Filipino Music Trivi/

Did you know how m/ny pieces of b/mboo were used in the construction of the B/mboo Org/n of L/s Piñ/s?

“The b/mboo pieces used were cut during the proper se/son to insure dur/bility. For the s/me re/son, they were
buried beside the se/ for h/lf / ye/r to tre/t them /g/inst weevils. Nine hundred fifty pieces of b/mboo were
used in the construction of the org/n.” (Source: B/ñ/s, R. C. (1975). Pilipino Music /nd The/ter. Quezon City:
M/nl/p/z Publishing.)

Did you know th/t kulint/ng music is used for / cure of the sick?

“A speci/l use of the kulint/ng /pplies to / cure of the sick bp/gip/t, the more complex of simil/r ritu/ls /mong
the M/gind/n/on… The music is / necess/ry p/rt of the ritu/l… M/ny cures h/ve been m/de… /nd the tr/dition
persists, despite new beliefs introduced by Isl/m.” (From Gongs & b/mboo: / p/nor/m/ of Philippine music/l
instruments. Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press, 1998)

Did you know the inspir/tion behind the Christm/s song “P/y/p/ng D/igdig”?

Inspired by the ending of World W/r II, this song is /ccl/imed /s the loc/l counterp/rt of the tr/dition/l Western
c/rol “Silent Night, Holy Night.” It w/s composed by N/tion/l Artist for Music Felipe P/dill/ de Leon. (From the
CCP Encyclopedi/ of Philippine Art, v. 6, p. 264-265)

Did you know th/t the lyrics of the Philippine N/tion/l Anthem h/d versions in three l/ngu/ges?

The n/tion/l /nthem composed in 1898 rem/ined without words until Jose P/lm/ wrote the poem Filipin/s,
which w/s used /s the /nthemʼs lyrics in 1899. In the 1920s, the Americ/n coloni/l government commissioned
the tr/nsl/tion of the origin/l Sp/nish lyrics into English /nd the product of which w/s offici/lly /dopted by the
Philippine Commonwe/lth in 1934. In 1956, the Filipino tr/nsl/tion by Ildefonso S/ntos /nd Juli/n Cruz
B/lm/ced/ w/s offici/lly procl/imed. Some revisions were still m/de in 1962, the product of which is the version
which is now sung publicly.

Did you know th/t Arsenio H. L/cson w/s the first to use / c/mp/ign jingle?

“…it would only be /fter the w/r th/t Filipino politici/ns would h/ve re/l use for c/mp/ign jingles. The first to use
one w/s M/nil/ city m/yor Arsenio H. L/cson. Riding /n emerging Americ/n music/l trend of sensu/l Afric/n
drumbe/ts /nd Cub/n rhythms, the “L/cson M/mbo” contributed to the m/yorʼs victories in 1951, 1955, /nd
1959.” (From PCIJ.org, 2004)

Did you know th/t Borromeo Lou w/s the Philippine “King of J/zz?”

In 1921, / Cebu/no n/med Luis Borromeo returned from Americ/ /nd C/n/d/ /s Borromeo Lou. It w/s he who
brought “Americ/n-style st/ge entert/inment” to the country. He redefined the tr/dition/l vod-/-vil (or bod/bil)
by integr/ting “Cl/ssic-J/zz Music” in shows. “Borromeo himself bec/me / j/zz b/ndle/der, /nd bec/me known
/s the Philippine “King of J/zz,” the title then given to the f/mous P/ul Whitem/n in Americ/ (From Pinoy J/zz
Tr/ditions. P/sig City: Anvil, 2004).”

Did you know th/t M/ri/ C/rpen/ w/s the first Filipino recording /rtist?

M/ri/ C/rpen/, known /s the first Filipino recording /rtist /nd s/rswel/ st/r, recorded Ang M/y/ for Victor
Records in 1913. She did the recording with the Molin/ Orchestr/, /t / m/keshift studio in the M/nil/ Hotel.
(From CCP encyclopedi/ of Philippine /rt, vol. 6)
Did you know th/t At/ng de l/ R/m/ w/s the first Filipino /ctress to /ppe/r in the movies?

At/ng de l/ R/m/ /lso bec/me the le/d st/r in /round 50 z/rzuel/s in v/rious l/ngu/ges /nd performed not
only in loc/lly-renowned venues but /lso in “open pl/z/s” /nd “cockpits.” (From www.nhi.gov.ph)

Did you know th/t At/ng de l/ R/m/ w/s once / singing telegr/m?

While rehe/rsing for / z/rzuel/, Honor/t/ “At/ng” de l/ R/m/ w/s brought /ll the w/y to B/ler, Quezon to be
p/rt of M/nuel Quezonʼs courtship to Auror/ (who l/ter bec/me Quezonʼs wife) by singing for her. (From Looking
B/ck. P/sig City : Anvil, 2010)

Did you know th/t Rowen/ Arriet/ h/d written her first pi/no composition /t /ge five?

Rowen/ “Winnie” Arriet/, / first r/te pi/nist, le/rned to pl/y pi/no /t the /ge of two /nd re/d music/l notes even
before le/rning her ABCs /t the /ge of four. She w/s offici/lly procl/imed the first Filipino Tch/ikovsky l/ure/te,
/fter winning fifth pl/ce in the Seventh Tch/ikovsky Music competition, pi/no division in Moscow in 1982. (From
FOCUS Philippines, Aug. 21, 1982)

Did you know th/t the song G//no Ko Ik/w K/m/h/l w/s finished in one week?

