3rd International and Performing Arts Conference Proceedings (13-15 November 2018) ISBN 978-983-2084-43-3

Kundiman in Media: Media in Kundiman

James C. Diaz University of the , Philippines e-mail: [email protected]

Cite this article (APA): James C. Diaz (2018). Kundiman in media: Media in Kundiman. In Mohd Kipli Abdul Rahman, C.S.C. Chan, Zaharul Lailiddin Saidon, C. Augustine & S. Maniam (Eds.), Proceedings of the 3rd International Music and Performing Arts Conference (pp. 84-89). Tanjong Malim: Faculty of Music and Performing Arts, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Malaysia.

Abstract

The Kundiman has been embedded in Filipino culture as its traditional love . But more than a love , it is an art song where many great Filipino musicians have composed in that genre such as Nicanor Abelardo and Francisco Santiago, among others. The songs speak not only of love of a man for a woman, but more than that, is a song that elicits national fervor; love for the motherland. The original structure since its inception is closely related to the kumintang: a rhythmic pattern that has its roots in Spanish music. In time, the form has been watered down and since then became known as a love song, and very few works have been made. This paper aims to trace the Kundiman that appeared in different media formats such as recordings, both in the vinyl disc and extant 78 rpm shellac records; on the radio and the Television, and in the films as theme songs or musical renditions. A discography of the Kundiman songs that was written and performed for the media, is of primary importance. However, this paper is limited to tracing Kundiman from the late 1940s to the late 1960s performed by different artists. Along with a discography is delving deeper into how the Kundiman have been adapted to fit the different media formats; how songs are selected, and factors in decision making. Search in the archives of the National Library, and recording studios is necessitated, followed by interviews with record owners, publishers, and managers.

Introduction

The Filipinos are rich in cultural heritage that dates back from the indigenous peoples before the coming of the Spaniards in the middle of the 16th century. With the colonization of the Spaniards, who stayed in the islands for more than three hundred years, the conquistadores influenced the Filipino’s musical heritage tremendously: from instrumental music, to songs and dances, sacred or secular, especially with regard to the elements of rhythm, harmony, and structure, and also as a musical expression. Among the songs that have Western influences, it is the kundiman that stand the test of time regarding its popularity and functionality. It has been embedded in Filipino culture as traditional love songs; some of which are still heard or played in different media until the present times. While the song has been known to laymen as love songs of yesteryears, where the theme is about the passionate love of a man for a woman, the kundiman has, since its inception, had different forms and origin that we shall discuss later. To date, there are no research works done on kundiman, be it masters thesis or doctoral dissertation, from the University of the Philippines College of Music. However, there are two recent dissertations that are found in the college library but were written from two universities in the United States. The first one by Michelle Nicolasora from the University of Memphis; the other, by Quiliano Niñeza Anderson, from the University of Iowa. Nicolasora (2014) analysed and presented the structure of the kundiman as three genres: as folk kundiman, patriotic kundiman, and art kundiman. She then further explains the functionality of the kundiman into the lives of the Filipino people, in the socio-cultural context. Anderson (2015), on the other hand, after explaining the origin of the kundiman and its transformation from folk song to art song, delves deeper into the repertoire as studies in Filipino language: phonetics and performance guides. This paper aims to trace the kundiman, as art songs from the 1920s which later became watered-down love songs in the 1950s to the 1960s which became part of the popular songs, that appeared in different media: from sheet music, to recordings, both in the vinyl disc and extant 78 rpm shellac records, in films, and on the radio and the Television. A discography of the kundiman songs that was written and performed for

