The Art Song or Lied Is a Vocal Music Genre That Grew to Prominence in the
Filipino Fine art Songs: The Development of the Kundiman Genre and its Role in Filipino Identity in the Midst of Colonization
Why Filipino Art Songs:
Equally a first-generation immigrant, I felt the need and responsibility to stand for my heritage in all things positive. Personally, I somehow grew upwards paralleling the thought of beingness exotic and unsophisticated. Similar I always had something to prove. I had a wrong notion that "classical" music — equally defined past Western classical music was "sophisticated" — that anything outside the box of Western classical music was simply distasteful or unacceptable. You can read about the process, on my bodily paper under this introduction.
Are Filipino Art Songs the same as Ruben Tagalog's renditions of kundiman?
A lot of Filipinos know Ruben Tagalog singing kundiman (yes that's his final name): his suave voice and the nylon guitar in the groundwork…
"Oh, Ilaw. Sa gabing, malamig…"
It is a kundiman, but can it be an art song?
What is an fine art song? It'south a song usually based upon a poem or text, often accompanied by piano and other instruments. It is performed in a recital setting, or some sort of social event. When nosotros think of art song, we think the High german lied or the French melodie.
Here are a few pictures from the Lecture Recital…
Written by Chrystle Mactal
Apr 2019
Introduction: I was born in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands every bit an American citizen, only I consider myself Filipino and raised in the Philippines fifty-fifty if I was there just until I was 7. With some sacrifices to be made, my family moved to the States simply like anyone else: for better opportunity. Thanks to the guidance of my parents, the Filipino culture is very much a office of me even if I lived hither most of my life. Into my sophomore year here at the music section, Dr. Deeter challenged me to look into Filipino classical music. Honestly, I did not know there was such a matter. I only knew of some folk songs passed down to me from my grandmother or of the tinikling trip the light fantastic toe. I had a terribly wrong notion that my culture could never own something equally "sophisticated" equally classical music. Why I idea that way while I proclaim to be a proud Filipino, I'one thousand likewise interested in discovering myself. There is definitely a span with this notion and the diaspora of Filipinos from their homeland. I plant myself ignorant of my own heritage. Nevertheless, I decided to have this rare opportunity to observe my identity in music as a Filipino-American.
Acknowledgements: I would like to acknowledge the people who have helped me during this journeying of figuring out what this music is. My professors: Dr. Alissa Walters Deeter, who served as the foundation of my studies in classical vox; Dr. Grymes, the most encouraging and informative to help me with this newspaper; Dr. Dupont, who graciously has taken fourth dimension to exist a role of my projection commission; Dr. Priwan Nangongkham for his hospitality, for allowing me to perform these fine art songs at Kent State Academy and for meeting Southeast Asian Music Scholar Dr. Terry Miller; Professor Christina Pier, who has helped me discover my part in Filipino art songs through connecting the techniques I larn during lessons and taking it beyond; Erin Palmer, who has bravely made this music come alive and challenged me to step out of my chimera and take ownership in this music; and Jane Parris, the first boyfriend classmate and friend to collaborate with me. I'd like to mention my other professors that I've come beyond to during my time here, who accept taught me so much more than than just reading music. I specially would like to give thanks my friends and my family, who have supported me in every way possible in these past couple of years. It's considering of you lot that I am able to do what I am passionate about.
The Dilemma in Defining what is Uniquely Filipino
During the introduction of the potential thesis of this project, Dr. Grymes challenged me to explain what makes Filipino music distinct from Spanish music. Is Filipino music just Spanish music sung in the Tagalog language? Indeed, the three hundred years of imperialist Spanish rule dominated Filipino culture. This brings the dilemma in defining what is uniquely Filipino. Simply, what makes Filipino music unique is the mixing of existing traditions with the new Hispanic ones.. Announcer Carmen Guerrero Nakpil said this in 1997, "This very Westernization of Filipino tastes is responsible for the modern excellence and sophistication of Filipino music performers. All other peoples in Asia and the Pacific have just 5 notes in their ears. We Filipinos, thank you to the assiduous friars who made choirboys and musicians out of the Filipinos, bear seven notes, the do-re-mi of the European octave and accept the distinct advantage of familiarity with the inventory, repertoire, and musical codes of Western music" (Castro, 2011, pg. 23).