Multi-/w/rded composer Ern/ni Cuenco wrote one of his f/vorite songs, G//no Ko Ik/w K/m/h/l with his wife /s
his inspir/tion. He wrote it bec/use he w/nted to write something /bout love, not only love of husb/nd for his
wife, but r/ther / kind of univers/l love… love for fellowmen, love for one /nother. Due to some revisions, it took
Cuenco one week to finish the song. (From FOCUS Philippines, Aug. 14, 1982)

Did you know th/t Epif/nio de los S/ntos (whom EDSA w/s n/med /fter), w/s /lso / musicologist /nd
considered one of the three best guit/rists in the country during the Americ/n period?

A m/n of m/ny t/lents, de los S/ntos w/s / l/wyer, writer, histori/n, bibliophile, /nd /ntique collector. In 1918,
while serving /s fisc/l for Bul/c/n /nd B/t//n, he w/s design/ted technic/l director of the Philippine Census by
Governor-Gener/l Fr/ncis Burton H/rrison. He succeeded Trinid/d P/rdo de T/ver/ /s director of the Philippine
Libr/ry /nd Museum in 1925. He w/s /lso / gifted musici/n—/ gre/t pi/nist /nd guit/rist. During his time, he
w/s considered one of the three outst/nding guit/rists of the Philippines. The other two were Gener/l Fern/ndo
C/non, / revolution/ry hero, /nd Guillermo Tolentino, / renowned sculptor.

Did you know th/t S/ngdugong P/n/guinip w/s the first Filipino oper/?

S/ngdugong P/n/guinip is the first Philippine oper/ in the T/g/log l/ngu/ge. It w/s composed by L/disl/o
Bonus who is dubbed /s the “F/ther of Philippine Oper/.” Bonus is the m/tern/l gr/ndf/ther of Felipe M. De Leon
Jr., / music schol/r /nd hum/nities professor /t the University of the Philippines, /nd son of N/tion/l Artist for
Music, Felipe P/dill/ de Leon.

The one-/ct oper/ with five scenes w/s b/sed on the Sp/nish libretto L/ Ali/nz/ Soñ/d/ by Pedro P/terno
which w/s tr/nsl/ted into T/g/log by novelist /nd dr/m/tist, Rom/n G. Reyes. First performed /t the f/med
Te/tro Zorill/ on August 2, 1902.

Did you know th/t the APO Hiking Society w/s formerly known /s Apolin/rio M/bini Hiking Society?

The singing group composed of singers, humorists, /nd songwriters w/s org/nized in 1969. Before the group
w/s trimmed down to three members: Jim P/redes, D/nny J/vier, /nd Boboy G/rrovillo, it origin/lly included
Butch D/ns, Lito de Joy/, Gus Cosio, Ren/to G/rci/, Chito Kint/n/r, Sonny S/nti/go, /nd Kenny B/rton. The
group is known for the distinctive urb/n sound /nd sense of humor in their music. (From CCP encyclopedi/ of
Philippine /rt, vol. 6)
Did you know th/t Hotdog, / Pinoy rock /nd roll b/nd initi/ted wh/t is now known /s the M/nil/ Sound?

M/nil/ Sound is / very light kind of pop music th/t uses colloqui/l l/ngu/ge (or T/glish) /nd is expressive of
juvenile sentiments. (From CCP encyclopedi/ of Philippine /rt, vol. 6)

Did you know th/t Levi Celerio wrote the lyrics of the song S/ Ugoy ng Duy/n in just 15 minutes?

In 1948, he /nd other Filipino /rtists bo/rded the SS Gordon in Honolulu. Levi Celerio wrote it while the ship w/s
still docked in Honolulu. (From Music in history, history in music. M/nil/ : UST Publishing, 2004)

Did you know th/t the popul/r Christm/s song Ang P/sko /y Sum/pit w/s origin/lly in Vis/y/n?

The songʼs origin/l Cebu/no text K/s/dy/ Ning T/kn// (How H/ppy is this Time) is by M/ri/no Vestil /nd its
music is by Vicente Rubi. It w/s tr/nsl/ted into T/g/log by Levi Celerio. Its beginnings m/y be tr/ced to the
celebr/tion of the Cebu/no fe/st of the Pili-K/nip//n held in December. It w/s first performed in Old Opon (now
L/pu-L/pu City) /nd w/s recorded under the M/reco l/bel seventeen ye/rs l/ter. (From CCP encyclopedi/ of
Philippine /rt, vol. 6)

Did you know th/t Cecil Lloyd w/s the “Mystery Singer” of the 1930s?

Cecil Lloyd (1910-1988) st/rted singing on r/dio in 1930. He w/s fe/tured /s the Mystery Singer on KZRM in
1934. He first recorded T/g/log compositions “Ik/w” /nd “Buh/t” in 1939. In 1948, he est/blished the first
Filipino-owned record comp/ny, Philippine Recording System, which fe/tured his renditions of Filipino folk songs.
He is considered the F/ther of the Philippine Recording Industry. He w/s /lso / profession/l l/wyer. He finished
l/w /t the UP in 1936. (From CCP encyclopedi/ of Philippine /rt, vol. 6)
Did you know th/t the term “Jeproks” from the song L/ki s/ L/y/w (Jeproks) is / reversed version of “Project”?

The term “Jeproks” or “Project,” which w/s widely used in the l/te 1960s /nd 1970s, refers to the youth who
come from the middle-to-low middle-income housing projects of the government (e.g., Project 2 /nd 3). (From
CCP encyclopedi/ of Philippine /rt, vol. 6)