The Difference Between Harana and Kundiman
If you are one of the Filipinos having a hard time distinguishing between harana and kundiman music, don’t be ashamed – you are not alone! It is very easy to confuse the two. It is common to hear people refer to ANY old Tagalog love song as kundiman or harana. Though I cringe every ti...
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The Different Stages of Harana (Serenading)
During the filming of Harana the movie in late 2008, I had the opportunity to travel to remote provinces of the Philippines in search of master haranistas – the vanishing breed of expert singers skilled in the art of serenading. Serenading was particularly popular in the Philippine province...
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Florante’s Guitars
Many have asked (mostly guitarists) what brand of guitar I use. Currently, I am using Cordoba Soloista flamenco guitar. I love the bite and the growl typically associated with flamenco guitars. It’s sounds great when I play with my ensemble Fandangueros. I’m also using a 2002 Fontanil...
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Concert “Disasters”: Getting Paid – in Quarters!
Scene: Outlying provinces off Cebu, Philippines more than 15 years ago. I was on tour with a pair of ballet dancers, a classical pianist and a local singer named Phrolo. It was a Government Outreach Tour whose noble mission is to bring arts into far-flung provinces. About 4 stops in one day were ...
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Concert “Disasters”: Concerto for Guitar … and Lanzones!
Scene: Orchestra pit of the Meralco Theater in Manila many years ago. Opening night of Philippine Repertory’s production of Fiddler on the Roof. It has a small guitar part which I was hired to play. It was a full orchestra but since it’s a play/musical, there were lots of breaks in be...
Read MoreWhat’s Up with My Name?
Hello All. To most Filipinos, the name Florante Aguilar elicits a bit of a giggle. Some of the reactions I heard: 1) Is that for real? 2) Gotta be a stage name 3) Are you an illegitimate son? They are, of course, referring to Freddie Aguilar and Florante de Leon – two of the best […]
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