"This very Westernization of Filipino tastes is responsible for the modern excellence and sophistication of Filipino music performers. All other peoples in Asia and the Pacific have only five notes in their ears. We Filipinos, thanks to the assiduous friars who made choirboys and musicians out of the Filipinos, behave seven notes, the do-re-mi of the European octave and have the singled-out advantage of familiarity with the inventory, repertoire, and musical codes of Western music"
The Castilian Conquest of the Philippines
On the first sentence of the national anthem "Lupang Hinirang," equanimous in 1898 by Julian Felipe, the Philippines is referred to as "Perlas ng Silanganan"--"the Pearl of the Orient Sea." Known for its paradise-similar beaches, the Philippines is an archipelago of more than than 7,000 islands that consists of 77 provinces and a division of fifteen different regions. The separation of land by water resulted in varying ethnic groups and a great sectionalization of languages and culture. Although it is only the size of the land of Arizona, this country has a total of 100 or more dialects that are actively being used today. My family, for instance, comes from the province of Pampanga and speaks Kapampangan. My husband comes from Bulacan, and they speak Tagalog.
There is not much recorded history of the Philippines prior to the arrival of the Spaniards, but according to Castro, "there was a core population of racially similar people throughout the Philippines and Southeast Asia". Three large groups of early inhabitants included the Negritos, besides chosen the Aetas, who originally migrated from Southeast Asia, the Indonesians, the Malays, and the Chinese. Several foreign visitors like the Chinese were involved in trade and intermarriage and the earliest recorded time Chinese merchants visited the Philippines to merchandise was as early equally 982 A.D. (Bañas, 1970). Also referred to the "Italy of the Orient", the Philippines could arguably be the virtually westernized country in Southeast Asia. The first arrival of the Spaniards was recorded in 1521. Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, who had just conquered Mexico, made the aforementioned trip to the archipelago, and the Spaniards successfully conquered Cebu, so, Manila in 1571. Over the next three-hundred years equally a Spanish colony, the Philippines, adopted a great deal of Hispanic culture. The Spanish language instilled in Tagalog, the surnames of the people, the cuisine, the Catholic religion, and the way the people dressed are merely a few examples of how much Castilian civilization influenced what Filipino culture is today.
Catholicism'south Consequence on Filipino Sacred and Secular Music
Catholicism was the principal driving forcefulness of the quick societal and cultural change in the Philippines. The Spanish Crown's main objective through colonization was for an increase in monetary assets, only information technology was also very much interested in converting the Filipinos to Christianity. Though the initial intention of economic growth failed, the Christianization of the Filipinos was a success, and music became a significant platform for communication between the Spanish settlers and the native Filipinos. Prior to the inflow of the Spaniards, Antonio Pigafetta, a scholar who travelled with Magellan, documented his observations of the indigenous musical traditions. Pigafetta described traditions that included vocal music and instrumental music of gongs, drums, flutes, zithers, lutes, clappers, and buzzers. Vocal music genres consisted of epic poems, festive songs for special occasions, and work-songs sung during harvest time (Canave-Dioquinio, 2011). Such traditions inverse quickly due to the Western musical influence that came along with Christianization. Missionary priest Juan de Santa Marta of Zaragoza, Spain, organized a choir of 400 boys. The master school for boys, called primeras escuelas-de ninos, involved not just literacy and arithmetic, but musical educational activity too. Taught by followers of the Franciscan, Augustinian, and Jesuit orders, the boys learned about Gregorian dirge (canto llano), polyphony (canto de organo), and hymns (salves). Liturgical music speedily spread and created a uniquely Filipino repertoire that represented a fusion of their ethnic by with their Spanish culture. Three and some centuries of Spanish colonization, has generated a variety of repertoires and genres amidst the Filipino Christian population. Surprisingly enough, the Catholic movement would indirectly influence the characteristics of Filipino secular music, likewise.
