Asin and the BEP

Asin ("salt" in English) is my favorite Filipino band and means a lot to me personally. Apl.de.ap, a Filipino member of the Black Eyed Peas, also cites Asin as one of his main influences growing up in Pampanga (a province in the Philippines). The Black Eyed Peas released two songs with Tagalog lyrics, "The Apl Song" (a slower, more reflective song) and "Bebot" (a very contemporary hip hop one), both masterminded by Apl.de.ap. These songs are considered to be very meaningful to the Filipino-American community, not so much because of their lyrics, but more so because of the fact that the Philippines is getting international acknowledgment/exposure through the existence of Tagalog songs by a band so popular as the Black Eyed Peas. 

The connection between these songs and Asin is this: the back-track of both of them are Asin songs. On "The Apl Song", the chorus is sung by original members of Asin, and the lyrics are based on and rapped to "Balita" (by Asin). Similarly, "Bebot" is set to "Cotabato". Below are links to each song. You can hear the Asin very clearly if you listen closely. 

The Apl Song

Balita

Bebot

Cotabato

Different Variations of the Filipino Bamboo Flute (Often Used in Folk Music)

There are many variations of the bamboo flute in the Philippines, mostly based on region. Each geographic area in the Philippines generally tends to have different takes on instruments, much like the dialects vary from island to island. 


http://www.kipas.nl/Instruments/index.html

Bahay Kubo

"Bahay Kubo" is a very well-known traditional Filipino song about planting and farm life. Its title refers to the bahay kubo, or farm hut often seen in the fields for the workers to sit and relax in (another name for a bahay kubo is a nipa hut). Over the years, there have been many covers of this folk song, and it is really interesting to observe the evolution of it and its application in different genres. Below are the lyrics in both English and Tagalog, and a couple versions of the song. 

Tagalog Lyrics

Bahay kubo, kahit munti
Ang halaman doon ay sari-sari.
Singkamas at talong, sigarilyas at mani
Sitaw, bataw, patani.

Kundol, patola, upo't kalabasa
At saka mayroon pang labanos, mustasa,
sibuyas, kamatis, bawang at luya
sa paligid-ligid ay puro linga.

English

Nipa hut*, even though it is small
The plants it houses are varied
Turnip and eggplant, winged bean and peanut
String bean, hyacinth bean, lima bean.

Wax gourd, luffa**, white squash and pumpkin,
And there is also radish, mustard,
Onion, tomato, garlic, and ginger
And all around are sesame seeds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA2uFW0t1WQ - more modern/westernized. jazz-esque, if you will. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5RkepmnxLo - a rock version. very contemporary and almost unrecognizable to the original song. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7yM5onQufU - the original way it was supposed to be sung. this version is really interesting because, though, it was the more traditional one, it is being sung by an American in the video. the song is interrupted several times because the woman didn't know the lyrics, but you'll get the gist of it. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUx6REWtk-Q&feature=related - strictly an instrumental version. this is also interesting because it shows classical interpretations of the song. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um5LjSS2m_c - a clearer version of the original bahay kubo but without accompaniment. it's nice, though, because it is very genuine - just a grandmother singing the song at the breakfast table. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQ_JEkjPj2o - a more pop-y, mainstream version of the song sung by two popstars. 

Annotated Bibliography

Tunugan: Four Essays on Filipino Music

by Ramon Pagayan Santos, Ph.D.

Tunugan: Four Essays on Filipino Music is basically a comprehensive view of the broad spectrum that is Filipino music. While it is not limited to folk music per se, it provides a very firm grounding in the understanding of what exactly Filipino music is. In four essays, Santos explores the connections between the Filipino persona and the musical culture of the country, studying popular radio hits, influence from the West and other Asian countries, and, of course, provincial and folk music. Santos also speaks about how Filipino has "come to be" - tying in culture and politics with musical history. 

Folk Music in the Philippines

by Charles E. Griffith, Jr. 

Almost exactly what I need, "Folk Music in the Philippines" gives an in-depth look at the growth of Filipino folk music. It emphasizes the Spanish roots of Filipino music, starting out with a well-summarized history of the 400-year Spanish colonization of the Philippines and how Spanish culture mixed with indigenous geographic Filipino ones. Griffith goes on to talk about the fusions of the various other cultures that bordered/shaped the Philippines, such as Malay, American, and Japanese. Perhaps the most helpful about the article, though, is its very detailed explanations of regional Filipino people and their music - in particular the Bontocs, Igorots, and other tribe-like groups in the provinces and mountain areas. "Folk Music in the Philippines" truly delves into the real Philippines, beyond modern-day influences and pop music and into the realm of the small towns and villages that make up the "real" Philippines. 

Music and Ethnic Identity: Strategies Among Overseas Filipino Youth

by Ricardo D. Trimillos

Though this article touches on the more mainstream-end of Filipino music, it is still relevant to my topic as it speaks about what Filipino music is today. Trimillos speaks to the Filipino person abroad - someone with Filipino ancestry but an extra-Filipino upbringing. In the article, he explains the assimilation of Filipino music and traditions into other cultures through said other-country-born Filipinos. Particularly interesting is his descriptions of family bands of sorts and choral groups often formed within Filipino communities, and the transportation of the native Filipino instrument, the kulintang. In short, the article covers the state of Filipino music as an immigrant - moving away from its home country and ever-so-slowly becoming, if in a very small way, a part of another country's multiracial culture. 

