The New Manila Sound: Music and Mass Culture, 1990S and Beyond James Gabrillo
The New Manila Sound: Music and Mass Culture, 1990s and Beyond A dissertation submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Music James Gabrillo Peterhouse, University of Cambridge November 2018 This dissertation is the result of my own work and includes nothing which is the outcome of work done in collaboration. I further state that no substantial part of my dissertation has already been submitted, or, is being concurrently submitted for any such degree, diploma or other quali- fication at the University of Cambridge or any other University or similar institution. It does not exceed the word limit prescribed by the Degree Committee. "2 of 293" The New Manila Sound: Music and Mass Culture, 1990s and Beyond James Gabrillo Abstract This dissertation provides the first detailed account of the mass musical culture of the Philippines that originated in the 1990s and continues to be the most popular style of musical entertainment in the country — a scene I dub the New Manila Sound. Through a combination of archival research, musical analysis, and ethnographic fieldwork, my ex- amination focuses on its two major pioneers: the musical television programme Eat Bula- ga! (Lunchtime Surprise) and the pop-rock band Aegis. I document the scene’s rise and development as it attracted mostly consumers from the lower classes and influenced oth- er programmes and musicians to adapt its content and aesthetics. The scene’s trademark kitsch qualities of parody, humour, and exaggeration served as forms of diversion to au- diences recovering from the turbulent dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos from 1965 to 1986, when musical works primarily comprised of state-commissioned nationalist an- thems, Western art music, and protest songs.
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