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HAND OUTS IN MUSIC 10

(Second Quarter)
Name: ________________________________________ Section: ________________________

MUSIC OF AFRICA
Music has always been an important part in the daily life of the African, whether for work, religion, ceremonies, or even
communication. Singing, dancing, hand clapping and the beating of drums are essential to many African ceremonies, including
those for birth, death, initiation, marriage, and funerals. Music and dance are also important to religious expression and political events.
However, because of its wide influences on global music that has permeated contemporary American, Latin American, and
European styles, there has been a growing interest in its own cultural heritage and musical sources. Of particular subjects of
researches are its rhythmic structures and spiritual characteristics that have led to the birth of jazz forms.
African music has been a collective result from the cultural and musical diversity of the more than 50 countries of the
continent. The organization of this continent is a colonial legacy from European rule of the different nations up to the end of the 19th
century, whose vastness has enabled it to incorporate its music with language, environment, political developments, immigration, and
cultural diversity.

TRADITIONAL MUSIC OFAFRICA

African traditional music is largely functional in nature, used primarily in ceremonial rites, such as birth, death, marriage,
succession, worship, and spirit invocations. Others are work related or social in nature, while many traditional societies view their music
as entertainment. It has a basically interlocking structural format, due mainly to its overlapping and dense textural characteristics as well
as its rhythmic complexity. Its many sources of stylistic influence have produced varied characteristics and genres.

Some Types of African Music

Afrobeat - a term used to describe the fusion of West African with black American music.
Apala (Akpala) - Apala is a musical genre from Nigeria in the Yoruba tribal style to wake up the worshippers after fasting during the
Muslim holy feast of Ramadan. Percussion instrumentation includes the rattle (sekere), thumb piano (agidigbo), bell (agogo), and
two or three talking drums.
Axe - a popular musical genre from Salvador, Bahia, and Brazil. It fuses the Afro-Caribbean styles of the marcha, reggae, and calypso.
Jit - a hard and fast percussive Zimbabwean dance music played on drums with guitar accompaniment, influenced by mbira-based
guitar styles.
Jive - is a popular form of South African music featuring a lively and uninhibited variation of the jitterbug, a form of swing dance.
Juju - is a popular music style from Nigeria that relies on the traditional Yoruba rhythms, where the instruments in Juju are more
Western in origin. A drum kit, keyboard, pedal steel guitar, and accordion are used along with the traditional dun-dun (talking drum
Or squeeze drum).

Yoruba Apala Musicians Axe Jive Juju

Kwassa Kwassa - is a dance style begun in Zaire in the late 1980’s, popularized by Kanda Bongo Man. In this dance style, the hips
move back and forth while the arms move following the hips.
Marabi - is a South African three-chord township music of the 1930s-1960s which evolved into African Jazz. Possessing a keyboard
style combining American jazz, ragtime and blues with African roots, it is characterized by simple chords in varying vamping
patterns and repetitive harmony over an extended period of time to allow the dancers more time on the dance floor.

Kwassa Kwassa Marabi

LATINAMERICAN MUSIC INFLUENCED BYAFRICAN MUSIC

Reggae is a Jamaican sound dominated by bass guitar and drums. It refers to a particular music style that was strongly influenced by
traditional mento and calypso music, as well as American jazz, and rhythm and blues. The most recognizable musical elements of
reggae are its offbeat rhythm and staccato chords.
Salsa - Salsa music is Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Colombian dance music. It comprises various musical genres including the Cuban
son montuno, guaracha, chachacha, mambo and bolero. All rights reserved. No part of this material
Samba is the basic underlying rhythm that typifies most Brazilian music. It is a lively and rhythmical dance and music with three steps
to every bar, making the Samba feel like a timed dance. There is a set of dances—rather than a single dance—that define the
Samba dancing scene in Brazil. Thus, no one dance can be claimed with certainty as the “original” Samba style.
Soca is a modern Trinidadian and Tobago pop music combining “soul” and “calypso” music.
Were this is Muslim music performed often as a wake-up call for early breakfast and prayers during Ramadan celebrations. Relying on
pre-arranged music, it fuses the African and European music styles with particular usage of the natural harmonic series.
Zouk is fast, carnival-like hythmic music, from the Creole slang word for ‘party,’ originating in the Carribean Islands of Guadaloupe and
Martinique and popularized in the 1980’s. It has a pulsating beat supplied by the gwo ka and tambour bele drums, a tibwa
rhythmic pattern played on the rim of the snare drum and its hi-hat, rhythm guitar, a horn section, and keyboard synthesizers.

Reggae Salsa Samba Soca Zouk

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VOCAL FORMS OFAFRICAN MUSIC

Maracatu - Maracatu first surfaced in the African state of Pernambuco, combining the strong
rhythms of African percussion instruments with Portuguese melodies. The maracatu
groups were called “nacoes” (nations) who paraded with a drumming ensemble
numbering up to 100, accompanied by a singer, chorus, and a coterie of dancers.
Maracatu dance

Musical instruments used in Maracatu

The Maracatu uses mostly percussion instruments such as the alfaia, tarol and caixa-
deguerra, gongue, agbe, and miniero. The alfaia is a large wooden drum that is rope-tuned,
complemented by the tarol which is a shallow snare drum and the caixa-de-guerra which is a
war-like snare. Providing the clanging sound is the gongue, a metal cowbell. The shakers are represented by the agbe,a gourd shaker
covered by beads, and the miniero or ganza, a metal cylindrical shaker filled with metal shot or small dried seeds called “Lagrima fre
Nossa Senhora.”

Alfaia Drum Tarol Agbe Sakere Caixa Miniero or Ganza Gongue

Blues
The blues is a musical form of the late 19th century that has had deep roots in African-American communities. These
communities are located in the so-called “Deep South” of the United States. The slaves and their descendants used to sing as they
worked in the cotton and vegetable fields.
The notes of the blues create an expressive and soulful sound. The feelings that are evoked are
normally associated with slight degrees of misfortune, lost love, frustration, or loneliness. From ecstatic
joy to deep sadness, the blues can communicate various
emotions more effectively than other musical forms.
Noted performers of the Rhythm and Blues genre are Ray Charles, James Brown, Cab
Calloway, Aretha Franklin, and John Lee Hooker; as well as B.B. King, Bo Diddley, Erykah Badu, Eric
Clapton, Steve Winwood, Charlie Musselwhite, Blues Traveler, Jimmie Vaughan, and Jeff Baxter.
Examples of blues music are the following: Early Mornin’, A House is Not a Home and Billie’s Blues.

Ray Charles
Soul
Soul music was a popular music genre of the 1950’s and 1960’s. It originated in the United
States. It combines elements of African-American gospel music, rhythm and blues, and often jazz. The
catchy rhythms are accompanied by handclaps and extemporaneous body moves which are among its
important features. Other characteristics include “call and response” between the soloist and the
chorus, and an especially tense and powerful vocal sound.
James Brown
Some important innovators whose recordings in the 1950s contributed to the emergence of
soul music included Clyde McPhatter, Hank Ballard, and Etta James. Ray Charles and Little Richard
(who inspired Otis Redding) and James Brown were equally influential. Brown was known as the
“Godfather of Soul,” while Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson are also often acknowledged as “soul
forefathers.” Examples of soul music are the following: Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, Ben, All I
Could Do is Cry, Soul to Soul, and Becha by Golly, Wow.
Etta James
Spiritual
The term spiritual, normally associated with a deeply religious person, refers here to a Negro spiritual, a song form by African
migrants to America who became enslaved by its white communities. This musical form became their outlet to vent their loneliness and
anger, and is a result of the interaction of music and religion from Africa with that of America. The texts are mainly religious, sometimes
taken from psalms of Biblical passages, while the music utilizes deep bass voices. The vocal inflections, Negro accents, and dramatic
dynamic changes add to the musical interest and effectiveness of the performance. Examples of spiritual music are the following: We
are Climbing Jacob’s Ladder, Rock My Soul, When the Saints Go Marching In, and Peace Be Still.

