The Portuguese Fado, the Philipine Kundiman and How an Artist Arrived at an Idea
The Portuguese fado and the Philippine kundiman are art forms that are tied to their national identities. But why does one flourish while the other languish?
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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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