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Maski paps (maski paano in Tagalog), mish-mash,hodge-podge... a veritable cornucopia
It thrills me whenever I hear foreigners singing Filipino songs. Although Filipino songs have not yet gained worldwide attention, musical choirs, and glee clubs worldwide seem to be fascinated by the melodies, cadence, and intricate harmonies of long-forgotten folk songs from my native Philippines.
LERON-LERON-SINTA
Composed by Alberto Tolentino. Arranger- Saunder Choi
In January 2024, a Swedish choir bagged the Grand Prize in a European chorale competition with their exuberant rendition of “Leron-Leron
Sinta” (My Dear, Little Leron). The multi-awarded acapella choir cHägersten A Cappella sang this Tagalog song with enthusiasm and vitality.
Composed by Alberto Florentino, it is believed to be a traditional work song in
Tagalog sung in a call-and-response mode by men and women during the papaya
harvest season. The lyrics motivate workers to keep moving forward and stay positive to attain their goals.
Sweden's Leron Leron Sinta Grand Prize in Europe (+ Awarding
Night )
Here are some of my favorite chorale renditions:
AY, AY, AY, O-PAG IBIG
Filipino Song: Canada vs Korea vs Germany (Ay, Ay, Ay, O
Pag-ibig by George Hernandez - Arranger)
The Big Sing 2023 National Finale - Session 1, Takapuna Grammar School Chorale
Rosas Pandan", a Visayan Folk Song arr. George
Hernandez, performed by the Chamber Ensemble with soloist
DAHIL SA IYO
Yerra Buena Gardens Festival
PARU-PARONG BUKID
DA COCONUT NUT
The Baylor University Men's Choir sings Da Coconut Nut by Ryan Cayabyab.
PAKITONG KITONG
This is a song from my childhood, those long ago time when our big family of cousins converged together and sang our hearts out. I am happy to see young ones preserving these beloved songs.
Performed by: The Mandaue Children and Youth Chorus
Tong Tong Pakitong Kitong, Dandansoy— Loboc Children's Choir
in Melbourne
Children's choir from Bohol, Philippines performs in
Melbourne
Even before BTS produced their last 3 English-language songs, this South Korean supergroup had already crossed over to global superstardom. Their 300-plus discography was in Korean, and yet, that did not prevent them from exploding into the international scene. Thousands of international fans are now learning to speak this Asian language.
Over the years, several non-English songs managed to capture the world’s attention. Aside from the 4 BTS songs, “ON,” “Boy with Luv,” “Fake Love,” and "Life Goes On," other non-English music infiltrated the much-touted American mainstream. Yes, beautiful music transcends language barriers.
These non-English songs placed on top of the American pop charts:
1. "La Bamba" (1958 & 1987), Ritchie Valens & Los Lobos
2. "Despacito" (2017), Luis Fonsi feat. Daddy Yankee, Justin Bieber
3. "Gangnam Style" (2012), PSY
4. "Macarena (Bayside Boys Remix)" (1996), Los Del Rio
5. "The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)" (2002), Las Ketchup
6. “Guantanamera” – (1966), The Sandpipers
7. “Dominique”- (1963), The Singing Nun
It is my wish that Original Pilipino Music (OPM) will finally claim its place on the global stage. The following OPM songs broke through some of the barriers, with some songs translated into other languages, and other songs actually being sung in the Tagalog language. It is a matter of time.
ANAK (“Child”), 1978
Written by Filipino folk-singer Freddie Aguilar for the Metropop Song Festival held in Manila. The song is of remorse and apology by the son to his parents, like a prodigal son coming back home. The poignant lyrics were translated into 27 foreign languages and generated cover versions in Korean, Malay, Japanese, French, Mandarin, Spanish, Dutch, and several other languages. "Anak" is 43 years old this year.
Freddie Aguilar (original)
Maria Fiselier
Korean band
Kang Jimin
J-Morning
Johnny Walther
IKAW (“You”), 2014
Written and recorded by Filipino singer-songwriter Yeng Constantino. This is a love song and was sung by Yeng in a pre-nuptial video to her then-fiance. In English, “You are the love I waited for” pretty sums up the romantic sentiments of the bride, which had made this song popular at weddings.
Yeng Constantino (original)
너에게 Noege ”IKAW” Yohan Hwang (2017)
Dave Moffatt
BUWAN, (“Moon), 2018
Written and sung by Filipino actor, singer, and songwriter, Juan Karlos Labajo. This rock/alternative song was released on June 22, 2018, through MCA Music. The song won several local music awards and became more popular through song challenges overseas. Local versions by Bugoy Drillon and Angeline Quinto are also worth listening to.
Juan Karlos (original)
Christo
Fanzi Ruji
Bugoy Drillon (What the heck, I'm including Bugoy's reggae version)
SAYANG NA SAYANG, (“What a Waste”), 2006
Performed by the Filipino pop-rock band Aegis. The group came together in 1995 and is composed of the 3 Sunot sisters on lead vocals, 3 other females playing instruments, and one male member Rey on guitar. The vocals are incredibly high, searing to the heavens, and emotionally charged. Most of the songs were composed by Rey’s brother before he passed away. The songs about love, loss, regrets, and pain are iconic, well-loved by the common people, and have become the soundtrack of many Filipinos’ lives.
