This song brings me back to my very early childhood days as my mum and sometimes my aunt (they are Bicolanas) would sing it to me and my sister as a lullaby. We would drift off to sleep as we listened to them singing it over and over.
Often mistaken as a Filipino folk song, Sarung Banggi was in fact composed by Bicolano composer, Potenciano Gregorio. According to Bicol historian, Jose Barrameda, Gregorio was born towards the end of the Spanish colonial power in the Philippines, and he spent his young adulthood during the American imperialism. Barrameda states that there is enough reason to believe that Sarung Banggi is a metaphorical message that speaks of a longing for national liberation.
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Dear Sharon, my name is Álvaro and I am also a passionate of kundiman, a music that has always cast a spell on my soul. Not so long ago, I began digging into the music sheets, and the first song we made was Nasaan ka irog, by Abelardo. It sparkled our interest and continue to discover more gems, so that we ended by being able to offer a whole concert of Pilipino music, that people seems to love (it touches the heart, it elevates out souls, are some of the comments we get from the listeners. I remember reading your post about that song, and I'd like to drop you some lines and thank you for this blog. Your music is a blessing to humanity, and it should never be forgotten!
ReplyDeleteMy best regards to you and once again, congratulations for your blog and thank you for sharing it. Greetings from Spain. Álvaro García.
Thank you for your feedback and kind words, Álvaro. Lovely to hear from you all the way in Spain! Congratulations on your concert of all-Filipino music! That's amazing! It is so nice to know that the Filipino Kundiman is being appreciated there too. Thank you very much for sharing it. Best regards to you and all your wonderful musicians! - Sharon
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