Bobby Gutierrez

Artist: Bobby Gutierrez

LP: Ilocandia's Best

Song: "Gasat Ni Baak"

[ listen ]

This (probably late 1960s?) LP from handsome Filipino singer Bobby Gutierrez features his-n-her album covers on opposite sides. As you can read here, Bobby was once dubbed the "Original Ilocano Jukebox King," for his beautiful songs that were popular with the Ilocano people of the northern Philippines.

Pilita

Artist: Pilita

LP: Pilita In Tokyo

Song: "Blue Night In Tokyo"
[ listen ]
Song: "Akasaka After Dark"
[ listen ]

Two interesting bits of trivia about Filipino singer Pilita (aka. Pilita Corrales): there's a street named after her somewhere outside Melbourne, Australia and she was the first singer from the Philippines to perform at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas! You can find more fascinating info about the singer known as "Asia's Queen of Songs" on Wikipedia [here]. Some songs on this 1972 LP are in English, others in Japanese; I've included a sample of each.

Amormio Cillan, Jr.

Artist: Amormio Cillan, Jr.

LP: Amormio Plays Philippine Folk Songs
Song: "Zamboanga"
[ listen ]

Here's a song from an album of traditional folks songs from a popular and prolific Filipino organist. I looked to Wikipedia [here] for more information on Cillan, Jr., but found nothing new since I don't know what a musikong is. Here are some notes from the back of the LP, copied exactly, so not my fault if some parts don't make sense.

From the Fifth Edition of the Webster's Collegiate Dictionary:

Folk [fók], adj — of or pertaining to the folk; designating songs,
dances, etc., originated or used among the common people; as
in folk song, folk dance, folk music, etc.

Folk music is of, for, and by, the common people. It is music played
by a "rondalla" during a barrio fiesta. It is the love tune sung by a
suitor as he serenades his beloved "paraluman." Or a song of hope
warbled by the weary Central Luzon farmer as he turns to his guitar
after a day in the cane fields. Or a tender lullaby hummed by a mother
rocking her baby to sleep. Or a bright and happy "balitaw" chorused
by the barrio folks celebrating an abundant harvest.

The many colors, faces, and moods in Philippine folklore are, alas,
fading away into oblivion, perhaps, due to the unrestricted entry of
foreign recordings into our local market, and the continuing indifference
of most of our local producers towards Filipino folk music.

We have, therefore, complied a dozen of the most beautiful and
enduring folk airs of our country, gave each one a fresh and new
arrangement, and assigned them to the country's top YAMAHA
Organist, AMORMIO CILLAN, JR. because we believe that our own
folk songs are just as, if not more, beautiful as any other in the world.
We feel that these songs only to be nourished and constantly
cultivated to be appreciated by our people. Hence, this
creative piece of recording.

And we are quite certain the sounds inside will prove us right.

Fred Panopio

Artist: Fred Panopio

LP: Awit
Song: "Awit (Killing Me Softly With His Song)"
[ listen ]

In the Philippines, you can evidently indicate that someone is killing you softly with their song by uttering a single word—"Awit!" There's a spot somewhere in the middle of Fred's version of this song where you can actually hear him dying.