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3rd International Music and Performing Arts Conference Proceedings (13-15 November 2018) ISBN 978-983-2084-43-3

the media, is of primary importance. However, this paper is limited to tracing the kundiman in media from the pre-war years to the late 1960s performed by different artists and as representative samples only as it has to conform to a specific brevity. Along with a discography is understanding, through theoretical approaches/ theories on how media shaped the kundiman in the production process. There are a number of books written on Kundiman. In his book Francisco Santiago: and Pianist Virtuoso, Manuel (1997) delineated different meanings of the song, based from the writings of the renowned “Father of Kundiman”, the composer Santiago no less. During the Spanish period, different dance forms came to the fore, such as the Cuban habanera, Argentinian tango, and Spanish jota. But it was the comintang, the song-dance form which was originally a warrior’s song, that became what we now know as the kundiman; the name was deduced from the words of the song which goes, “hele nang cundiman”. Accordingly, Rizal also wrote a kundiman, but of a different character, which is more of a song that inculcates patriotism or nationalist fervor. Santos (2005) explains intensively the structure of the Kundiman based from the works of another great Filipino composer Nicanor Abelardo (1893-1934). There were mainly two structural materials that the composer based his works from: the kumintang and the kundiman. The former, according to Santos “as a musical expression that Abelardo believed to contain in its pre-Hispanic rhythm formula and modal configuration the oriental sentiment and a deeper aesthetic consciousness of the Filipino psyche” (Ibid, p.10); and the latter, based from a pariotic song hailed as the “kundiman of the revolution”, entitled “Jocelynang Baliwag” (Jocelyna from Baliwag, ) where Abelardo’s song “Kung Hindi Man” (If it were not so) was patterned rhythmically. The song “Mutya ng Pasig” (The Muse of Pasig River) deemed as one of Abelardo’s finest kundiman, which is a kumintang, has its main motivic rhythmic structure comprised of a quaver and two semi quavers followed by two crotchets. This was also evident in the other works of Abelardo that was built on the kumintang, which include three songs, namely: “Pahiwatig” (A Gesture), “Himutok” (Outburst), “Nasaan ang Aking Puso” (Where is my Heart), and two instrumental works which are the piano concerto and an overture. Moreover, Santos shows the structure of the kumintang as ABA with its tonality shifting from minor to major, as well as the kundiman, although in binary form, has its tonality from a minor key shifting to its parallel major key (Ibid). Another book on kundiman worth mentioning is by Silvestre (1970). He takes pride in giving equal importance on the lyricist of kundiman songs. He featured ten songs, which are the most famous kundiman by different , composed accordingly during the “golden age” of Kundiman, which was between 1915 to 1930. The songs he featured make use of structural forms that reinforce the previous bases for the kundiman as explained by Santos, such as the kumintang, danza, and kundiman. The danza, also known as the Cuban habanera, has a rhythmic pattern of dotted quaver and a semi quaver followed by two crotchets, and in duple time, which is the most common of all. It is important at this point to include them here, as majority of the songs are those that have been recorded by artists from the late 1950s to 1960s. Moreover, the ten songs are representative of other composers, not just from Abelardo and Santiago. The songs are as follows.

1. “Anak ng Dalita” (Child of Poverty), 1917. – Lyrics: Deogracias A. Rosario. Music: Francisco Santiago

2. “Kundiman”, c.1919-20. – L: Patricio Mariano, M: - Bonifacio Abdon

3. “Bituing Marikit” (Resplendent Star), n.d., – L: Don Servando de los Angeles, M: Nicanor Abelardo

4. “Nasaan Ka Irog?” (Where are you, My Love?), popularized 1923, – L: Narciso A. Asistio, M: N. Abelardo

5. “Mutya ng Pasig” (The Muse of Pasig), 1925, – L: D. Rosario, M: - N. Abelardo

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3rd International Music and Performing Arts Conference Proceedings (13-15 November 2018) ISBN 978-983-2084-43-3

6. “Ang Maya” (The Sparrow), 1905, – L: Don Severino Reyes, M: Jose A. Estella.

7. “Bayan ko” (My Country), 1928 – L: Huseng Batute, M: Constancio de Guzman.

8. “Pakiusap” (Plea), 1929 – L: Jose Corazon de Jesus, M: F. Santiago.

9. “Madaling Araw” (Early Morning), 1930 – L: D. Rosario, M: F. Santiago

10. “Lambingan” (Affection), 1930 – L: Huseng Batute, M: Leon Ignacio.