Western Influence in Filipino Secular Music
Having practiced liturgical music for centuries, the Filipinos now sought amusement in music. Strange dances from Mexico, Spain, and other European countries were beingness danced at assurance or parties (Dioquino, 2011). "The favorite dances were the fandango, the jota, and the balitao. The more educated prefer the waltz, the polka, the habanera, the rigodon, and the lanceros" (Dioquino, 2011, p. 126). In addition to the exposure of dances from Western countries, opera brought a slap-up interest among the Filipinos. Information technology became common for "educated elite" musicians called ilustrados to gather for social gatherings in what they call tertulias, to perform operas of Rossini or Verdi (Dioquino, 2011). These popular social activities that involved these styles influenced the characteristics of Filipino art songs.
Filipinization and the Office of Music in the Early Twentieth-Century Philippines
"Filipinization —- the process of making culture more than Filipino in order to counter the furnishings of colonialism and/or farther a stronger sense of localized identity."
Christi-Anne Castro Ethnomusicology professor of the Academy of Michigan - author of Musical Renderings of the Philippine Nation
Christi-Anne Castro'southward volume Musical Renderings of the Philippine Nation discusses an important idea. Castro discusses the journeying of the Filipino cultural identity in which composers created certain types of music as an deed of defiance confronting colonial oppression. Castro describes this equally an example of "Filipinization" which is "the process of making civilization more Filipino in order to counter the furnishings of colonialism and/or farther a stronger sense of localized identity" (Castro, 2011, pg. 33). While still adhering to Western musical idioms, composers establish a way to define Filipino music as a hybridity of pre-colonial and postal service-colonial music. Antonio Molina, composer and a nationalist advocate University of the Philippines urged the need for a creation of music that they could define equally Filipino: He says,"The new tempo of Philippine life demands that our music accept a new direction… Information technology must reflect actual happenings and national events; for music is, in a way, a historical and social document." (Banas, 1970, p. 7). This demand for national identity could have led composers to limit their musical language to that which was learned prior to the Castilian inflow. Instead of ignoring the reality that Filipino musicians had already been fully westernized for in many centuries, the nationalist composers used Western musical idioms to dilate or create genres that would help define Filipino music. This deliberate choice was due to their want for progress and modernism. In the sense of seeing patriotic compositions equally a tool of defiance against colonialism, prominent Filipino composers like Francisco Santiago, Nicanor Abelardo, and Antonio Molina could easily be revered in the same way Filipino national heroes like Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, or Emilio Aguinaldo are respected. The composers created the kundiman. The kundiman is the art song of the Philippines with folk-music influence ready to texts. But well-nigh people refer to them as classical love songs. The early kundiman were compositions of songs that involved the "amore and devotion" to the Motherland and were chosen kundiman ng himagsikan (revolutionary kundiman). Therefore, the theme of amore towards their state could easily be confused with a dear situation with a real person.
Dr. Francisco Santiago, composer. Besides known as the"Father of the Kundiman" b. 1889 - d. 1947.
Oppression or Love? "Ano Kaya Ang Kapalaran" by Francisco Santiago
Is it talking about oppression or love? "Ano Kaya Ang Kapalaran," which translates to "What Fate Lies Ahead," is a perfect example of a kundiman that people over the years take mistakenly sung as a love song. This vocal was composed in 1938 by Dr. Francisco Santiago, the "Male parent of Kundiman" or according to Castro, the "Male parent of Philippine Nationalism in Music." Aside from being trained in the Philippines, he received his Masters and Doctoral degrees in the Chicago Musical Higher (now part of Roosevelt Academy). Santiago was also one of the first Filipino professors to teach in the University of Philippines. Santiago was a major proponent of Filipinization as well. He conducted inquiry on folk songs from dissimilar provinces, and was able to notate and harmonize them. Personally, I discovered that the only folk song I know in my provincial dialect Kapampangan, "Atin cu pung sing-sing", "I Once Had a Dear Ring", was actually harmonized by Santiago.
