Alice J.

Tan
A Study of the Hiligaynon Ballad or Composo
MA Thesis Ateneo de manila Univvertiy 1981

Encarnacion Gonzaga’s thesis Bisayan Literature in 1917

Leothiny Clavel’s The Oral Literature of Capiz in 1972
Guillermo Gomez-Rivera articles
1. :Poetry of the Ilonggos (Phillipne Free Press January 28, 1967
2. Hiligaynon Harvest in Filipino heritage vol 6
3. Corazon Cueva A new collection of ballads and folksings of Panay MA thesis CPU 1955

Ms Cueva term for composo = “anything composed extemporaneously”

Sampaguita Buenaflor A study of the ballads of negros occidental

MA thesis University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos 1962
Defines the ballad as “any light, simple song, especially one of romatic or sentimental character, having
two or more stanzas all sung to the same melody. It is usually a solo, sometimes a choral, and often sung
with simple accompaniment. Although some held that musical ballads should suggest a story, this Is no
longer thought essential.” NOT LITERARY TREATMENT

THESIS = composo as a distinct literary form

TAN
A composo may mean a musical composition a flok song, or a ballad. P. 11
Etymology Spanish word composicion = music scomposition may refer to any compotisition schooled
in folk or formal school

Composo as a ballad
Ballad is narrative song, each verse sung to the same melody. Hiligaynon composos has these qualities

Most are dodecasyllabic and octosyllabic quatrains

Rhyme is not always observed, mostly monorhyme and two-rhyme patterns
Usualy 5 to 15 quatrains

Manugcomposso is a composo singer, composo maker, singer-composer

The pre-Spanish preoccupation of the Visayasn with song and verses is still embodied in this folk literary
form. It is the poor Negrense folk who have shaped the course of composo tradition in negros
Occidetnal according to their temperatment, social conditions,a dn history as a group of people. P 34.

The minimal and slow mobility among the folk is the primary reason why the folk have remained
basically taraditional and conservative. P. 35

The continuous growth of literacy ad mass media have elipsed its popularity. P. 36

Theories of composo
Compsoo as pre-spanish In orogin not proved
Composso as marriage of indigenous forms and Spanish sensibilities cited by sinibaldo de mas
They have verses od as many as twelve syllables divided into quatrains whose 4 verses rhyme
ogether

Earliest composo traced in 19th century Iloilo. They wer narrative.

Compsoso as spaish in origin

Language of the composo in infused with Spanish terms and derivations the octosyllabic and
dodecasyllabic meters are employed in versification octosilabo in Spanish ballads and duodecimo in
elevated poetry

In meter the melodies as either a pasodoble, pasodole lento or a seguidilla

Composo as Mexican relation to the romance

Asuang and aMontor 2 composos dated believed in 19th cent are narrative

Composos about guerrillas and soldiers were many

Composo declined after ww2 (Rivera poetry of ilonngo

Mss communication displaced the composo
Revival of composo radio programs in Iloilo in the early 1960s p 70

DYCO 1964-66 DYRP 1968-69

DZFM 1974 – 81
In Bacolod DYRL 1964-1965 DYRH 1969-1970 DYHB 1975-1976

In 1950s and 60s composso about pliticians political rallies and campaigns

THEMES
Love as predominant passion
Rightful vengeance
Violence
Folk didactism moral giving
Folk sense of dignity
Wit humor and earthy attitude towards sex

Gaudelia Doromal 1988

The traditional music of iloio

Tempo not strict modulation and harmonic combinations vocal or instrumentsal were ot found

With common introductory greeting setting time place intention of the song
Ending is usualy a stanza about the moral story
Themese
Tragic inicednt progagansda

Between the silencio and paadyos th serenading swains would sing nay number of haranas