The songs listed above also relates to the dissertation of Nicolasora, in that it can be categorized according to the way she studied each kundiman, as mentioned earlier. Song number 6 is a representative of folk kundiman; numbers 1, 2 and 7 are representative of patriotic kundiman; while numbers 3-5, and 8- 10 are art kundiman. In time, the kundiman which was elevated to art songs mainly by Abelardo and Santiago, had been transformed to romantic ballads from the 1950s, yet retaining the kundiman sentiment (CCP Encyclopedia). The younger generation of composers were Restie Umali (1916-1998), Leopoldo Silos (1925-20015), George Canseco (1934-2004), and Ernani Cuenco (1936-1988). Some of the most notable songs are “Saan Ka Man Naroroon” (Whereever you may be), “Dahil sa Isang Bulaklak” (Because of a flower), “Kastilyong Buhangin” (Sandcastle), and “Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal” (How much I love you), done by each composer, respectively.

Kundiman in Media

Print/ Sheet Music

At the turn of the century under the American colonial government, schools and colleges were built. The University of the Philippines Conservatory of Music was founded in 1916. Many brilliant teachers like Abelardo, Santiago, and Molina had made a niche in the world of composition. Some of them earned not only through teaching and performing, but also for having their music sheets printed. According to Chua (2018, pp. 221), some of the sheet music that were printed during the time it was composed were Santiago’s “Anak Dalita” in 1917, and “Pakiusap” between 1925-1934, Abelardo’s “Kung Hindi Man”, “Nasa an Ka Irog”, and “Kundiman ng Luha”, in 1921 and 1923, respectively.

Records.

An article from a website Philippine Kundiman: Pre-War OPM Records provides pictures as proof of collection of extant kundiman songs on shellac 78 rpm records. It also describes how shellac records are different from vinyl records; that the former are more brittle than the latter, the reason why most of them did not last long. Below is a list of songs that are found among the mentioned records.

Table 1

Song Title Composer Singer Recording Company 1 Lupang Pag-ibig N. Abelardo Atang dela Rama Columbia 2 Buhay Ko Jose Estella Nati de Arellano Victor 3 Ay Calisud Visayan folk song Parlophon 4 Kundiman F. Santiago Pacita Nolasco Odeon 5 Kundiman ng Puso Guzman Ramon Crespo Gennett

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3rd International Music and Performing Arts Conference Proceedings (13-15 November 2018) ISBN 978-983-2084-43-3

The table above does not include all the kundiman songs from the collection of shellac records. Only the songs that represent different composers are shown, along with different recording companies to better present an array of records. The recording companies are Columbia, Victor, Gennett, Odeon, and Parlophon. There are still more records in the vintage collection. The list of songs gathered here could be a good start in knowing the dates of the songs, or the decade when it was recorded, the very least. When the 33 1/3 rpm/vinyl records, more commonly known as the LP, came out in the recording industry that replaced the shellac records, more recording artists came to fore. There are four notable kundiman singers/ recording artists whose careers started between the 1950s and 1960s, who were more or less from the same generation. They are Conching Rosal (1926-1985), Sylvia La Torre (1933- present), Ruben Tagalog (1922-1985), and Ric Manrique (1941-2017). Rosal and La Torre were both graduates of the University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music. Tagalog, who was tagged as “Father of Kundiman”, and Manrique were both members of the equally famous singing group Mabuhay Singers who also sang and recorded kundiman songs. Manrique won in the Tawag ng Tanghalan singing competition on radio in 1960, and went on to record a number of albums of the modern kundiman. In the 1970s, Manrique revived original kundiman songs of Abelardo and Santiago in his albums. (Dolor, 2016)

Radio

During the golden age of kundiman, the radio had proven to be a versatile medium for music entertainment, aside from broadcast news. Music had already started to be recorded either on wax cylinders or through shellac records but they were costly as compared to the radio and that listeners only hear one music per disc. Movies were slowly inching its way but they were silent films. When radio started its full operation in the 1930s, as Enriquez (2018) puts it, “more than half of radio programming during the period featured music, and most of it performed live by singers and instrumental accompanists, and sometimes even full orchestras” (p.350). It also aired recorded music, such as Naty Arellano’s rendition of “Dalagang Pilipina” (Filipino Maiden). In the late 1930s when movies have synchronized sound, actors would reenact parts of their dialogue on air, to advertise their upcoming film. One instance was in “Dahil Sa ‘Yo” (Because of You) by Miguel Velarde, Jr., as part of the movie “Bituing Marikit” (Resplendent Star) in 1938 (Ibid, p.349). Carmen Rosales and Ely Ramos were another set of actors who did the same, to promote their movie (Enriquez, 2008). In 1960, Tawag ng Tanghalan began on the radio.