Call and Response

The call and response method is a succession of two distinct musical phrases usually rendered by different musicians, where
the second phrase acts as a direct commentary on or response to the first. Much like the question and answer sequence in human
communication, it also forms a strong resemblance to the verse-chorus form in many vocal compositions. Examples of call and
response songs are the following: Mannish Boy, one of the signature songs by Muddy Waters; and School Day - Ring, Ring Goes the
Bell by Chuck Berry.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS OFAFRICA

African music includes all the major instrumental genres of western music, including strings, winds, and percussion, along with
a tremendous variety of specific African musical instruments for solo or ensemble playing.

Classification of Traditional African Instruments

A. Idiophones
These are percussion instruments that are either struck with a mallet or against one another.
1. Balafon - The balafon is a West African xylophone. It is a pitched percussion instrument with bars made from logs or bamboo.
The xylophone is originally an Asian instrument that follows the structure of a piano. It came from Madagascar to Africa, then to
the Americas and Europe.
2. Rattles - Rattles are made of seashells, tin, basketry, animal hoofs, horn, wood, metal bells, cocoons, palm kernels, or tortoise
shells. These rattling vessels may range from single to several objects that are either joined or suspended in such a way as they
hit each other.
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3. Agogo - The agogo is a single bell or multiple bells that had its origins in traditional Yoruba music and also in the samba baterias
(percussion) ensembles. The agogo may be called “the oldest samba instrument based on West African Yoruba single or double
bells.” It has the highest pitch of any of the bacteria instruments.
4. Atingting Kon - These are slit gongs used to communicate between villages. They were carved out of wood to resemble ancestors
and had a “slit opening” at the bottom. In certain cases, their sound could carry for miles through the forest and even across water
to neighboring islands. A series of gong “languages” were composed of beats and pauses, making it possible to send highly
specific messages.
5. Slit drum - The slit drum is a hollow percussion instrument. Although known as a drum, it is not a true drum but is an idiophone.
It is usually carved or constructed from bamboo or wood into a box with one or more slits in the top. Most slit drums have one slit,
though two and three slits (cut into the shape of an “H”) occur. If the resultant tongues are different in width or thicknesses, the
drum will producetwo different pitches.
6. Djembe - The West Africandjembe (pronounced zhem-bay) is one of the best-known African drums is. It is shaped like a large goblet
and played with bare hands. The body is carved from a hollowed trunk and is covered in goat skin. Log drums come in different
shapes and sizes as well: tubular drums, bowl-shaped drums, and friction drums. Some have one head, others have two heads.
The bigger the drum, the lower the tone or pitch. The more tension in the drum head, the higher the tone produced. These drums
are played using hands or sticks or both; and sometimes have rattling metal and jingles attached to the outside or seeds and
beads placed inside the drum. They are sometimes held under the armpit or with a sling.
7. Shekere - The shekere is a type of gourd and shell megaphone from West Africa, consisting of a dried gourd with beads woven into
a net covering the gourd. Theagbe is another gourd drum with cowrie shells usually strung with white cotton thread. The axatse is
a small gourd, held by the neck and placed between hand and leg.
8. Rasp - A rasp, or scraper, is a hand percussion instrument whose sound is produced by scraping the notches on a piece of wood
(sometimes elaborately carved) with a stick, creating a series of rattling effects.

Balafon Rattles Agogo Atingting Kon

Slit drum Djembe Gourd shekere Antique wooden rasp

B. Membranophones
Membranophones are instruments which have vibrating animal membranes used in drums. Their shapes may be conical,
cylindrical, barrel, hour-glass, globular, or kettle, and are played with sticks, hands, or a combination of both. African drums are usually
carved from a single wooden log, and may also be made from ceramics, gourds, tin cans, and oil drums. Examples of these are found
in the different localities – entenga (Ganda), dundun (Yoruba), atumpan (Akan), and ngoma (Shona), while some are constructed with
wooden staves and hoops.
1. Body percussion - Africans frequently use their bodies as musical
instruments. Aside from their voices, where many of them are superb
singers, the body also serves as a drum as people clap their hands, slap
their thighs, pound their upper arms or chests, or shuffle their feet.
This body percussion creates exciting rhythms which also stir them to
action. Moreover, the wearing of rattles or bells on their wrists, ankles,
arms, and waists enhances their emotional response.
2. Talking drum - The talking drum is used to send messages to announce
births, deaths, marriages, sporting events, dances, initiation, or war.
Sometimes it may also contain gossip or jokes. It is believed that the drums
Body percussion Luna can carry direct messages to the spirits after the death of a loved one.
However, learning to play messages on drums is extremely difficult, resulting in its waning popularity. An example of the
talking drum is the luna.

C. Lamellaphone
One of the most popular African percussion instruments is the lamellaphone,
which is a set of plucked tongues or keys mounted on a sound board. It is known by
different names according to the regions such as mbira, karimba, kisaanj, and likembe.
Mbira (hand piano or thumb piano) - The thumb piano or finger xylophone is of
African origin and is used throughout the continent. It
consists of a wooden board with attached staggered metal tines (a series of wooden, metal,
or rattan tongues), plus an additional resonator to increase its volume. It is played by
holding the instrument in the hands and plucking the tines with the thumbs, producing a soft
plucked sound.

D. Chordophones
Chordophones are instruments which produce sounds from the vibration of strings. These include bows, harps, lutes, zithers,
and lyres of various sizes.
1. Musical bow - The musical bow is the ancestor of all string instruments. It is the oldest and one of the most widely-used string
instruments of Africa. It consists of a single string attached to each end of a curved stick, similar to a bow and arrow. The string
is either plucked or struck with another stick, producing a per-cussive yet delicate sound. The earth bow, the mouth bow, and the
resonator-bow are the principal types of musical bows.
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The earth bow, ground bow, or pit harp consist of a hole in the ground, a piece of flexible wood and a piece of chord. The
musician plucks the taut string to accompany his singing. When the half gourd is not buried, the performer holds the instrument
very tightly under his knee flat side down, so that the chord puts enough tension on the wood to bend it into the shape of a
hunting bow.
A more advanced form of ground bow is made from a log, half a gourd, a flat piece of wood, and cord. The wooden strip is
driven firmly into one end of the log and the half gourd is fastened to the log about 2 feet away from the wooden strip. The cord,
fastened from the wooden strip to the gourd, is stretched so tightly into the shape of a bow. The player holds the instrumenton the
ground by placing one leg across the log between the resonating gourd and the wooden strip.
2. Lute (konting, khalam, and the nkoni ) - The lute, originating from the Arabic states, is shaped like the modern guitar and played in
similar fashion. It has a resonating body, a neck, and one or more strings which stretch across the length of its body and neck.
The player tunes the strings by tightening or loosening the pegs at the top of the lute’s neck. West African plucked lutes include
the konting, khalam, and the nkoni.
3. Kora - The kora is Africa's most sophisticated harp, while also having features similar to a lute. Its body ismade from a gourd or
calabash. A support for the bridge is set across the opening and covered with a skin that is held in place with studs. The leather
rings around the neck are used to tighten the 21 strings that give the instrument a range of over three octaves. The kora is held
upright and played with the fingers.
4. Zither - The zither is a stringed instrument with varying sizes and shapes whose strings are stretched along its body. Among the
types of African zither are the raft or Inanga zither from Burundi, the tubular or Valiha zither fromMalagasy, and the harp or Mvet
zither from Cameroon.
5. Zeze - The zeze is an African fiddle played with a bow, a small wooden stick, or plucked with the fingers. It has one or two strings,
made of steel or bicycle brake wire. It is from Sub-Saharan Africa. It is also known by the names tzetze and dzendze, izeze and
endingidi; and on Madagascar is calledlokanga (or lokango) voatavo.