Aegis (original)
Minje Kwon
Here’s another Aegis song “Luha” covered by J-Morning (who also covers several other OPMs)
PAUBAYA, (“Letting Go”), 2020
Moira Dela Torre is a singer-songwriter known for her heartfelt lyrics and sweet melodies. In 2018, she was the No. 1 most-streamed artist on Spotify Philippines. She recorded the song "Paubaya" which she later released as a music video. It is a song about unrequited love where the couple let each other go to give in to true love to happen with somebody else.
Moira Dela Torre (original)
US Navy Band
Waleska Herrera- a well-known video reactor (also a singer)
AKIN KA NA LANG, (“Please Be Mine”), 2014
Written by Francis Salazar and performed by Asia's Phoenix Diva Morissette Amon. Morisette is known for her belting prowess, whistles, and signature voice “crack.” This phenomenal song garnered 137,177,234 views on Youtube as of August 2021.
Morissette Amon (original)
Piet Arion -
Indonesian Cover by Thalia Sharon
It is good to note that Filipino songs have captured the interest of chorale groups all around the world. In chorale competitions, the pieces on “Da Coconut Nut,” “Rosas Pandan,” “Paru-parong Bukid” and many more traditional Filipino songs are wildly popular.
Over a month ago, up in the skies on an Emirates flight, a group of men went “NUTS”.
No, there were no security concerns; just a delightful impromptu performance by a group of young men from the Baylor University School of Music Men's Choir returning from a chorale competition in Kenya. The upbeat melody and the group’s infectious joy and energetic choreography caught on. The video clip went viral when the airline proudly posted it on the company's Facebook. As of today, the video had garnered 14 million views. That’s nuts!
The “Da Coconut Nut” song started from across the ocean, in a land where slender trees tower over rice fields. The dwarf trees reach up to 20 feet and the tall ones grow up to 98 feet. The song was popularized by Smokey Mountain, a group of young singers from the Philippines in the 1990s. The song written by Maestro Ryan Cayabyab, songwriter/arranger/musical director has since become a favorite piece in chorale compositions around the world.
Mr. Cayabyab (Mr. C.) himself marveled how the song that he wrote almost thirty years ago as a novelty song has become the most popular song he has ever written. He disclosed that he had consented for his song to be played in American choirs since 2008.
The acclaimed composer wrote the song “to channel master songwriter Yoyoy Villame's spirit and style.” The "Da Coconut Song" conveyed exactly that, a joie de vivre, an exuberance for life. It is a proclamation of the Filipinos' love for music and the simple things in life and their resilience for whatever life brings, just like the resilient coconut trees which can live up to 20 years, even 100 years in the wild.
The coconut (which is a fruit and not a nut, or is it?) is versatile. It can be used as milk for exotic dishes, flakes, jam, cooking oil, firewood, shampoo, and even beauty products. The husk can later be saved to polish the wooden floor (done that). The tree can be used to build a small house, and also as “cannonballs up against the eaves” (will never try this one).
The song celebrates the many uses of the coconut, which is "a coco fruit from the coco tree of the coco palm family". If you drive along the Philippine countryside, you can see kids scurrying up and down the tall trees with the prized coconut which they will then present to a thirsty tourist with a straw for the cool juice, and maybe, a plastic spoon for the fresh white meat, all for less than a dollar. The kids made cracking open a coconut look so easy.
And please, just watch out for the falling coconut. Concussion beware.
TV Report and interview with Mr. C.: (added 8/8/21)
Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho: Novelty songs na likhang Pinoy, world-class
How to crack open a coconut? How about "clumsily"? As my own son showed in this video (psst, he's the young man in a tan shirt with the orange glove at the 0:47 mark).
"Da Coconut Nut" song through the years...
Original version, Smokey Mountain
The coconut nut is a giant nut
If you eat too much, you'll get very fat
Now, the coconut nut is a big, big nut
But its delicious nut is not a nut
It's the coco fruit (it's the coco fruit)
Of the coco tree (of the coco tree)
From the coco palm family
There are so many uses of the coconut tree
You can build a big house for the family
All you need is to find a coconut man
If he cuts the tree, he gets the fruit free
It's the coco fruit (it's the coco fruit)
Of the coco tree (of the coco tree)
From the coco palm family
And behold, there are several Youtube versions of the “Da Coconut Nut” song as performed by Filipino choir groups as well as by other international choirs who were bemused by the light-hearted song about the coconut fruit. This song has crossed over to the prestigious world of choral music.
The University of the Philippines Madrigal Singers is one of the world’s most awarded chorale groups, and the first choir in the world to win the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing twice. Their repertoire includes folk music like “Rosas Pandan” (another popular chorale composition) and of course, the “Da Coconut Nut” song.
Philippine Madrigal Singers
RCHS Chamber Singers
The St. Mary's Varsity Ensemble
Festival No.6 2013 presents The Brythoniaid Male Voice Choir - 'Chic - Good Times'