Movies/ Television

The chart below are on movies and TV shows: examples where the kundiman were performed. For the movies, titles are likewise the titles of the kundiman written by the composers mentioned. The first four are examples of the art song kundiman. The fifth is examples of the watered-down or modern kundiman of which Constancio de Guzman is recognized as one of those who compose them. The song “Maalaala mo Kaya?” (Do you remember?), albeit ‘modern’ had been sung by many popular song artists and even became a title of a TV drama anthology. The song has remained part of the classics. For the television, “Aawitan Kita” (I will sing for you) is one of the longest running musical shows featuring Philippine classic songs or kundiman, set in different scenic locations within the Philippines, and the artists were clad in native dresses akin to the particular region. The host Armida Siguion-Reyna is a classically trained soprano. “Ryan Ryan Musikahan” on the other hand, features live music sessions with the renowned composer Ryan Cayabyab while he accompanies his artists on the piano. Although the songs comprise mostly from the pop genre, the songs featured are varied: from jazz to OPM (original Pilipino music), sarsuwelas, musicales, and just about every genre; which include the modern kundiman.

Table 2

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3rd International Music and Performing Arts Conference Proceedings (13-15 November 2018) ISBN 978-983-2084-43-3

D Movies Year Producer Singer/ Actor Composer Sampaguita Pictures, 1 Bituing Marikit 1937 Inc. (SPI) Elsa Oria N. Abelardo 2 Nasaan Ka Irog? 1937 SPI Elsa Oria N. Abelardo 3 Madaling Araw 1938 SPI Elsa Oria F. Santiago Excelsior Pictures, Inc. 4 Kundiman 1941 (EPI) Fely Vallejo F. Santiago Maalaala Mo 5 Kaya? 1954/ SPI Carmen Rosales/ C. de Guzman

E Television Year Producer Host Format Aawitan Kita Armida Siguion- 1 Aawitan Kita 1970 Productions Reyna Musical show Ryan Ryan 2 Musikahan 1988-95 ABS-CBN Ryan Cayabyab Live music sessions

Media in Kundiman

As music performances were reproduced in different media, many wonders in the world of composers and artists have taken place. In the case of the kundiman, its mediation on sheet music paved the way for composers to publish their works, allowing their music to be played or performed by other people, especially in music conservatories where their works can be open for study and analysis, and for artists to be renowned after playing the revered work. It has also been an avenue for composers to get by, and eventually prosper financially through selling sheet music; increasing revenue from proceeds of music recording; promoting works on the radio and eventually on the television. Lastly, it increases their quantity of output as composers, when they compose film music or musical scoring for movies, TV dramas, shows, or simply jingles for commercials. With regard to consumers, the advent of music records paved the way for them to enjoy music in the privacy of their homes and having their favorite music played wherever and whenever they want to. Regarding sound quality, in our current age of digitisation, we all know that the advancement of technology enabled sound quality to improve over time; from hissing sounds of LPs or older formats, to high definition or HD like DVDs. The kundiman is immortalized through the multi media such as on YouTube, where Conching Rosal’s album with all the original songs, can be accessed there for free. Along with the advantage, comes the disadvantage of mediation of music in general. With the advancement of technology, there are less artists, specifically instrumentalists on demand. Synthesizers can make orchestral music and leave performers without jobs. Then there are the problems in the recording industry. They have become successful through the years, where they overtake the sales of music production more than the composers and artists, but they have been hit hard badly and so are the artists. One is the problem of piracy: plummeting sales for the producer, no project or income for the artists and composers. They also have issues regarding promotion of music albums to have big returns. In order for the recording companies to continue producing and hiring artists, they have to make sure that the single becomes a ‘hit’ on the top charts. They monitor this by promotion on the radio: the more requests to have the song to be aired, the higher the value. Some pay the disc jocks to have the song aired frequently; others resort to pretending to be ordinary people who call and have it aired (Sarmiento, 2008). Yet, these are just a few examples of the dynamics of production and sales behind the music industry. It would be good at this point to find out and understand why these things happen. According to Malm and Wallis (1992), there are three approaches or theories, that emerged in the 1970s, that explain the dynamics within the phonogram or recording industry. Only two are more relevant here. These are the production of commodified culture, and cultural/subculture approach. The first one is by Peterson and Berger, which “see the business of popular music phonogram production as a cyclical process” (Malm &