Musical bow Nkoni African Kora Raft zither Zeze

E. Aerophones
Aerophones are instruments which are produced initially by trapped vibrating air columns or which enclose a body of vibrating
air. Flutes in various sizes and shapes, horns, panpipes, whistle types, gourd and shell megaphones, oboe, clarinet, animal horn
and wooden trumpets fall under this category.
1. Flutes - Flutes are widely used throughout Africa and either vertical or side-blown. They are usually fashioned from a single tube
closed at one end and blown like a bottle.

Atenteben (Ghana) Fulani Flutes Panpipes

Panpipes consist of cane pipes of different lengths tied in a row or in a bundle held together by wax or cord, and generally closed
at the bottom. They are blown across the top, each providing a different note.
2. Horns - Horns and trumpets, found almost everywhere in Africa, are commonly made from elephant tusks and animal horns. With
their varied attractive shapes, these instruments are end-blown or side-blown and range in
size from the small signal whistle of the southern cattle herders to the large ivory horns of
the tribal chiefs of the interior. One trumpet variety, the wooden trumpet, may be simple or
artistically carved, sometimes resembling a crocodile’s head.
Kudu horn - This is one type of horn made from the horn of the kudu antelope. It
releases a mellow and warm sound that adds a unique African accent to the music. This
instrument, which comes in a set of six horns, reflects the crossof musical traditions in
Africa. Today, the kudu horn can also be seen in football matches, where fans blow it to
cheer for their favourite teams.

3. Reed pipes - There are single-reed pipes made from hollow guinea corn or sorghum stems, where the reed is a flap partially cut
from the stem near one end. It is the vibration of this reed that causes the air within the hollow
instrument to vibrate, thus creating the sound.
There are also cone-shaped double-reed instruments similar to the oboe or shawm. The most
well-known is the rhaita or ghaita, an oboe-like double reed instrument from northwest Africa. It is one of
the primary instruments used by traditional music ensembles from Morocco. The rhaita was even
featured in the Lord of the Rings soundtrack, specifically in the Mordor theme.

4. Whistles - Whistles found throughout the continent may be made of wood or other materials. Short pieces of horn serve as whistles,
often with a short tube inserted into the mouthpiece. Clay can be molded into whistles
of many shapes and forms and then baked. Pottery whistles are sometimes shaped in
the form of a head, similar to the Aztec whistles of Central America and Mexico.
African whistle
5. Trumpets - African trumpets are made of wood, metal, animal horns, elephant
tusks, and gourds with skins from snakes, zebras, leopards, crocodiles and animal hide
as ornaments to the instrument.
They are mostly ceremonial in nature, often used to announce the arrival or
departure of important guests. In religion and witchcraft, some tribes believe in the
magical powers of trumpets to frighten away evil spirits, cure diseases, and protect
whistle trumpets warriors and hunters from harm.
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African Musical Instruments from the Environment

Many instruments of Africa are made from natural elements like wood, metal, animal, skin and horns, as well as improvised
ones like tin cans and bottles. These are mainly used to provide rhythmic sounds, which are the most defining element of African music.
Africans make musical instruments from the materials in the environment, like forest areas from where they make large wooden drums.
Drums may also be made of clay, metal, tortoise shells, or gourds. Xylophones are made of lumber or bamboo, while flutes can be
constructed wherever reeds or bamboo grow. Animal horns are used as trumpets while animal hides, lizard skins, and snake skins can
function as decorations as well as provide the membranes for drum heads. Laces made of hides and skins are used for the strings of
harps, fiddles, and lutes.
On the other hand, bamboo was used to form the tongues of thumb pianos, the frames ofstringed instruments, and stamping
tubes. Strips of bamboo are even clashed together rhythmically. Gourds, seeds, stones, shells, palm leaves, and the hard-shelled fruit
of the calabash tree are made into rattles. Ancient Africans even made musical instruments from human skulls decorated with human
hair while singers use their body movements to accompany their singing.
Modern Africans make use of recycled waste materials such as strips of roofing metal, empty oil drums, and tin cans. These
people, bursting with rhythm, make music with everything and anything. At present, new materials that are more easily accessible, such
as soda cans and bottles, are becoming increasingly important for the construction of percussion instruments. Some rhythmic
instruments like scrapers, bells, and rattles also provide the pitch and timbre when played in an ensemble to provide contrasts in tone
quality and character.

MUSIC OF LATIN AMERICA

The music of Latin America is the product of three major influences – Indigenous, Spanish-Portuguese, and African.
Sometimes called Latin music, it includes the countries that have had a colonial history from Spain and Portugal, divided into the
following areas:
a. Andean region (a mountain system of western South America along the Pacific coast from Venezuela to Tierra del Fuego) –
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela
b. Central America – Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama
c. Carribean – Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Martinique, and Puerto Rico
d. Brazil
At the same time, because of the inter-racial cross breeding and migration, the above named countries were also somewhat
commonly populated by five major ancestral groups as follows:
a. Indian descendants of the original native Americans who were the inhabitants of the region before the arrival of Christopher
Columbus
b. African descendants from Western and Central Africa
c. European descendants mainly from Spain and Portugal but also including the French, Dutch, Italian, and British
d. Asian descendants from China, Japan, India, and Indonesia/Java
e. Mixed descendants from the above-named groups

INFLUENCES ON LATINAMERICAN MUSIC

1. Indigenous Latin-American Music
Before the arrival of the Spanish, Portuguese, and other European colonizers, the natives were found to be using local drum
and percussion instruments such as the guiro, maracas, and turtle shells, and wind instruments such as zampona (pan pipes) and
quena (notched-end flutes) remain popular and are traditionally made out of the same aquatic canes, although PVC pipe is sometimes
used due to its resistance to heat, cold, and humidity. Generally, quenas only are played during the dry season.Materials came from
hollow tree trunks, animal skins, fruit shells, dry seeds, cane and clay, hardwood trees, jaguar claws, animal and human bones, and
specially-treated inflated eyes of tigers.

Quena Turtle Shell

Zampona
Guiro Maracas

The indigenous music of Latin America was largely functional in nature, being used for religious worship and ceremonies. The
use of instruments as well as singing and dancing served to implore the gods for good harvest, victory in battles, guard against
sickness and natural disasters, and of course provide recreation.
2. Native American/Indian Music
The ethnic and cultural groups of the principal native Americans share many similar yet distinctive music elements pertaining
to melody, harmony, rhythm, form, and dynamics. Short musical motives from descending melodic lines were a common feature,
where tempo, rhythm, and tone colors vary with the specific occasion or ritual. Many dance forms were repetitious, while songs
had a wide range of volume levels.
Some of the Native American music includes courtship songs, dancing songs, and popular American or Canadian tunes like
Amazing Grace, Dixie, Jambalaya, and Sugar Time. Many songs celebrate themes like harvest, planting season or other
important times of year.
3. Afro-Latin American Music
The African influence on Latin American music is most pronounced in its rich and varied rhythmic patterns produced by the
drums and various percussion instruments. Complex layering of rhythmic patterns was a favorite device, where fast paced
tempos add to the rhythmic density. Vocal music was often deepchested while instrumental music greatly relied on resonant
drums and sympathetic buzzers to produce rich sounds and occasional loud volume levels to reflect theirintensity.
4. Euro-Latin American Music
The different regions of Latin America adopted various characteristics from their European colonizers. Melodies of the
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Renaissance period were used in Southern Chile and the Colombian Pacific coasts, while step-wise melodies were preferred in
the heavily Hispanic and Moorish-influenced areas of Venezuela and Colombia. Alternating dual meters, such as and , known as
“sesquialtera” found in Chile and adopted in Cuba and Puerto Rico, were immortalized in the song I Wanna Be in America from
Leonard Bernstein’s Broadway hit West Side Story. Other European influences were manifested in the texture of Euro-Latin
American music, from unaccompanied vocal solos to those accompanied by stringed instruments.
5. Mixed American Music
The diversity of races and cultures from the Native Americans, Afro-Latin Americans, and Euro-Latin Americans account for
the rich combinations of musical elements including the melodic patterns, harmonic combinations, rhythmic complexities, wide
range of colors and dynamics, and various structural formats.
This musical fusion of Latin America combining native instruments with European counterparts and musical theories was
further enriched by the instruments brought by the African slaves. The result of the massive infusion of African culture also
brought about the introduction of other music and dance forms such as the Afro-Cuban rumba, Jamaican reggae, Colombian
cumbia, and the Brazilian samba.
6. Popular Latin American Music
Latin America has produced a number of musical genres and forms that had been influenced by European folk music, African
traditional music, and native sources. Much of its popular music has in turn found its way to the many venues and locales of
America, Europe, and eventually the rest of the world. Its danceablerhythms, passionate melodies, and exotic harmonies
continue to enthrall music and dance enthusiasts worldwide even as the forms themselves undergo constant modifications that
are more relevant to the times. Some of these Latin American popular music forms are tango, bossa nova, samba, son, and
salsa.
a. Samba - The samba is a dance form of African origins around 1838 which evolved into an African-
Brazilian invention in the working class and slum districts of Rio de Janeiro. Its lively rhythm, consisting of a 2 4
meter but containing three steps each that create a feeling of a 3 4 All rights reserved. No part of this material
may be rmeter instead, was meant to be executed for singing, dancing, and parading in the carnival. Samba has
a number of variations, so that there is no clear-cut definition of a single samba form. Its most adventurous kind
is known as the batucada, referring at once to a large percussion ensemble of up to a hundred players, a jam
session, or an intensely polyrhythmic style of drumming.
b. Son - The son is a fusion of the popular music or canciones (songs) of Spain and the African rumba rhythms of Bantu origin.
Originating in Cuba, it is usually played with the tres (guitar), contrabass, bongos, maracas, and claves (two wooden sticks that are
hit together). Although the son is seldom heardtoday, its most important legacy is its influence on present-day LatinAmerican
music, particularly as the forerunner of the salsa.
c. Salsa - The salsa is a social dance with marked influences from Cuba and Puerto Rico that started in New
York in the mid 1970’s. Its style contains elements from the swing dance and hustle as well as the
complex Afro-Cuban and Afro-Carribean dance forms of pachanga and guaguanco.
The execution of the salsa involves shifting the weight by stepping sideways, causing the hips to move
while the upper body remains level. The arms and shoulders are also incorporated with the upper body
position. In each, a moderate tempo is used while the upper and lower bodies act in seeming disjoint as
described above.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS OF LATINAMERICA

The varied cultures developed in Latin America gave rise to different types of wind and percussion instruments. As with the
African continent, their rich history dating back thousands of years ago with the Aztec, Maya, and other prehistoric cultural groups in
Latin America understandably generates their own brands of creativity in making music.
In Central America, the ancient civilizations of the Aztec and Maya peoples used various instruments mainly for religious
functions and usually by professional musicians. As some instruments were considered holy and it was further believed that music was
supposed to glorify the gods, mistakes in playing these instruments were considered offensive and insulting to them. Some of their
instruments include the following:

Tlapitzalli - The tlapitzalli is a flute variety from the Aztec culture made of clay with decorations of abstract designs or images of
their deities.
Teponaztli - The teponaztli is a Mexican slit drum hollowed out and carved from a piece of hardwood. It is then decorated with designs
in relief or carved torepresent human figures or animals to be used forboth religious and recreational purposes.
Conch - The conch is a wind instrument made from a seashell usually of a large sea snail. It is prepared by cutting a hole in its spine
near the apex, then blown into as if it were a trumpet.
Rasp - The rasp is a hand percussion instrument whose sound isproduced by scraping a group of notched sticks with another stick,
creating a series of rattling effects.
Huehueti - The huehueti is a Mexican upright tubular drum used by the Aztecs and other ancient civilizations. It is made of wood
opened at the bottom and standing on three legs cut from the base, with its stretched skin beaten by the hand or a wooden mallet.
Whistles - Whistles are instruments made of natural elements such as bone from animals. The eagle-bone whistle is the most common
whose function is to help symbolize the piece’s purpose.

Tlapitzalli Teponaztli Conch Rasp Huehueti Whistles

Incan Instruments
Among the Incas of South America, two instrumental varieties were most common:
a. Ocarina - The ocarina was an ancient vessel flute made of clay or ceramic with
four to 12 finger holes and a mouthpiece that projected from the body.
b. Panpipes (Zamponas) - The zamponas were ancient instruments tuned to
different scalar varieties, played by blowing across the tubetop. Typical
models were either in pairs or as several bamboo tubes of different
lengths tied together to producegraduated pitches of sound.

Ocarina Panpipes (Zamponas)

 7

Andean Instruments
The Andean highlands made use of several varieties of flutes and string instruments that include the following:
a. Pitus - The pitus are side-blown cane flutes that are played all year round.
b. Wooden Tarkas - The tarkas are vertical duct flutes with a mouthpiece similar to that of a recorder, used during the rainy season.
c. Quenas - The quenas are vertical cane flutes with an end-notched made from fragile bamboo. They are used during the dry season.
d. Charango - The charango is a ten-stringed Andean guitar from Bolivia. It is the size of a ukulele and a smaller version of the
mandolin, imitating the early guitar and lute brought by the Spaniards. It produces bright sounds and is often used in serenades
in Southern Peru.

Pitus Wooden Tarkas Quenas Charango

Mariachi - The Mariachi is an extremely popular band in Mexico whose original ensemble consisted of
violins, guitars, harp, and an enormous guitarron (acoustic bass guitar). Trumpets were later added,
replacing the harp. Mariachi music is extremely passionate and romantic with their blended harmonies and
characterized by catchy rhythms. Its musicians are distinctly adorned with wide-brimmed hats and silver
buttons.

