A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PHILIPPINE MUSIC

The earliest inhabitants of the island, the Negritos, had their own music long before Indonesians and Malays came to the country to introduce their own. Primitive music came to be out of superstitious and religious beliefs. Tribal priest or medicine men fashioned primitive instruments made up of sticks or wood for making rhythmic noise. These primitive instruments were believe to be effective in driving away evil spirits.

A musical instruments mad of bamboo wood and metal had been in existence in pre-spanish times. Sticks of wood or bamboos were utilized to produce rhythmic sounds. Most of these are still to be found among the different ethnic groups in the country.

One of the earliest and most primitive types of playing was done through the beating of sticks and bamboo clappers, drums and gongs. The Hindus introduced some innovations into the music of the aborigines, like drums, gongs, and reed flutes. The primitive musical instruments reveals the joys, the grieves, the longings and aspiration of the people. The Malays brought into the Philippines a better musical instruments. They introduced the harmonious use of drums, gongs and cymbals.

During the thirteenth century, the Chinese, Japanese and the Hindus contributed and share the development of music instruments. They introduced the unique oriental melodies of the pentatonic or five stone scale. They added the use of little bells, wooden xylophone and string instruments such as the native guitar and violin.

In the sixteenth century the Spaniards and the Mexican also introduced a different style of music. The Spanish rule served as the models for Filipino composers. The influence is clearly seen in havanera, polka, rigodon, tango, jota, fandango, curacha, surtido, cariñosa and many others. Then, Filipino composers in their desire to recapture the past turned to the ancient melodies for inspiration even our “Philippine National Anthem” itself is been influenced by foreign melodies with them their folksongs, patriotic and religious songs and other popular music of the Filipino up to now.

Today there is a great revival of different contest. The cultural center of the Philippines has became the center of the development of arts and culture. And now Philippines has all the elements of the past foreign influences. The Filipinos have their own peculiar charm distinguished from the foreign songs.

BAMBOO CLAPPERS