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3rd International Music and Performing Arts Conference Proceedings (13-15 November 2018) ISBN 978-983-2084-43-3

Wallis, p. 16). In this case, it is just a cycle that all have to expect and wither. While the second one is from Frith and Willis that attempts to analyse the consumers’ valuation on the significance of popular music. As Malm and Willis put it, “individuals and groups create and use popular music for their own purposes” (pp.18-19). This explains why exactly people resort to all possible means in order for their businesses to grow and eventually keep the musicians to continue to make and perform music.

Conclusion

We are at the threshold of a new era in terms of new music and new means of production. Every genre of music have been discovered and some are fusing different genres such as modern and indigenous music. In terms of production, the dynamics are in a cycle and proliferation of music really lies on production and increase of capital. Yet, we still hear the classic kundiman in all these. We see them in all kinds of media formats, and will keep going on for as long Filipinos yearn for love songs that not only relate in their lives, but also as part of their heritage.

References

Anderson, Q. N. (2015). Kundiman Love Songs from the Philippines: Their Development from Folksong to Art Song and an Examination of Representative Repertoire (doctoral dissertation). University of Iowa. Chua, A. A. (2018). Music printing and publishing in urban colonial , 1858-1942. In A.Q. Tan, (Ed.), Saysay himig: A sourcebook on Philippine Music History 1880-1941 (pp. 215-253). Quezon City: The University of the Philippines Press. Dolor, D. (2016, February 28). Ruben Tagalog & other ‘Hari ng Kundiman’. The Philippine Star. Retrieved July15, 2018 from https://www.pressreader.com/philippines/the-philippine-star Enriquez, E. (2008). Appropriation of Colonial Broadcasting: A History of Early Radio in the Philippines, 1922- 1946. Quezon City: The University of the Philippines Press. Enriquez, E. (2018). Claiming space for Filipino music in colonial broadcasting. In A.Q. Tan, (Ed.), Saysay himig: A sourcebook on Philippine Music History 1880-1941 (pp. 347-354). Quezon City: The University of the Philippines Press. Manuel, E. A. (1997). Francisco Santiago: Composer and Pianist Virtuoso. Quezon City: Valerio Publishing House. Nicolasora, Michelle. (2014). Kundiman: a Musical and Socio-cultural Exploration on the Development of the Philippine Art Song (Doctoral dissertation). University of Memphis. Philippine Film. (1994). CCP Encylopedia of Philippine Art (Vol. 8). Manila: CCP. Philippine Music. (1994). CCP Encylopedia of Philippine Art (Vol. 6). Manila: CCP. Pinoy Kollektor. (2011). Philippine Kundiman: Pre-War OPM Records. Retrieved December 13, 2017 from http://pinoykollektor.blogspot.com/2011/10/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html Santos, R. P. (2005). Tunugan: Four Essays on Filipino Music. Quezon City: The University of the Philippines Press. Sarmiento, P. (2008, April 17). The Business of Making Music. Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism. Retrieved July 15, 2018 from http://pcij.org/ stories/the-business-of-making-music/ Silvestre, Aniceto F. (1970). Mga Lirik ng Ating Magagandang Awiting-Bayan at Kundiman. Quezon City: Manlapaz Publishing Co.

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