VOCALAND DANCE FORMS OF LATINAMERICAN MUSIC

Latin American instruments are extremely useful in adding life, color, and variety to their many vocal and dance forms which
have captured the world’s attention and affectionate adoption. In the Philippines, many of these characteristics have been taken in,
particularly in the Brazilian bossa nova, cha cha, rumba, and the Argentine tango. Other dance forms became locally popular
especially in the 1960’s and 1970’s until the arrival of disco and rock music. However, the original Latin dance forms have been
experiencing constant revivals of their popularity especially in “ballroom dancing” as the trendier modern styles also fade almost as
quickly as they come.
1. Cumbia - Originating in Panama and Colombia, the cumbia became a popular African courtship dance
with European and African instrumentation and characteristics. It contained varying rhythmic meters
among the major locations – meter in Colombia; , , and meters in Panama, and meter in Mexico.
Instruments used are the drums of African origin, such as the tabora (bass drum), claves, which are
hard, thick sticks that sets the beat, guitar, accordion, clarinet, modern flute, and caja, a type of
snare drum.
2. Tango - The word tango may have been of African origin meaning “African dance” or from the Spanish
word taner meaning “to play” (an instrument). It is a foremost Argentinian and Uruguayan urban
popular song and dance that is related to the Cuban contradanza, habanera, and Cuban tango,
and remains a 20th century nationalistic Argentinian piece of music that is most expressive. Its
main development was in the slum areas of Buenos Aires, and eventually became fashionable in
Parisian society in the early part of the 20th century, as well as in England and other parts of
Western Europe.
During the 1890’s, the working class of Buenos Aires, Argentina came across a new kind of
rhythm known as the tango, whose choreographic steps followed the dance trend of the Viennese
Waltz and the polka involving close contact between the male and female dancers.
Tango later became more intellectual in the 1940’s when more poetic lyrics were inserted and
allowed little freedom. Later in the 1960’s, more improvisation and movement were incorporated into
the form, allowing the singers and dancers more room for creative expressions.
3. Cha Cha - The cha cha is a ballroom dance the originated in Cuba in 1953, derived from the mambo
and its characteristic rhythm of 2 crochets – 3 quavers – quaver rest, with a syncopation on the
fourth beat. The cha cha may be danced with Cuban music, Latin Pop, or Latin Rock. The Cuban
cha cha, considered more sensual that may contain polyrhythmic patterns, has a normal count of
‘two-three-chachacha’ and ‘four and one, two, three’.
4. Rumba - The rumba popular recreational dance of Afro-Cuban origin, performed in a complex duple
meter pattern and tresillo, which is a dotted quaver – dotted quaver – dotted semiquaver rhythm. It
is normally used as a ballroom dance where a solo dancer or couple would be in an embrace
though slightly apart, with the rocking of the hips to a fast-fast-slow sequence and often containing
cross rhythms. There is a repetitive melody with an ostinato pattern played by the maracas,
claves, and other Cuban percussion instruments. It contains jazz elements that became a model f
or the cha cha, mambo, and other Latin American dances. It wasalso used for concert music, as it
appearedin the Second Piano Concerto of the French composer Darius Milhaud.
5. Bossa nova - Bossa nova originated in 1958-59 as a movement effecting a radical change in the classic
Cuban samba. The word bossa comes from the Brazilian capital of Rio de Janeiro, which means
either “trend” or “something charming,” integrating melody, harmony, and rhythm into a swaying
feel, where the vocal style is often nasal. The nylon-stringed classical guitar is the most important
instrument of this style. Bossa nova contains themes centering on love, women, longing, nature,
and youthfulness.
Bossa nova emerged in the 1950’s when a slower, gentler version of the samba became popular
with the upper and middle class sectors of society. It was music for easy and relaxed listening,
conducive to romantic dates and quiet moments at the lounges.
A foremost figure of bossa nova is Antonio Carlos Jobim, who became famous with his song
Desafinado (1957). He collaborated with Vincius de Moraes in the play Orfeu da Conceicao (1956),
musical recording of Cancao do Amor Demais (1958), and the song Garota de Ipanema or Girl from
Ipanema (1962) that turned bossa nova’s popularity into a worldwide phenomenon.
In the Philippine pop music scene, Sitti Navarro is a singer who has become known as the
“Philippines’ Queen of Bossa Nova.” Some of her bossa nova songs include Para sa Akin, Hey Look
at the Sun, Lost in Space, and Kung Di Rin Lang Ikaw. Sitti Navarro
 8

6. Reggae - Reggae is an urban popular music and dance style that originated in Jamaica in the mid 1960’s. It contained English text
coupled with Creole expressions that were not so familiar to the non-Jamaican. It was a synthesis of
Western American (Afro-American) popular music and the traditional Afro-Jamaican music, containing
a western-style melodic-harmonic base with African sounds and characteristics, American pop and
rock music mannerisms, and a preference for a loud volume in the bass.
The best-known proponent of reggae music is Bob Marley, a Jamaican singer-songwriter,
musician, and guitarist. He achieved international fame and acclaim for songs such as: One Love,
Three Little Birds; No Woman, No Cry; Redemption Song; and Stir It Up.
7. Foxtrot - The foxtrot is a 20th century social dance that originated after 1910 in the USA. It
was executed as a one step, two step and syncopated rhythmic pattern. The tempo
varied from 30 to 40 bars per minute and had a simple duple meter with regular 4-bar
phrases. There was no fixed step pattern, instead borrowing from other dance forms
and having a simple forward/backward sequence. The foxtrot gave rise to other dances
such as the black bottom, Charleston, and shimmy.
8. Paso Doble - The paso doble (meaning “double step”) is a theatrical Spanish dance used
by the Spaniards in bullfights, where the music was played as the matador enters
(paseo) and during passes just before the kill (faena). The dance is arrogant and
dignified with a duple meter, march-like character, where the dancer takes strong steps
forward with the heels accompanied by artistic hand movements, foot stomping, sharp
Foxtrot Paso Doble and quick movements, with the head and chest held high.

JAZZ
The arrival of the jazz genre did not come overnight. It was an offshoot of the music of African slaves who migrated to
America. As music is considered a therapeutic outlet for human feelings, the Africans used music to recall their nostalgic past in their
home country as well as to voice out their sentiments on their desperate condition at that time. Since then, these melancholy
beginnings have evolved into various more upbeat jazz forms which the world has adopted and incorporated into other contemporary
styles.

RAGTIME
Ragtime is an American popular musical style mainly for piano, originating in
the Afro-American communities in St. Louis and New Orleans. Its style was said to be a
modification of the “marching mode” made popular by John Philip Sousa, where the
effect is generated by an internally syncopated melodic line pitted against a rhythmically
straightforward bass line. Its music is written unlike jazz which is mainly improvised, and
contains regular meters and clear phrases, with an alternation of low bass or bass
octaves and chords.
Foremost exponents of ragtime were Jelly Roll Morton who was an American
ragtime and early jazz pianist and composed Frog I More Rag. Scott Joplin, who also
composed the popular Maple Leaf Rag, Solace, and The Entertainer. Joplin is also
knows as the “King of Ragtime.” Ragtime also influenced a number of classical
composers, among them Erik Satie, Claude Debussy, and Igor Stravinsky, who injected
Jelly Roll Morton Scott Joplin ragtime rhythmic elements in their compositions.

BIG BAND
The term ‘Big Band” refers to a large ensemble form originating in the United States in the mid 1920’s closely associated with
the Swing Era with jazz elements. Relying heavily on percussion (drums), wind, rhythm section
(guitar, piano, double bass, vibes), and brass instruments (saxophones), with a lyrical string section
(violins and other string instruments) to accompany a lyrical melody. A standard big band 17-piece
instrumentation consists of the following musical instruments percussion, brass, and woodwind
instrruments: five saxophones (most often two altos, two tenors, and one baritone), four trumpets,
four trombones (often including one bass trombone), and a four-piece rhythmsection (composed of
drums, acoustic bass or electric bass, piano and guitar). Some big
bands use additional instruments. Big band music originated in the United States and is associated
Glenn Miller Orhestra with jazz and the swing.
Among the great big bands were the Glenn Miller Orchestra (A String of Pearls, Moonlight Serenade, In The Mood, American
Patrol, and Smoke Gets in Your Eyes); the Count Basie Orchestra (April in Paris); and the Benny Goodman Orhcestra (Sing, Sing,
Sing); while some solo signers such as Cab Calloway (Minnie the Moocher) Doris Day (Stardust, I’m in the Mood for Love); Roy
Eldridge, and others also collaborated with big bands.

