By Jorelle Almeda
Imagine being at a karaoke bar in the Philippines and some courageous soul has the audacity to sing “My Way” made famous by Frank Sinatra. If it were anywhere else in the world, that would seem like another drunken night out with friends trying to get a quick laugh, attempting their best impression of a crooner.
However in this country, the stakes are much higher. From 2002 to 2012, there were roughly six murders in the Philippines because a poor soul attempted to sing that fatal song. One account details a particular murder in which a bouncer was told to shoot a singer for going off-key during their attempt at Sinatra’s ballad. I wish I was joking, but there are multiple accounts of similar incidents.
The sacredness of “My Way” to Filipinos is an entirely different subject to be studied, but the underlying message is quite clear. Filipinos don’t take singing as a joke. So much so that we’ve gained a reputation for being some of the best singers in the world. When we introduce ourselves as Filipinos to other people, it isn’t uncommon to be asked if we sing, dance or play basketball. Although those are stereotypes that don’t necessarily speak for all Filipinos, there is a pride in our association with our vocal prowess.
Researching this subject first led me to the most glaring and obvious answer: karaoke. Although it was invented in Japan, the pastime has been largely consumed by the Philippines.
“The world’s first karaoke machine, the Juke-8, was built by Japanese inventor and musician Daisuke Inoue in 1971,” a BBC article explains. “But it is Filipino inventor Roberto del Rosario who holds the machine’s patent. He developed the Karaoke Sing-Along System in 1975.”
Filipinos respected for vocal work
Most family gatherings will devolve into karaoke sessions that last long into the night. It’s also interesting to note that unlike most private karaoke bars or open-night bars, Filipino karaoke machines actually have scoring after each song. Which is just another emphasis on how singing is important but more accurately how singing well is praised in the Philippines.
Another aspect that I believe attributes to the singing cultural characteristic is the rise of Filipinos who become stars by using their voice. From Lea Solonga (the voice of Mulan) to Arnel Pineda (the replacement lead singer of the band Journey) and even Bruno Mars, the majority of Filipinos who have made it into the limelight used their windpipes to catapult them into fame.
Even former boxer Manny Pacquiao has been seen singing his heart out. Not to mention the industry in the Philippines built around countless game shows and competitions to find the next big artist. There is a modern tradition that has been established through media and social gatherings that has normalized and praised having a singing voice.
Singing as a cultural touchstone could not have sprung up overnight or even within the last decade. The argument can be made that since the advent of the karaoke machine and the glorification of singing, the passion has exploded. However, there are underlying historical moments that also should be considered in explaining this cultural trait.
Listen to singer, songwriter, and producer Nonoy Peña’s version of “My Way”.
Colonizers shaped music in the Philippines
It has almost become a backbone of many of my articles to examine the lingering changes colonization has had on my people. It can not be stressed enough that being under the rule of a the Spanish empire for hundreds of years will have long lasting results. Many of which have yet to be studied or examined. Among them is the effect that the Spaniards had on music in the Philippines.
There were already established modes of traditional singing to share stories and perform rituals by the Indigenous peoples of the Philippine islands.
What’s interesting, as a paper written by University of Mindanao scholar Rosalina L. Divinigracia explains: “The Hispanic influences found in lowland Philippines mark the beginning of changes in the lives of many Filipinos. The friars amalgamate indigenous traditional practices onto the church celebrations of which many of them still exists to recent practices…..There is also evidence of musical structure in major or minor tonalities, ¾ and 4/4 meters harmonies as opposed to the monophonic, and free rhythms of the traditional practices.”
We can chalk that up as one of the innovative and non-oppressive influences brought over from Spain. The colonizers introduced new instruments, styles of singing, and contextualized western music theory to the Philippines. From there, it was a quick transition to adopting the melodic theories.
Notably, a Filipino tradition was born around the Spanish occupation. Kundiman, or harana, is a formal display of affection in which a suitor will serenade their love interest outside their homes with the help of a few friends on the guitar or singing back-up vocals.
Singing is affordable
“In this tradition, a man will get a group of his friends together to go to the window of the woman he admires,” wrote Daena Holbrook in The Student Movement newspaper at Andrews University. “His musician friends accompany him as he sings to the woman. In this special moment, the girl listens and watches as the boy earnestly sings a sweet love song to her. The boy is being very vulnerable in this situation; he is singing for the girl he has a crush on! This typically makes the girl feel very special, maybe even fall in love!”
I’m not a sociologist but one can argue that this could be interpreted as a form of Darwinism. A suitor will woo their partner and if they pique their interest with their ballad, the partner will choose to mate with said suitor. Therefore, the genes of someone who is a good singer will then be passed down to their offspring. There is no science to back this up yet, but the logic holds up.
Most important of all—and a big reason I also believe Filipinos are conditioned to sing—is because it’s usually free. The Philippines is an impoverished nation, but opening your mouth and singing or listening to how others sing comes without any cost. The accessibility of the activity is a simple explanation around the conditioning of musicality in the Philippines.
Singing is ingrained in our culture and has evolved from singing love songs to singing in sold-out stadiums around the world. Not to give any bias, but I also fall under the category of someone who loves to sing and will never shy away from an open mic. That said, I won’t be singing “My Way” any time soon, lest I incur the wrath of a fellow Filipino who deems my vocal abilities lacking.
Jorelle Almeda is a writer, comedian, and storyboard artist with a keen interest in history. Learn more about diverse communities from the Toronto Spark website. Follow the Toronto Spark on X @TOSparkOfficial.
