Tag: Pilipino Songs

It’s Over Now – Joey Albert

Philippines

Music

Philippines

Janice de Belen’s It’s Over Now sang by Joey Albert

 

The lyrics of this song were originally written by Janice De Belen in a poem form when she was in her teens in the ’80s after breaking up with  Gabby Concepcion, who used to be a Filipino heart-throb.  The break-up was quite newsworthy at that time because she was left for someone else.   The love triangle was between Sharon Cuneta – the young darling of blockbustre youth-oriented films of the ’80s, Gabby Concepcion – the handsomest young actor, and Janice de Belen – the princess of television soap opera.  Gabby dumped Janice to go back to Sharon, whom he married a few months later with great ceremonial splendour.

It was hard really to side with either Sharon or Janice but Sharon and Gabby were always meant to be.  They were the original love team.  Janice looked too innocent and naive for Gabby then.

We all wanted to know what happened.  I think Janice wanted to know what happened as well!  I remember her guesting in Inday Badiday’s See True where Janice very bravely quoted Khalil Gibran

“If you love somebody, let them go, for if they return, they were always yours. If they don’t, they never were.”

I think it was a good move for Janice to be so open with how she felt and to have written such an iconic love song because her feelings were shared by many other heartbroken teens and adults.  She looked strong and did not end up as someone to be pitied. The song is sung by Joey Albert, a Filipina who is now apparently based in Canada.

By the way, Sharon & Gabby might have ended up together but not for long, though they did produce the most beautiful child in the whole of the Philippines.    KC Concepcion is the product of this iconic love story of the 80s Philippine showbiz.  She might be drop-dead gorgeous but she is following the tumultuous pattern of her parents’ love life.  I bet she would have had a bit of a listen to Joey Albert/Janice de Belen’s song too. 😉

When is a relationship really over?

What entails a good relationship?

 

Kundiman

Philippines


(Photo is from a Fernando Amorsolo’s Planting Rice)

Kundiman (originally spelled Cundiman) is a genre of traditional Filipino love songs. The lyrics of the Kundiman are written in Tagalog. The melody is characterized by a smooth, flowing and gentle rhythm with dramatic intervals. Kundiman was the traditional means of serenade in the Philippines.
The Kundiman came around to be an art song at the end of the nineteenth century and by the early part of the twentieth century, its musical structure was formalised by Filipino composers such as Francisco Santiago and Nicanor Abelardo (February 7, 1893-March 21, 1934); they sought poetry for their lyrics, blending verse and music in equal parts.
– Wikipedia

I am glad that I still got to hear the old kundiman while I was a child. The foremost female kundiman singer of the 50s was still alive then. I love their songs usually encapsulated in one of those black and white films (this is more to do with our television being black and white, hahahaha) from LVN. Whenever I hear, very seldom now, of a kundiman song it makes me smile and remember the bygone years where everything is simple and uncomplicated, where morality is expected of everyone.

It would be such a shame if kundiman is to die a natural death so in my small way, I shall disseminate kundiman to the world.

So I shall post the choicest kundiman (in my opinion only) here.

Waray waray by Silvia La Torre. Waray waray is a very feminist song. Sylvia sings that she would not think twice to engage in a fight if needed. She is a brave woman coming from the Waray clan. The warays are ready to fight to the death. – This doesn’t sound like a kudiman.

Sa Kabukiran by Sylvia La Torre
Sa Kabukiran means in the farm/field. Apparently in the farm there is no sadness, everyday is happiness. The plants are verdant, the birds sing merrily. Life in the farm is happy and gay (old meaning).

Carinosa by Sylvia La Torre

If we had to talk about love, I would look for a man who would not be unfaithful. Life is sad if true love is absent. (sorry this is too literal translation)

 

 

Here is almost an hour of pure kundiman for your delight of real Filipino music.  Turn on the volume and do your ironing or even get the mister to have a few turns of tango in your living room or in the garden under the moonlight!