BEBOP
Bebop or bop is a musical style of modern jazz which is characterized by a fast tempo,
instrumental virtuosity, and improvisation that emerged during World War II. The speed of the harmony,
melody, and rhythm resulted in a heavy performance where the instrumental sound became more tense
and free.
Its main exponents were trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, alto sax player Charlie Parker, drummers
Max Roach and Roy Haynes, pianists Bud Powell and Thelonius Monk; guitarist Charlie Christian; tenor
sax players Dexter Gordon and Sonny Rollins, who was also a composer; and trombonist JJ Johnson.

JAZZ ROCK
Jazz rock is the music of 1960’s and 1970’s bands that inserted jazz elements into rock music. A
synonym for “jazz fusion,” jazz rock is a mix of funk and R&B (“rhythm and blues”) rhythms, where the
music used amplification and electronic effects, complex time signatures, and extended instrumental
compositions with lengthy improvisations in the jazz style.
Popular singer/songwriters Joni Mitchell, Tim Buckley, and Van Morrison were among those who
adopted the jazz rock style.
Some popular groups that emerged using the above music styles were the following:
Grateful Dead Cream Blood, Sweat, and Tears Santana
Traffic Steely Dan Lighthouse Frank Zappa
Joni Mitchell Soft Machine Hatfield and the North Chicago
 9

POPULAR MUSIC
Popular music literally means “music of the populace,” similar to traditional folk music of the past. As it developed in the 20th
century, pop music (as it has come to be called) generally consisted of music for entertainment of large numbers of people, whether
on radio or in live performances. From the standard songs and ballads of the legendary Cole Porter, George Gershwin, and Frank
Sinatra to the rock and roll craze of Elvis Presley and the Beatles and the present day idols in the alternative music and disco
modes, popular music is now shared by the entire world.

BALLADS
The ballad originated as an expressive folksong in narrative verse with text dealing typically about love. The word is derived
both from the medieval French “chanson balladee” and “ballade” which refers to a dancing song. Used by poets and composers since
the 18th century, it became a slow popular love song in the 19th century.
Today, the term ballad now refers to a love song in a slightly pop or rock style, with the following characteristics:
1. Blues Ballads - This is a fusion of Anglo-American and Afro-American styles from the 19th centurythat deals with the anti-heroes
resisting authority. The form emphasizes the
character of the performer more than the narrative content, and is accompanied by the banjo or guitar.
2. Pop Standard and Jazz Ballads - This is a blues style built from a single verse of 16 bars ending on the dominant or half-cadence,
followed by a refrain/chorus part of 16 or 32 bars in AABA form. The B section acts as the bridge, and the piece normally ends
with a brief coda.
Some enduring pop standard and jazz ballads include The Man I Love (George Gershwin, above left), Always (Irving Berlin,
above center), and In a Sentimental Mood (Duke Ellington, above right).

3. Pop and Rock Ballads - A pop and rock ballad is an emotional love song with suggestions of folk music, as in the Beatles’
composition “The Ballad of John and Yoko” and Billy Joel’s “The Ballad of Billy.” This style issometimes
applied to strophic story-songs, such as Don McLean’s “American Pie.”

STANDARDS
In music, the term “standard” is used to denote the most popular and enduring songs from a particular
genre or style, such as those by Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, and Rodgers and Hart. Its style is mostly in a slow or
moderate tempo with a relaxed mood. It also features highly singable melodies within the range and technical
capacity of the everyday listener.
Among the foremost proponents of this style was Frank Sinatra, also known as “Ol Blue Eyes,” Don McLean
“Chairman of the Board,” or “The Voice.” His genre was categorized as traditional pop and jazz. He was a
successful singer, actor, producer, director, andconductor. His hit singles includeMy Way
and Strangers in the Night.
Another well-loved standards singer was American balladeer Nat King Cole.
Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his
soothing baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band, vocal jazz, swing.
traditional pop, and jump blues genres. He was the first black American to host his own
television show and maintained worldwide popularity over 40 years past his death. He is
widely considered “one of the most important musical personalities in United States
Frank Sinatra Nat king Cole history.” His hit songs include Unfogettable, Mona Lisa, and Too Young.
Matt Monroe was an English singer who became one of the most popular entertainers in the international music
scene during the 1960s. Throughout his 30-year career, he filled cabarets, nightclubs, music halls, and stadia in
Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and
Hong Kong to Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas. Among his hit singles included Portrait of My
Love, Softly as I Leave You, the James bond theme From Russia with Love, Born Free, which became his
signature song, and Walk Away. Other popular singers of standards were Perry Como, Bing Crosby, Andy
Williams, Sammy Davis Jr., Doris Day, Patti Page, Barbra Streisand, and Paul Anka.

ROCK AND ROLL

Rock and roll was a hugely popular song form in the United States during the late 1940’s to the 1950’s. It combined Afro-
American forms such as the blues, jump blues, jazz, and gospel music with the Western swing and country music. The lead instruments
were the piano and saxophone, but these were eventually replaced by modern instruments.
In its classic form, rock and roll employed one or two electric
guitars (lead, rhythm), a string bass or bass guitar, and a set of drums
that provided the rhythmic pattern. This form came during the age of
technological change when electric guitars were supplemented by
amplifiers and microphones to raise the volume. It derived its name
from the mot of a sonhip on the ocean, “rock and roll.”
The greatest exponent of the rock and roll style was the
legendary Elvis Presley. His hit songs such as Heartbreak Hotel and
Blue Suede Shoes were complemented by his good looks and elaborate movements that included hugging
the microphone as he sang.
Presley’s style was the precursor of the British band known as The Beatles, whose compositions further boosted rock and roll
as the favorite genre of the times. Examples of The Beatles’ songs in this genre are I Saw Her Standing There, Get Back, While My
Guitar Gently Weeps, Rock and Roll Music, and Ticket to Ride.

The Beatles’ John Lenon and Paul McCartney

as Composers/Songwriters
John Lennon (1940-1980) was an English musician, singer, performer, songwriter and co-songwriter. He was
born and raised in Liverpool, England. He rose to worldwide fame as a founder member of the rock band
The Beatles, which was considered as “the most commercially successful band in the history of popular music.”
Lennon formed as songwriting partnership with Paul McCartney, which is considered as “one of the
most celebrated songwriting partnerships of the 20th century.” Lennon’s hit compositions for the Beatles include
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Strawberry Fields Forever, Help, In My Life, Tomorrow Never Knows, Rain, Norwegian Road, I am the Walrus, Come Together, You’ve
Got to Hide Your Love Away, and Happiness is a Warm Gun.
When The Beatles disbanded in 1970, Lennon embarked on a solo career. Among his solo top billboard hits include Imagine,
Mind Games, Power to the People, Dream, Nobody Told Me, Watching the Wheels, Woman, Whatever Gets You Through the Night,
and Instant Karma.
In 2002, according to a BBC poll on the 100 Greatest Britons, John was voted in eighth place. In 2008, Rolling Stone
Magazine ranked him the “fifth-greatest singer of all time.” He was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987;
and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice as a member of The Beatles in 1988 and as a solo artist in 1994.

