Song Composers

The 20th century Filipino song composers/lyricists include levi

celerio,Constancio de guzman,Mike velarde jr,Ernani cuenco,Restie
umali,George Conseco,Angel pena,leopoldo silos Sr,Santiago
suarez.Together,they had produced memorable output of traditional Filipino
love sons,music for the movie,and materials for contemporary arrangements
and concert repertoire.

Levi Celerio (1910-2002)-Levi

Celerio was a Filipino composer and lyricist. Celerio was
a prolific songwriter, with over 4,000 songs to his credit.
He is perhaps best known for being a leaf-player, a feat
for which he was put into the Guinness Book of World
Records. Born: April 30, 1910, Tondo Died: April 2,
2002, Quezon City Film music credits: Darna, Kuno?
Awards: Awit Award for Best Traditional Recording, Awit
Award for Best Christmas Recording Parents: Cornelio
Cruz, Juliana Celerio.

Constancio de Guzman(19031982) -He studied piano and composition under

Nicanor abelardo, but his father sent him to law school,
but he switched to commerce and finished business
administration in 1931. After he took the CPA board
exams, he started working in the movies. His
'accidental' hit, Panaginip, paved the way for him to
record hundreds of songs, principally under Villar
Records and Columbia Records. Some of De Guzman's
notable compositions are: Bayan Ko, Babalik Ka Rin,
Ang Tangi Kong Pag-ibig, Birheng Walang Dambana, and
Maalaala Mo Kaya. Born: November 11, 1903, Guiguinto Died: August 16,
1982 Awards: Awit Award for Best Composer (Vernacular).

Miguel Mike Velarde Jr.

(1913-1986)- Mike Velarde was born in Manila on 23
October 1913. He was the second of two children of Dr. Miguel Velarde, Sr. and
Dolores Guison. His family moved to Zamboanga when he was only one year old
and there he spent the succeeding eighteen years of his life. He entered
the University of the Philippines wherein he studied Medicine but did not finish
his degree. He eventually pursued studying music. medical studies seriuously.
Dr. Antonio Molina and Ariston Avelino taught him his first lessons in harmony
and composition. During this time, he enjoyed jazz and American popular tunes.
He later got a job at a radio station wherein he was featured in programs such as
"Sunrise Program" in the morning and "Stardust Program" at night. He then
opened a jazz school and became song editor for the Philippines Free Press.
Mike Velarde eventually went into writing Tagalog songs for the Filipinos wherein
he later composed the song 'Ugoy-Ugoy 'Blues' which eventually brought him
towards working with movies.

Santiago S. Suarez(1901-1964)
He was born on May 23, 1901 in Sampaloc, Manila and studied at the Ateneo
de Manila in Intramuros. He took up music at the University of the Philippines
and trained under the noted musicians like Cayetano Jacobe, Pedro Eloriaga
and Nicanor Abelardo.At 14, he played the piano to furnish background music
for silent movies in cinema houses. In his early 20s, he left the country to
serve as band leader aboard passengers liners playing between San
Francisco, California and Vancouver, Canada.When he came home in 1925,
he worked in bodabil for eight years, his compositions heard in Majestic,
Palace, Plaza and Savoy, both as background accompaniments and as vocal
renditions by the likes of Atang dela Rama, Katy dela Cruz, Lou Salvador Sr.
and Vicente Ocampo.

RestitutoRestieUMali(19161998)- Restituto Umali was born in Paco, Manila on 10 June 1916. He

was the second child of Benedicto Umali and Eulogia Aquino. His early exposure to
music was due to the influence of his father who has taught him how to play the
violin. He studied at the Jose Rizal College (JRC), wherein he earned a Bachelor of
Science degree in Commerce. He was later exposed to 'pop' tunes during his
performances with both the Mapa Orchestra and the JRC Band. He was a scholar
of JRC for playing in the school band. He earned extra money doing band
arrangements of various songs and pieces as well as composing short school
songs. He also played double-basss professionally for radio programs and also for
the dance orchestra of the Army and Navy Club.