The start fourth dimension I came beyond this "Ano Kaya ang Kapalaran", I was confused if I am to sing both the Tagalog and Spanish text considering repeat signs of the sections are missing. Though the texts practice not translate equally, both carry the same idea that "Happiness is not necessarily nigh finding one's honey but being gratis to sing his or own tune" (Anderson, 2015, p.56). In this case, the freedom in singing in their Tagalog language: "walang kasing tamis gaya ng umawit ng sariling himig. Bawat taginting ang wika'y pagibig.", "there is zip more pleasant than to sing i's own melody. With every sound, the language is beloved". The Castilian text explains further, "Information technology is more than the song of the heart, it is the Philippine lyre". The song apace changes it's mood in the 2nd section, which goes into the parallel major. The Tagalog text of this section ends a bit pessimistic, "Wait not fortune, y'all volition receive bitterness". But, the Spanish text of the same section ends a bit more hopeful, "And if the hurting is and so great, the vocal sings the smile of the wounded eye…what you will achieve if y'all take hope. Happy you will exist!". Thought the Tagalog text satirically plays along the tune of this piece, the Spanish text amplifies the hopeful melody.
Highlighted is the Spanish text
"Pamaypay Ng Maynila" a Balitaw by Constancio de Guzman
Every bit mentioned before, the kundiman is inspired past folk music."Pamaypay Ng Maynila" "the Fan of Manila" was composed past Constancio De Guzman during the American colonial period of the Philippines (tardily 1800s to 1940s). His most famous song is"Maalaala Mo Kaya" which is the theme song of the iconic Filipino drama album that'due south been running since 1991. He is also known for composing the kundiman, "Bayan Ko", which translates to "My Country".
Though de Guzman was popular for nationalistic kundiman songs, "Pamaypay Ng Maynila" which ways "Fan of Manila" is a bang-up example of a kundiman that is inspired by the balitaw. The balitaw is a musical argue in form of courtship that derived from the "pre-Spanish games of wit chosen duplo and karagatan" (Dioquino, 1998, p. 851). Similar other kundimans, this song is in ¾ time to imitate the waltz-like trip the light fantastic, and starts off in the small-scale key. This piece is separated into iii sections. The beginning section, the singer introduces her fan. The second section, she describes the way she uses her fan. The last function, modulates to the parallel major key and the vocalist continues to explicate her beloved of the fan. If you are in the Philippines, you volition detect that every woman volition carry a fan around with her. "The fan, used by seemingly demure ladies, becomes symbolic in the broad array of attitudes and emotions it could convey – from shyness and coyness to outright flirtatious expressions of love, depending on the gestures used when fanning" (Filipinas Heritage Library, 2018).
The Kundiman vs. The Harana
In keeping the romantic essence true to its Filipino-Castilian culture, the genres are more often than not folk songs that are sung to court someone, or pangliligaw. For example, the harana, which ways to serenade, is an old custom with which many modernistic Filipinos are still familiar with. All cheers to the novelty song released in 1997 amusingly called, "Harana" by Parokya ni Edgar, popular music fans are enlightened of the courting custom. The harana is rather a simple concept of a human, along with his "wingmen," serenading a girl past her window, unremarkably with the typical nosy audience awaiting the next subject area of tomorrow'due south gossip. The harana is a descendant of the Spanish serenata, or "serenade." "Unlike opera, in a serenata in that location is no plot. Dioquino says that the construction of these songs follow the Tagalog poetry (plosa) only the music follows the Western music idiom in its I-Iv-V chord progression, and often accompanied by guitar (Dioquino, 1998). Though the custom is losing its popularity, "Aking Bituin" or amend known equally "Oh, Ilaw" popularized by Ruben Tagalog, is i of the about famous haranas still sung today. Sometimes, it is sung in respect to the courting tradition, or ane may amusingly hear information technology when driving past a typical Filipino karaoke bar.