Sir James Paul McCartney (1942- ) is an English singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, co-writer, and
composer. Paul gained worldwide popularity and fame as a member of The Beatles, which included
John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Beatles was one of the most influential groups in the
history of pop music.
The songwriting partnership with Lennon for the Beatles is one of the most celebrated of the 20th
century. McCartney has been “recognized as one of the most successful composers and performers of all
time, with 60 gold discs and sales of over 100 million albums and 100 million singles of his work with the
Beatles and as a solo artist.” It has been known that more than 2,200 artists have covered his Beatles song
Yesterday, which is more than any other copyrighted song in history.
McCartney was a two-time inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member ofThe Beatles in 1988, and as a solo
artist in 1999. He is a 21-time Grammy Award winner having won both individually and with The Beatles. He has written or co-written 32
songs that have reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
As of 2014, McCartney had sold more than “15.5 million RIAA-certified units” in the United States. He was knighted in England
for his services to music. His top hit compositions for The Beatles include Hey Jude; Fool on the Hill; I’ll Follow the Sun; I Will; I Saw
Her Standing There; All My Loving; Paperback Writer; Michelle; Eleanor Rigby; We Can Work It Out; And I Love Her; Here, There, and
Everywhere; Penny Lane; and others.

DISCO
The 1970s saw the rise of another form of pop music known as “disco.” Disco music pertained to rock music that was more
danceable, thus leading to the establishment of venues for public dancing also called discos. The term originated from the French word
“discotheque” which means a library for phonograph records.
The disco style had a soaring and reverberating sound rhythmically controlled by a steady beat (usually meter) for ease of
dancing, and accompanied by strings, horns, electric guitars, and electric pianos or synthesizers.
Famous figures of the disco genre include ABBA, Donna Summer (“The Queen of Disco”), The Bee Gees; Earth, Wind, and
Fire; KC and the Sunshine Band; The Village People; and Gloria Gaynor, bringing us such hits as Dancing Queen, Stayin’ Alive, Boogie
Wonderland, and Hot Stuff.

Bee Gees Abba Donna Summer Earth, Wind and fire

POP MUSIC
Parallel with the disco era, other pop music superstars continued to emerge. Among them were
Neil Sedaka (Laughter in the Rain), Diana Ross and the Supremes (Stop in the Name of Love), Olivia
Newton John (Hopelessly Devoted to You), Stevie Wonder (You Are the Sunshine of My Life), Elton John
(Skyline Pigeon), The Carpenters (We’ve Only Just Begun), and Barry Manilow (Mandy).
Pop superstars in more recent years include solor artists Celine Dion (My Heart Will Go On),
Madonna (MaterialGirl), Whitney Houston (I Will Always Love You), Mariah Carey (Hero), Justin Timberlake
(Justified), Britney Spears (Oops, I Did It Again), Beyonce (Irreplaceable), Lady Gaga (Bad Romance), and
Bruno Mars (Just The Way You Are); as well as vocal groups such as Boyz II Men (Four Seasons of
Loneliness), The Backstreet Boys (I Want It That Way), N’Sync (This I Promise You), Destiny’s Child
(Survivor), among many others.
Diana Ross and the Supremes

Michael Jackson, “The King of Pop”

Perhaps the most popular solo performer of all time is Michael Joseph Jackson who was born on
August 29, 1958 and died on June 25, 2009. He was an American recording artist, entertainer, singer-
songwriter, record producer, musical arranger, dancer, choreographer, actor, businessman, and
philanthropist.
The seventh child of the Jackson family, he made his debut as an entertainer in 1968 as a
member of The Jackson 5. He then began a solo career in 1971 while still a member of the group
and was referred to as the "King of Pop" in subsequent years. Jackson's 1982 album Thriller remains the
world's best-selling album of all time, and four of his other solo studio albums are among the world's best-
selling records: Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991), and HIStory (1995).
In the early 1980s, he became a dominant figure in American popular music and culture. He was
the first African American entertainer to amass a strong crossover following on MTV. The popularity of his
music videos airing on MTV, such as Beat It, Billie Jean, and Thriller—widely credited with transforming
the music video from a promotional tool into an art form—helped bring the relatively new channel to fame.
Videos such as Black or White and Scream made Jackson an enduring staple on MTV in the 1990s.
With stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of physically complicated dance techniques, such
as the “robot” and the “moonwalk.” His distinctive musical sound and vocal style influenced many hip hop, pop music, and
contemporary R&B artists across several generations world-wide. Jackson donated and raised millions of dollars for beneficial causes
through his “Heal the World Foundation,” charity singles, and support of 39 charities.
One of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, his other achievements include
“Multiple Guinness World Records”—including one for "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time"—13 Grammy Awards, 13 number one
singles in his solo career, and the sale of 750 million records worldwide. Jackson is one of the world’s most famous artists because of
his highly successful career which made him a part of popular culture for nearly four decades.
 11

At the time of his death, Jackson was preparing for “This Is It,” a series of 50 concerts that would have been held at The O2
arena in London beginning July 13, 2009, and a world tour to follow after the series of concerts. After Michael Jackson's death,
Billboard's entire top nine positions on Billboard's Top Pop Catalog Albums chart housed Jacksonrelated titles on July 1, 2009.

Today’s Pop Music Idols

As the 21st century continues to unfold, more and more pop groups emerge spanning an entire range of musical styles and
genres. There are music groups like Black Eyed Peas, K Pop (Korean), My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boys, The Red Jumpsuit
Apparatus, Souja Boy, Train, Maroon 5, and One Direction.
While solo performers include Adele, Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Rihanna, Chris Brown, Ariana Grande, Justin Beiber, Miley
Cyrus, Katy Perry, Nikki Minaj, Selena Gomez, and others.

HIP HOPAND RAP

Hip hop music is a stylized, highly rhythmic type of music that usually
(but not always) includes portions of rhytmically chanted words called “rap.” In
rapping, the artist speaks along with an instrumental or synthesized beat. Hip
hop arose in the 1970s within the Afro-American and Latino youth in the Bronx
area of New York City. But by the 1980s, it had spread to many other countries.
It has since evolved into a subculture that encompasses music (rapping, DJing,
scratching, and beatboxing); a nearly acrobatic style of dancing, called break
dancing; a distinct manner of dress; and graffiti-style artwork.
Among the early hip hop artists were LL Cool J and Run-D.M.C. While
more recent popular names in this genre have been Beastie Boys, Eminem,
Eminem Kanye West and Kanye West.

ALTERNATIVE MUSIC
Alternative music was an underground independent form of music that arose in the 1980’s. It became widely popular in the
1990’s as a way to defy “mainstream” rock music. Thus, it was known for its unconventional practices such as distorted guitar sounds,
oppressive lyrics, and defiant attitudes. It was also characterized by high energy levels that bred new styles such as new wave, punk
rock, post-punk, indie rock, gothic rock, jangle pop, noise pop, C86, Madchester, Industrial Rock, and Shoegazing. Examples of
alternative music are You Belong with Me, Shake It Off.

PHILIPPINE POPULAR MUSIC

The one word that comes tomind when we think of contemporary Philippine music is the type commonly termed as Original
PinoyMusic orOriginal PhilippineMusic, or OPM for short. It was originally used to refer only to Philippine pop songs, particularly
ballads, such as those popular after the collapse of its predecessor, theManila Sound, in the late 1970s up until the present.
In the 1960s to 1970s, NoraAunor, Pilita Corrales, Eddie Peregrina, VictorWood, Asin, APO Hiking Society, and others were highly
popular OPM singers. In the 1970s to 1980s, themajor commercial Philippine popmusic artistswere Claire dela Fuente, Didith
Reyes, Rico Puno, Ryan Cayabyab, Basil Valdez, Celeste Legaspi, Hajji Alejandro, Rey Valera, Freddie Aguilar, Imelda Papin, Eva
Eugenio, Nonoy Zuñiga, and many others.

