Why Are Filipinos Good Singers?

While attending the Christmas mass at the Church of the Infant Jesus in Prague’s Malá Strana as part of our European tour in 2012, my wife and I were amazed to hear a familiar song in a familiar language. The recessional song was the popular “Pasko Na Naman”, performed by the Filipino choir. From then on, I realized that church members from the Filipino helped enliven the Catholic churches worldwide, notably in their role in the music ministry.

Whether it’s in the Philippines, Hong Kong’s St Vincent church where we served at the time, or in the middle of this Central European nation, Filipino singing talents are put to great use, anywhere in the world.

Such observation prompted non-Filipinos to ask, “Why are you guys generally great at singing?” Perhaps, they also observed Pinoys as performers singing cover songs as rock bands at pubs or jazz singers at hotel lounges worldwide.

In the Philippines, music is everywhere. Jeepneys are transformed into mobile jukeboxes, belting out all-time favorites that provide relief to passengers from heavy traffic or humid weather. From department stores to fast food outlets, I felt retailers at shopping malls are required to install music speakers or may have found a perfect marketing formula to draw foot traffic and register sales.

Like any other kid growing up, I’d credit the radio as a great source of entertainment, even though television would soon take a foothold and eventually “video killed the radio star.”

After the family acquired a Hitachi cassette recorder from a neighbor who works in Kuwait, an upgrade from the battery-powered transistor radio, it opened up a whole new world of high-fidelity sound, allowing us to listen to our favorite songs with clearer audio quality.

It was a time when FM stations were mostly populated with English-language disc jockeys and played music on repeat, which propelled them to popularity, even if they did not achieve similar levels of success internationally.

I, then, softly tuned the knob to explore the FM music stations.

    • 89.1 DXBE – Killer Bee
      A pop radio station where my childhood friend Rey Bargamento had a stint as a DJ, whose station I visited once is located on my university campus at Valgosons Building. I even won a Mr. Big cassette tape after correctly guessing She by Green Day in a phone call. It was also known as Magic 89.1 (DXTIM) with Friday Magic Madness a personal trip to the great musical decade of the 80s.
    • 89.9 DXGN – Good News Radio
      Generally themed a Christian Radio with commentaries on the Gospel and Bible. I often hear it when I am aboard the parish car on our way to services in the neighborhood.
    • 90.7 DXBM – Love Radio
      As its moniker implies, the station plays love songs of every type you can think of. In college, a classmate who loves James Taylor music assured us that he could get a recorded tape of any song we could think of from someone in the station. All we need to do is bring blank tapes. We left empty-handed after we went to its studio located in Claveria, and my friend lost his acclaimed reputation with the group.
    • 91.5 DXKX – Smooth Jazz
    • 92.3 DXWT – Wild FM
      In the age of dance music mix that reigned during my high school and college years, Wild FM is the go-to station for the upbeat genre. I can recall the voice of DJ Charlie and was amazed by the remixes of Rockin Ciso and CJ Michael. Operating at the 7th floor of the University of Mindanao Bolton Campus, I’d wait to hear it integrate PM Dawn’s Set Adrift on Memory Bliss in a 20-minute non-stop music mix.
    • 93.1 DXVR – Crossover
    • 93.9 DXXL – XL FM
      The station jingle “XL FM!” is one of the most vivid memories I heard from the radio growing up. Pampered by the musical choices of Sugar Baby, Happy LA, and other DJs, we get to develop the habit of listening to the countdown of top songs every weekend.
    • 94.7 DXLL – Mellow Touch
      “You are the minstrel and I’m your guitar”, is the intro of the station ID, which was established in 1995 and featured easy-listening music which were best suited when I was preparing for exams or performing overnight projects with friends.
    • 95.5 DXKR – WRock
      This is one of my favorite radio stations. Even though it has that “rock” in its name, its association with rock music is not apparent. Its nice-sounding female DJs spend a brief time talking on air, maximizing time to play music of folk rock, pop and R&B. Three of a Kind features three songs of the same artist, Friday Classics features the music of earlier decades, and Night Rock features songs similar to the Mellow Touch’s lineup.
    • 96.3 DXFX – StarFM
    • 97.1 DXUR – Ultimate Radio
      A relatively recent addition to the airwaves of Davao, Ultimate Radio is a hybrid of Killer Bee / Magic for fresh music releases, and a blend of my personal favorites.
    • 97.9 DXSS
      One of the oldest FM radio stations in Davao, but it had limited music in its airplay rotation.
    • 98.7 DXQM – Home Radio
    • 99.5 DXOZ – Oz Radio
    • 100.3 DXDJ – Boss Radio
    • 101.1 DXRR – Radio Romance
      As the radio station of ABS-CBN, it was widely promoted on television, with the tag name “the Philippines’ Most Romantic.” Often featuring sentimental songs that stirred up feelings in an era where scrapbooks, love letters, and gossip sharing among boys and girls in school were among the highlights.
    • 101.9 DXFM – Danny @ Rhythms
      An easy listening station that features an eclectic selection of smooth jazz, R&B, and adult contemporary music.
    • 103.5 DXRV – Campus Radio
  • 104.3 DXMA – Magik FM
  • 105.1 DXTO – Showbiz Tsismis 
    This is one of the first FM stations that features celebrity talk fed directly from its Manila flagship station DWST, a forerunner of the format many FM stations currently adopt.
  • 107.5 DXNU – NU107
    I spent a significant time listening to this station, and it helped influence my current musical choices. During a time when the popularity of Battle of the Bands and the heavy influence of American grunge and alternative music soared, NU107 found a niche for like-minded headbangers.