Danza rhythmic ostinato derived from the habanera or tango
Florante Aguilar, a Filipino multi-instrumentalist from San Diego whose expertise is in Filipino folk and art songs, wrote a web log virtually the differences in the kundiman and harana. Kickoff and foremost, the kundiman is in the triple meter that starts in a minor primal then modulates to its parallel or relative major primal and derives from the Spanish danza dance course (Bañas, 1970). Writer Raymundo Bañas explains that the danza is the "development of the Spanish habanera or tango" (Bañas, 1970, p.75). This danza is also considered the tempo di kundiman. The harana, though starts off in a minor cardinal equally well, but does not follow the triple meter but in duple meter instead. Aguilar explains that the kundiman oft follows the "the bailiwick matter around existence heartbroken" (Aguilar, 2010). The same broken-hearted theme ties to the oppression Filipinos experienced during Spanish colonization. He describes both genres oftentimes dislocated because haranistas oftentimes sing kundiman songs during a harana (Aguilar, 2010). It was later that the implementation of operatic style, written accessory for piano, that made the kundiman suffice to exist called an art song.
Nicanor Abelardo'southward Part in the Kundiman Genre: "Nasaan Ka Irog?"
"Nasaan Ka Irog?" (Where are y'all my honey?), is known to exist Nicanor Abelardo's "immortal piece" and was composed in 1923. The lyrics were written by by Narcisco S. Asistio. It is about "an unfortunate human being an ill-starred beloved thing" (Epistola, 1996, p. 48). In 1937, a moving picture was released based on this song. Though not a nationalistic song like "Ano Kaya ang Kapalaran" by Santiago, this love song follows the full general formula of the kundiman.
Nicanor Abelardo was born in Bulacan in 1837. He was known as a child prodigy by the age of five and followed his father's footsteps as a haranista and bandurria actor and even learned to play the violin (Epistola). Like Santiago, Abelardo continued his studies in Chicago Musical Higher. Though he created large-scaled works, his focus was on the kundiman.
A Kundiman of Kumintang Inspiration: "Mutya Ng Pasig" by Nicanor Abelardo
Nicanor Abelardo b. 1893-d.1934
Another kundiman I will be performing today by Abelardo is called "Mutya ng Pasig", which is of the kumintang influence. This kundiman'south musical elements are suspected to have roots from the kumintang . The kumintang is an ancient genre that originated in the Tagalog-speaking region of the Philippines. This rhythmic pattern follows the rhythm of the Tagalog linguistic communication. This rhythmic blueprint could as well be mistaken for the style of the tagulaylay, which Bañas describes every bit a monotonous melody sung in a recitative manner (Bañas, 1970). The opening line of Nicanor Abelardo's "Mutya Ng Pasig" (Image 1) is a perfect case of this recitative style where the accents autumn on the third vanquish of the first bar and 2d on the second bar (Santos, 2005).
Pasig River earlier Spanish industrialization.
This vocal is based on the Pasig River, the main ship route during the Spanish colonization. Many exercise not know this, only 3 tribal kingdoms thrived and existed along the Pasig: the Tondo, Maynila, and Namayan. Their lives depended on that river and was their source of wealth. When the Spanish arrived, they built the Intramuros effectually the Pasig and pollution caused the amount of fish in the river to decrease. "Mutya Ng Pasig" which translates to "The Nymph of Pasig", is a song about the river nymph and the loss she experiences.
This piece is separated into three sections: "the scenic description (recitative-like); Description of the Mutya; and the Song of the Mutya" (Santos, 2005, p. fourteen). Abelardo also includes some text-painting in the piano/violin solos. The syncopation imitates the waters running down a river, and the chromatic contrapuntal lines creates the mysterious aura of the magical nymph (Santos, 2005).