ORIGINAL PILIPINO MUSIC (OPM)

The 1980s to 1990s are also regarded as the golden era of Philippine ballads. Among the classics
that emerged were those created by:
Ryan Cayabyab (Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika, Kahit Ika’y Panaginip Lang)
George Canseco (Kapantay ay Langit, Kastilyong Buhangin, Tubig at Langis)
Willie Cruz (Sana’y Wala Nang Wakas, Bituing Walang Ningning)
Jose Mari Chan (Beautiful Girl, Please Be Careful With My Heart, Constant Change)
Gary Valenciano (Sana Maulit Muli)
Most of these compositions made use of Western-type melody and harmony, while expressing
uniquely Filipino emotions in movingly poetic lyrics. These came to be known as OPM, and were
popularized by solo artists like Pilita Corales, Nora Aunor, Basil Valdez, Celeste Legaspi, Hajji Alejandro,
Leah Navarro, Sharon Cuneta, Martin Nievera, Gary Valenciano, ZsaZsa Padilla, Regine Velasquez, and
Ogie Alcasid.
At the start, OPM was centered inManila, where Tagalog and English are the dominant languages.
However, other ethno-linguistic groups such as the Visayan, Bikol, Kapampangan, and Ilocano also began
to sing and record their songs in their native dialects.
Between the 1980s and 1990s, OPM was led by artists such as Martin Nievera, Gary Valenciano,
Lea Salonga, Regine Velasquez, Sharon Cuneta, Vina Morales, Raymond Lauchengco, Francis Magalona,
Pops Fernandez, José Mari Chan, Dingdong Avanzado, Janno Gibbs, Ogie Alcasid, Joey Albert, Manilyn
Reynes, among many others.
In the 1990s, the famous solo artists and bands included The Eraserheads, Smokey Mountain,
Donna Cruz, Jessa Zaragoza, Ariel Rivera, Southborder, Afterimage, Andrew E., Jaya, Rivermaya, Parokya
ni Edgar, among many others. Underground bands emerged and along with them were their perceptions of
idealism and self-expression.
More recently, OPM stars have included Yeng Constantino, Sarah Geronimo, Aisa Seguerra, and
international singers Arnel Pineda (of the international rock group, Journey), Charice Pempengco, and
others.
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PHILIPPINE POP MUSIC

Pop music in the Philippines started as an adaptation or translation, if not complete imitation, of Western hits. It started with
Bobby Gonzales’ Hahabol-habol (Hot Pursuit), a local version of the rock and roll songs of the 1950s, and Rico Puno’s Luneta, a local
adaptation of The Way We Were. This immediately clicked with the youth and eventually gained wide acceptance even among the
“burgis” (bourgeois or elite) crowd.

The start of the “Manila Sound” in the mid-1970s gave rise to songs using a colloquial language called Taglish, a
combination of Tagalog and English. These Filipino lyrics sung to pop melodies resulted in highly singable songs with contemporary
appeal.
Among the proponents of the Manila Sound were the Hotdog,Cinderella, The Rainmakers, and the Apo Hiking Society. After
waning briefly in the 1990’s, this sound regained popularity in recent years with remakes of the 1970’s originals by contemporary rock
bands.

PHILIPPINE JAZZ
Philippine musicians have also been inspired by jazz music. Among them are jazz pianist and recording artist Boy Katindig,
who comes from the well-known clan of musicians that includes jazz piano legend Romy Katindig and saxophonist Eddie Katindig.
The Katindig family pioneered Latin jazz in Manila.
Other notable Filipino jazz musicians include Lito Molina, Angel Peña, Emil Mijares, and internationally known jazz pianist
Bobby Enriquez.

Lito Molina and Jazz Friends Bobby Enriquez Eddie Katindig

PHILIPPINE ALTERNATIVE FOLK MUSIC

The Philippines also saw the rise of alternative folk music which was different from the
traditional and popular form. This new form combined ethnic instrumentation with electronic
accompaniment, while presenting themes or issues of society and the environment. Some of the
Filipino composers who championed this style were Joey Ayala, Grace Nono, and Edru Abraham of
Kontragapi (“Kontemporaryong Gamelan Pilipino”).
Among other Filipino composers whose styles ranged from folk to semi-ethnic were
Freddie Aguilar, best known for his song Anak; Yoyoy Villame, composer of Magellan; Florante,
composer of Ako’y Isang Pinoy; and Gary Granada, composer of Ka Bayani.

PHILIPPINE ROCK
The year 1973 saw the birth of Philippine or “Pinoy” rock music which successfully merged the rock beat with Filipino lyrics.
This new sound was introduced by the legendary Juan de la Cruz Band (with their song Ang Himig Natin) which had for its members
Joey “Pepe” Smith, Wally Gonzales, and the originator of Jeproks, Mike Hanopol, who later became a major symbol of Pinoy rock.
Other early exponents of Pinoy rock included the band Maria Cafra; Sampaguita, the female rocker; and folk-rock singer
Heber Bartolome and his Banyuhay band, whose songs expressed strong messages of nationalism.
Continuing this legacy of Pinoy rock today are vocal groups and bands that include River Maya, The Dawn, True Faith, The
Eraserheads, Wolfgang, Bamboo, Parokya ni Edgar, Hale, Sandwich, SugarFree, Sponge Cola,and others.

Juan dela Cruz Band Parokya ni Edgar Bamboo

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PINOY RAP
In the Philippines, rap was also made popular by such composers and performers as
Francis Magalona (Mga Kababayan Ko and Watawat) and Andrew E (Humanap Ka ng Pangit).
Francis Magalona was born on October 4, 1964 and died on March 6, 2009. He is also known
as FrancisM, “Master Rapper,” and “The Man From Manila.” He was a Filipino rapper, songwriter,
producer, actor, director, television host, and photographer. He is often hailed as the “King of Pinoy
Rap” and is considered a legend in the Philippine music community.
With the success of his earliest albums, Magalona was the first Filipino rapper to cross over to
the mainstream. He is also credited for having pioneered the merging of rap with Pinoy rock, becoming
a significant influence on artists in that genre as well. He was later awarded a posthumous Presidential
Medal of Merit “for his musical and artistic brilliance, his deep faith in the Filipino, and his sense of
national pride that continue to inspire us.”

Pop Music Collaborations

Philippine pop artists have also collaborated with classical artists and orchestras in a number of their recordings and concerts.
Some of the concerts of Martin Nievera, Gary Valenciano, Regine Velazquez, Lea Salonga, and Sharon Cuneta have featured the
Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, the ABS-CBN Orchestra, and the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra in performances at the Cultural
Center of the Philippines (CCP) and the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), both known venues for classical music,
as well as at the Araneta Coliseum and Folk Arts Theater (FAT). Classical musicians have also performed in malls and other
commercial venues to popularize classical music, popular music, and OPM.

SUMMARY
From theater tunes to rock and roll, pop, standards, hip hop, rap, and contemporary ballads—whether in the West, in the
Philippines, or anywhere else in the world—these all provided a rich and diverse musical background in the development of Philippine
contemporary music. The development of Philippine music was also influenced by the history of the country—from its pre-Spanish
roots, through the Spanish and American periods, up to the present. It has since evolved to have its own rich and distinct identity.