"Musicology in the Philippines"

by Corazon C. Dioquino 

Written by a Filipino, this article gives an interesting update of sorts of music and musicology in 1980s Philippines. It is unique in that it was written from the point of a Filipino author, rather than from a more removed Western scholar, and in that way the article brings readers into the academic world of the Philippines - learning about the country's music not by viewing the country as a case study or textbook example but through some of its peoples' own eyes. Of course, since it is an academic piece, the article does examine Filipino music with a purely educational eye. It covers a range of topics within the subject of Filipino music, with a small emphasis on Spanish lyrics and Catholic roots in folk music. Dioquino also goes on to write about various instruments in the Philippines, explaining their use and regional importance. 

http://user.cs.tu-berlin.de/~brandeis/

This website is a highly comprehensive account of the work of Hans Brandeis, an ethnomusicologist, in the Philippines during the late 20th century. It includes photographs and even some song clips, and mostly documents the Mindanao region of the Philippines. Mindanao is a very turbulent place, being mostly Muslim (as opposed to the rest of the country, which is 98% Catholic) and having had many problems with terrorists and kidnappings. Through Brandeis' work, you can see this, particularly in the descriptions of photos and other such things, where small accounts of the people are offered. I cannot even begin to summarize everything that is on this website, but most important are the very detailed explanations of the ties between religion and music, and the rural folk music of Mindanao. 

Popular Musics and Politics in Modern Southeast Asia: A Comparative Analysis

by Craig A. Lockard

Though this article is largely about popular music, it is important for my project because it gives a sort of base for comparison to both more mainstream genres in the Philippines and music in its surrounding countries. The article speaks about several nations in Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, etc.), however does have a relatively lengthy part about the Philippines specifically. It covers the interesting topic of how integral music is to Filipino culture - how you can hear singing almost anywhere, and how song is a very vital part of the Filipino self. The article also speaks to the political influences on Filipino folk and traditional music, with artists such as Freddie Aguilar and Joey Ayala, both popular folk-rock singers whose songs often cover the political past and present of the Philippines. The piece goes on to talk about what is now true mainstream music of the Philippines - heavily Americanized pop songs in the same vein of Celine Dion and Mariah Carrey. In all, this article gives a good, comprehensive overview of Filipino music but also touches on some very key aspects; its meaning to the culture and its lyrical roots. 

Filipino Village Reminiscence 

by Elsie Clews Parsons

This article is basically a relating of a man's life and reflections to his past in a Filipino barrio, or village/neighborhood. It covers the day-to-day happenings, giving good, rich descriptions of what a Filipino village looks, feels, and sounds like. It also has a very nice part on music in the barrio. The man talks about people sitting around on plastic crates or wooden stools playing guitars, singing old songs such as the popular traditional song, "Bahay Kubo" (Cubical House, or farm hut). The article has a very nostalgic feel to it, and really gives some first (or something like that)- hand insight into the musical aspects of life in a regular town in the provinces. The man describes lots of casual humming, even singing of popular Western songs. Also spoken about (by the author) is the many inherent Latino/Spanish influences to Filipino culture, especially when it comes to song structures and melodies. 

The Maranao Kolintang Music and Its Journey in America

by Usopay Hamdag Cadar 

This article is about the Kulintang (or as it is spelled in the Maranao region, Kolintang), which is a gong ensemble instrument (I wrote about it for a previous assignment a few months ago). Though the article is mainly about the Kulintang's immigration of sorts to America and the West, it does include a very informative introduction in the beginning. Cadar talks about the history of the traditional instrument - where it was used, in what occasions, and who played it. He also speaks about the Kulintang's widespread usage throughout Southeast Asia. This article is very helpful and relevant to my topic as the Kulintang is, in many ways, a central piece in truly traditional Filipino music. It is very important to provincial and ceremonial music, and is, unlike many other Filipino instruments, quintessentially Filipino with no Western influences. 

Crises in Asian Music: The Manila Conference 1975

by Somtow Sucharitkul

This article was, like some of the others, about Asia in general, but did include some helpful bits about the Philippines. It spoke mainly about issues in Asian music - the fact that there has, of late, been increasingly more and more fusion and Westernization, and the state of Asian pop music vs. that of Asian pop years before. Particularly interesting was the article's claim that American music has been influenced (if inadvertently...but then again, when is influence ever purposeful?) by Asian musical trends. This, I found to be surprising, as everything else that I have read has generally said the opposite - that a lot of Asian mainstream music is influenced by America (and not the other way around). Anyway, when speaking about Filipino music, the article talks about the Philippines as compared/as a part of the rest of Asia and Southeast Asia. Interestingly enough, it said  that the Philippines, by way of its total receptiveness to Westernization, has developed a distinctly Filipino genre (often called OPM, or Original Pinoy Music) that is "more Filipino than, say, Japanese music is Japanese".

http://tagaloglang.com/Filipino-Music/Tagalog-Folk-Songs/traditional-filipino-songs.html

I'm not too sure if this counts as an official source, but nonetheless I found this to be very helpful. It is a list of Filipino folk songs, mostly in the Tagalog dialect. All songs are very much traditional music, and you can hear a lot of it if you go to old Filipino restaurants in Queens on Roosevelt Avenue. Also helpful is the addition/inclusion of lyrics and real recordings of the songs. I really liked this website because, even if it is relatively brief, it provides me with some songs to start my research on. You can also hear a lot of traditional Filipino guitar and flute playing, which is great. The only bad thing is that there is no English translation to the songs, but should I choose to include any of them in my paper, I will of course put the English down.