72. 12 KAPAMPANGAN FOLK SONGS

Song genres like the basultu, kuraldal, harana, kundiman,  juvenile songs and many others written and composed by anonymous, often unlettered folks all bear witness to the immense richness of Kapampangn culture. Here is a comprehensive list of popular, as well as less-known folk tunes from the Kapampangan region:

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1. ATIN KU PUNG SINGSING

This may very well be the national hymn of Pampanga, as this plaintive folk song—about  the promise of a girl to give her heart to the man who finds her lost ring—is known all over the country. It is an example of a ‘basultu’, a people’s song that often has an allegorical theme. “Atin Ku Pung Singsing” has been recorded by many artists including Nora Aunor and Freddie Aguilar, and a Tagalog version exists.

LISTEN TO "ATIN KU PUNG SINGSING" HERE:

by Mabuhay Singers

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2. ARO, KATIMYAS NA NITANG DALAGA

It has been a tradition in old Pampanga for a swain to sing a serenade song to the object of his affection during the period of courtship. This dramatic kundiman, is sung from the point of view of a young man as he espies his true love from a distance—Isyang, daughter of Apung, charmed by her beauty and graceful movements as she carries a basket-full of rice cakes on her head.

LISTEN TO "ARO KATIMYAS NA" HERE:

sung by Earl Policarpio

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3. ATSING ROSING

Another harana song, in which the singer exalts ‘Atsing Rosing’ by offering her a fantastic assortment of gifts:  a necklace of stars,  a half-moon crown, a hammock made of clouds held by a blue rainbow rope. The singer summons heroes Rizal and Bonifacio to guard the lovely Rosing.

LISTEN TO 'ATSING ROSING' HERE:

sung by Andy Alviz

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4. DALUMDUM NING BENGI

This harana song is different in that the singer does not refer to his heart’s desire, but instead, describes in poetic terms the intense moment of their evening encounter—the falling of rain, cloudy, star-less skies—the only light being the brief flash of lightning.

LISTEN TO 'DALUMDUM NING BENGI' HERE:

sung by Totoy Bato

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5. EKA MAMAKO

There are many songs in Spanish called “No Te Vayas” (Don’t Go), and these were eventually introduced to Filipino. The most well-known is  the popular “No Te Vayas de Zamboanga” by Juan Cuadrado, Sr., which even merited an English version (“Don’t you go, don’t you go to far Zamboanga!”). This Pampango version was provided by Imang Fely Tinio.

LISTEN TO "EKA MAMAKO" HERE:

sung by Mr. Ernie Turla

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6. INYANG MALATI KU

This very popular ‘basultu’ has so many versions, lyrics-wise—from romantic to the comic (“Inyang malati ku, linub kung kutseru, sira ya'ing kalesa, pile ya'ing kabayu”) . Even the beat is sung in varied ways—from slow and wistful, to bouncy and upbeat. This version has a more nostalgic feel to it.

LISTEN TO "INYANG MALATI KU" HERE

sung by Jonas David & April de los Santos

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7. O KAKA, O KAKA

Another “basultu” which is perfect for dancing. Many grandmothers also sang this as a lullabye to put their ‘apos’  to sleep. The singer calls a friend’s (“kaka”)  attention and then proceeds to sing his observations of him and of things around him, in a light, playful and teasing manner.

LISTEN TO "O KAKA, O KAKA" HERE:

sung by Juan Miguel Louise B. Soto

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8. O YAN NA ING PAPEL

The lilting “Oyan na ing Papel” has  a repetitive tune and short lyrics that give a directive for Maring to catch a piece of paper being blown by the wind. The windblown paper that contains Pepings’s wedding details, including riding an unrepaired cart to the ceremony

LISTEN TO "OYAN NA ING PAPEL"HERE:

Sung by ArtiSta.Rita

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9. O PATAG A BUNDUK

A playful song of many contradictions that talk about a flat mountain, a tree that grows like a vine, a banana tree that grows in a flower pot, monggo that needs a trellis, a santol-bearing mango tree, a hen that’s also a chick, and a rooster that lays eggs. Indeed, this is something for Ripley’s!

LISTEN TO "O PATAG A BUNDUK" HERE:

sung by Je Manansala

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10. ONE DAY, MISAN A ALDO

Our love affair with things American began immediately—language was not a barrier. This narrative song begins in fractured English, which is immediately translated literally in Kapampangan—to hilarious effects. This popular song is known to tagalogs as “One Day, Isang Araw”.

LISTEN TO "ONE DAY, ISANG ARAW'

Tagalog Version

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11. PIESTA DA RENG ASAN

This old non-sensical song bout n imaginary election among river fishes surprisingly provides a glimpse into folk lifestles, beliefs and attitudes. This ‘basultu’ was contributed by Magdalena Dayrit of San Fernando which Dr. Alejandro Perez included in his 1968 book ‘Pampanga Folklore’.

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12. SISINGLE, SISINGLE

This is a play song that is sung in consonance with a game of the same title,  variationof ‘talanan dutung’. It starts with a line of  children holding hands, with the lead child holding fast to a wooden wall, gate, tree trunk, or nay wooden object. With held hands swaying, as they sing. At the last note of the song, the players break the line and scamper to look for a wooden object to touch. A player who fails to do so becomes the next “taya” or ‘it’.

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SOURCES:

 SERENATA, A Tresury of Kapampangan Songs, musical notations by Edwin Lumanug, Holy Angel University Press, 2009.

Atin Ku Pung Singsing:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-_pLp1LbE8, uploaded by alpc 2008, Jan. 26, 2012.

Aro, Katimyas Na:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP2r66Q28Cs, uploaded by Earl Policarpio, Jan. 12, 2014

Atsing Rosing:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOHelCZj08Q, uploded by Kapampangan Mekeni, Mar. 9, 2015

Dalumdum ning Bengi:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDViVI-KcSc, uploaded by Kapampangan Mekeni, Mar. 9, 2015

Eka Mamako:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptW62miPZS8, posted by Ernie Turla, May 1, 2007

Inyang Malati Ku:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjpB4-PnewY, uploaded by Benny Guinto, Nov. 23, 2011

O Kaka, o Kaka:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=an1DEiaE7C0, uploaded by Juan Miguel Louise B. Soto, Aug. 30, 2017

Oyan na ing Papel:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zA4DYBkyw88, uploaded by sisigman,  Oct. 9, 2007

O Patag a Bunduk:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UE4urAc8Kcc, uploaded by Je Manansala, Nov. 12, 2012

One Day, Misan a Aldo:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBFpGOedBz4, uploaded by robie317, Feb. 10, 2017

Piesta da reng Asan:

Sisingle, Sisingle: