Visayas are Urbandub and Junior
Kilat. Another subgenre also sprung a few years later
called BisRock which is a portmanteau of Bisaya and rock.