While AM radio was the channel of choice for morning news from Bombo Radio and DXUM, and drama entertainment from Radio Mindanao Network’s DXDC and DXOW, music was the favorite means of entertainment. So it’s not a surprise we hear music everywhere.

Transport means providing musical influences

At the time, riding the jeepney equipped with large speakers below passenger seats and tweeters / treble speakers strategically placed in corners to produce high-frequency audio is a welcome treat. People did not have mobile phones to stare at the whole time, so listening to music while the vehicle was in transit was a good way to pass the time and offset the annoyance of being stuck in traffic.

Most jeepney drivers play FM stations, if not play their preferred mixtapes of popular groups like The Cars and Scorpions. Passengers who were probably to music while singing in the shower or having breakfast have that continuous feed of musical entertainment as they board the jeepney.

Back home, jeepneys identified with their identities labeled on the windshield as Ladies Room, Prime Minister, and Mr. Majestic are popular among passengers, probably because they’re equipped with good sound systems and play the popular tunes of the day.

Jeepneys can be serendipitous places to discover music. Once after I attended a Nihonggo class in the city, the jeepney I rode on played “Where Does My Heart Beat Now” by Celine Dion. I was so caught up with it that I carefully listened to the DJ revealing the title so I could find it out myself. I soon saved up and bought her album Unison as my very first cassette tape.

Buses, ferries, and other modes of transportation also play music. Heck, even that pedal-powered sidecar prowling for passengers in the market uses heavy speakers to get everyone’s attention as it proudly parades its loud music to the chagrin of startled pedestrians.

Cultural emphasis in music

Besides singing Lupang Hinirang at the flag ceremony, music is also an integral part of a Filipino student’s academic pursuits. We used to have music and arts, with Ms Blanco as our grade school subject teacher. Though I never got to master the flats, sharps, and other musical symbolisms, the opportunity was there for me to develop further. I just did not grab it.

There were musical presentations during Christmas parties, special events, and end-of-school-year ceremonies. While talents discovered during these presentations became the go-to solo performers, the others were still involved in singing (and dancing) numbers.

Being a Christian country, we have established a strong tradition of religious hymns and church music. Many of us have sung in the choir, and even just attending the mass encouraged singing abilities through church participation. Even when you are not singing, you’d at least be influenced by it.

Accessibility to music

When I came to Australia and realized that church songs have to be licensed first before they are sung by the choir publicly, it made me think, were we in the Philippines blatantly infringing on copyright owners when we play cassette tapes and compact discs for public broadcasts?

St Vincent church choir in 2015

Back in the Philippines, many of us are awoken by the familiar tunes. Sundays, in particular, were peculiar as music depended on who turned it on first. It can be the classic songs of the 70s of Eddie Peregrina, Rico J Puno, and Pilita Corrales. At other times, it can be the music marathon featuring Max Surban and Yoyoy Villame.

Just as the above list of Davao’s FM stations would offer a wide variety of musical genres to suit your personality, mood, or age, such exposure broadens our musical repertoire and influences our singing style.

Long before the advent of Spotify and even Limewire and Napster, music stores are easy to find.

After my Chemistry class at UIC Bonifacio, I took the short route to visit Gaisano Center’s CD and cassette tape gallery. It was a quick journey, just a block away at Bolton Street via the “30-second dark alley” populated by men and women doing typewriting jobs for university students. There, I’d spend half an hour checking for the latest cassette tapes and compact discs of artists I began following: Toad the Wet Sprocket, Moonpools, and Caterpillars, Live, and where I bought my very first album, Celine Dion’s Unison.

Music as a lifestyle

Interest in singing brought the popularity of songbooks, which also doubled as chord guides for guitarists and a handy companion for parties or simple gatherings among friends and family. In school, talented guitarists became popular, and the battle of the bands heavily influenced the choice of songs and adopted the anthem of a generation.

Karaoke bars emerged, and have since evolved into a personalized experience as video machines at home, the development of music among Filipinos has come a full circle. The widespread availability allows people of all ages to practice and improve their singing skills in a fun, informal setting, like in town fiestas, where voices from different homes reverberate across the neighborhood.

Filipinos gather together, and music is a common choice of activity such as a visit to a friend’s home, attending concerts, or joining the choir service. A friend who visited from Hong Kong recently joked that while they attended a church service in Homebush, NSW, she was eagerly invited to join the choir, even though she did not regard herself highly as a church singer.

Was it because of her identity as a Filipino? Who knows.

So, the next time someone asks, why are Filipinos generally good singers, I hope the narrative above provides a good idea.

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