"Sa Kabukiran" and Ignorance of the Kundiman genre
"Sa Kabukiran" is probably the most popular kundiman that most Filipinos know of. In that location is much work to be washed. Finding these pieces are difficult to find. But in its rare aspect, these songs are absolute gems. To musicians, these pieces would be a unique improver to your repertoire. Your performances of the kundiman could spread awareness of the genre. To vocal teachers, these pieces are advanced enough to challenge your students nevertheless the language, is simple plenty to learn as it is quite close to learning Italian diction. "Sa Kabukiran" was published and composed past Manuel P. Velez in 1941. Information technology is influenced past the balitaw, much similar "Pamaypay Ng Maynila", but is set in the Tagalog and Visayan linguistic communication. There are repeats signs to this, so a vocalist may choose to sing in the Visayan language (Image 3). A flick based on this song was released in 1947 and was popularized by the famous soprano, Sylvia La Torre. The singer of this piece reminisces the kabukiran, the "countryside". She talks virtually her love of the nature around her and even imitates the bird'south singing, depicted by the piano. I believe this piece is a perfect representation of the simple and apprehensive Filipino lifestyle in the countryside.
References
Anderson, Quiliano North. (2015, August). Kundiman love songs from the Philippines: their development from folksong to art song and an examination of representative repertoire. DMA (Doctoral of Musical Arts) thesis, University of Iowa.
Bañas y Castillo, Raymundo. (1970). Pilipino music and theatre. Quezon City: Manlapaz Pub. Co.
Barulich, F., & Fairley, J. (2001, Jan 01). Habanera. Grove Music Online. Ed. Retrieved 29 Apr. 2019, from http://world wide web.oxfordmusiconline.com.librarylink.uncc.edu/grovemusic/view/x.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000012116.
Castro, C., & Castro, C. (2011). Musical renderings of the Philippine nation. New York: Oxford Academy Press.
Dioquino, Corazon C. (1982). Musicology in the Philippines. Acta Musicologica, Vol. 54, Fasc. ½ (Jan - December., 1982), pp. 124-147. Retrieved January 22, 201, from https://www.jstor.org/stable/932360
Epistola, Ernesto V. (1996). Nicanor Abelardo, the man and the creative person: a biography. Manila, Philippines: Rex Book Store Publisher.
Filipinas Heritage Library Web site. (2018). Retrieved April 20, 2019, from https://www.filipinaslibrary.org.ph/biblio/36552/
Hesketh, J. G. (2014). Serenata. In I. Stavans (Ed)., Latin music: musicians, genres, and themes. Westport, CT: Greenwood. Retrieved from https://go.openathens.net/redirector/uncc.edu?
Kundiman at iba pa: a compilation of Kundiman pieces, Filipino classical love songs and songs promoting positive values (1994). Manila, Philippines: Likhawit Enterprises.
Miller, T. E., & Williams, S. (Eds.). (1998). Art Music of the Philippines in the Twentieth Century. In Garland Encyclopedia of World Music Volume iv - Southeast Asia (pp. 890-905). Routledge (Publisher). Retrieved from Alexander Street database.
Miller, T. Due east., & Williams, S. (Eds.). (1998). The Lowland Christian Philippines. In Garland Encyclopedia of Earth Music Volume 4 - Southeast Asia (pp. 861-889). Routledge (Publisher). Retrieved from Alexander Street database.
Santos, Ramon Pagayos. (2005). Tunugan: Four Essays on Filipino music. Diliman, Quezon City: The University of the Philippines Printing.
Talbot, Yard. (2001, January 01). Serenata. Grove Music Online. Ed. Retrieved 29 Apr. 2019, from http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.librarylink.uncc.edu/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000025455.
Source: https://www.chrystlemusic.com/updates/2019/7/24/filipino-art-songs-senior-lecture-recital
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