A Sinister Sounding Christmas Song
There is something about this christmas song, Carol of the Bells, that I’ve always found intriguing. It is probably the darkest and most sinister sounding christmas song that I know of. It was pointed out to me by a friend and fellow composer Roman Turovsky (wiki) that it was a Ukrainian melody […]
Read MoreFun with Arranging – Erik Satie’s Gnossiennes #1
I like goofing around with known classical pieces. I don’t know why I do this but sometimes I hear pieces in my head differently. In my mind, certain pieces work better a certain way based entirely on my personal preference and musical disposition at a given time. Case in point, […]
Read MoreMusic Video – Death of Isagani (Pagkamatay ni Isagani)
Excerpt from Aswang the Concert performed and recorded live at the Napa Valley College Performing Arts Center. PAGKAMATAY NI ISAGANI (Death of Isagani) This is the story of Isagani, a fisherman-by-day and spy-by-night during the Philippine revolution. The song finds him being pursued by the Spanish soldiers through the jungles […]
Read MoreHow to Write a Song When You’re in a Rut
Florante talks about one of the most reliable technique he uses when writing a song, especially when stuck in a rut. The song is called Ang Tumao, one of the songs for the Aswang Song Cycle. Here’s a link to listen to the full song:
Read MoreRosas Pandan
Not exactly a Filipino Xmas song but definitely in the same festive spirit. Rosas Pandan is a Visayan folksong that speaks of a maiden who came down from the mountains to celebrate fiesta. Lots of dancing, singing and courtship ensued. Happy Holidays!
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ASWANG the Concert Coming to Napa January 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ASWANG Comes Alive in Napa on January 28, 2018 December 13, 2017 (NAPA, CALIFORNIA) – New Art Media Productions, the makers of the award-winning HARANA documentary, will kick off the New Year with a live concert for their upcoming feature film, ASWANG, Mga Kwentong Halimaw, a dramatized […]
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Florante Receives 2016 Gerbode Composition Award
On February 1, 2017, the Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation announced that Florante Aguilar along with presenting organization KulArts, are one of the six recipients of $50,000 grants to support the creation and production of new music by California composers. Billed as “today’s most influential composers”, the Gerbode Foundation’s past awardees […]
Read MoreCavite el Viejo – Poblacion & Marulas
An ode to my hometown of Kawit, Cavite (formerly known as Cavite el Viejo) the suite consists of 12 movements named after the town’s barrios. The first two movements, Poblacion and Marulas, are barrios I spent a lot of time riding my bike to from our house in Gahak. These were also […]
Read MoreA Contemporary Harana Song
It’s a powerful experience when a song you wrote is sung by two of the best singers you know. Thank you Arwen Lawrence and Charmaine Clamor for such a privilege! And Jorge Liceaga for joining me on the guitar. This song is an ode to the traditional Philippine harana but written from the perspective of those […]
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The Music of Bae Makiling – An Interview by Kularts
This blog post is republished from Kularts website. Click here for the original post. This week we sit down with the man behind the music, Florante Aguilar. Maybe you know him from his original score for Jay Loyola’s 2014 dance theater work Maség Typhoon, or his music for Alleluia Panis’ […]
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