Republic of the Philippines
MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Education Training Department
General Santos City
Grade 10
Music
Quarter 2 –
PHILIPPINE POPULAR
MUSIC
PHILIPPINE POPULAR MUSIC
The one word that comes to mind when we think of contemporary Philippine music is
the type commonly termed as Original Pinoy Music or Original Philippine Music, 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, the Manila Sound, in
the late 1970s up until the present.
In the 1960s to 1970s, Nora Aunor, Pilita Corrales, Eddie Peregrina, Victor Wood, Asin,
APO Hiking Society, and others were highly popular OPM singers. In the 1970s to 1980s, the
major commercial Philippine pop music artists were 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) Ryan
Cayabyab
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.
George
Canseco
At the start, OPM was centered in Manila, 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.
Gary Martin
Valenciano Nievera
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.
Sarah Geronimo Arnel Pineda Charice
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.
Rico J. Puno
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.
Hotdog (above) and
The Apo Hiking Society (right)
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.
Lito Molina and
the Jazz Friends
Eddie Katindig
Bobby
Enriquez
Other notable Filipino jazz musicians include Lito Molina, Angel Peña, Emil Mijares, and
internationally known jazz pianist Bobby Enriquez.
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
Freddie Aguilar 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 werewere
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.
Juan de la Cruz Band
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.
Parokya
ni Edgar
Bamboo
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 Kang 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 Francis Magalona
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.
Activity 1
1. How did the different forms of popular music reflect life in the 20th century?
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2. Differentiate the characteristics of Philippine pop, rock, and rap music.
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3. What role did media like radio, television, and recordings play in the development of these
different musical genres?
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4. Describe the “Manila Sound” in Philippine pop music.
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5. Name some well-known OPM performers.
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Group Performance Task: Online Concert
1. Your teacher will divide the class into four groups.
2. Each group will choose one OPM song.
3. Decide among your group members which of you will sing, plan the choreography or
movements to accompany the song, play a musical instrument, and record the group’s
performance on video.
4. Learn your song. Practice it, with the choreography and accompaniment.
Rating of the Performance
1. Musicianship 60%
(musical elements, technique)
2. Presentation impact and showmanship 20%
3. Ensemble coordination and organization 20%
100%
