Part 1: Songs of Freedom

AKLANON SONGS Part 1: Songs of Freedom from Batan, ca. 1930

Batan town of Aklan had “twin artists” who composed “panghuning-huningons” (ballads) inspired by the Aklanon revolution. They were Ramon L. Concepcion Sr. and Miguel Lauz. Concepcion wrote the poems/verses while Lauz set them to music. These songs of freedom were composed before the Second World War, in about 1930s (Concepcion, Interview, 1996). Like the early writers, Peping Tansingko Manyas and Manuel Laserna, their message is love of country. The songs deal with the beauty of the land and the indigenous culture.

The Aklanon panghuning-huningon has a melody similar to that of a “composo” but has an original melody and lyrics (a composo usually has an original lyrics but a copied melody). Below are the first stanzas and choruses of the two out of seven surviving ballads of Concepcion and Lauz. “Simoy sa Kabukiran” (Breeze on the Fields) was sung by Crisalinda and Raquel Concepcion on Nov. 3, 1996 while “Sa Ungto it Bukid” (At the Top of the Mountain) was sung by Almyra Cortes on Oct. 27, 1996.

SIMOY SA KABUKIRAN [Excerpts]

Simoy sa kabukiran sa banwa kong natawohan,

Ro a kaeamig ginhawa it kaeag nga nahidlaw;

Banaag it kapawa kung masinadyahong adlaw,

Nagadueot it kalipay sa kabuhing tugub mingaw.

Mamatay man ay matam-is kon tungod sa banwang ginaeupig,

Pagkabuhi ay eunsay mapait kon rong banwa mo nagatiis;

Buot ko pa nga pumabukid ag humimunong sa mga eungib,

Siin nga owa it maeueuib ag tawo nga mababangis.

BREEZE ON THE FIELDS

Breeze on the fields, on the land of my birth,

Its coldness is the breathing life of a sorrowful soul;

It is the symbol of peace and the cheerful sun,

It brings joy to the lonely life.

To die is sweet if it’s for the land which is oppressed,

To live is bitter if your land suffers;

I would even choose to dwell in the mountains and caves,

Where there are no greedy people and oppressors.

____________________

SA UNGTO IT BUKID [Excerpts]

Sa ungto it bukid ro akong hilimongnan,

Igto rong adlaw, dagway it Filipinhon;

Sa ana nga kasilaw nasusueat ro ang baeatyagon,

Ag sa anang kaeakaea igto napipinta ro akong handum.

Sa mabugnaw nga eandong it mga kakahuyan,

Ag sa silong it eangit ro akong hilimongnan;

Nagahimunong rong kaeag it mga katawohan,

Kaeag nga ginauhaw kung katibawasan....

AT THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN

At the top of the mountain lies my dwelling,

The sun is there, the picture of a Filipino;

In its brightness is written my feelings,

And in its hotness is painted my dreams.

Under the cool shade of the trees,

And under the heavens lie my dwelling;

There rest the souls of humanity,

Souls who thirst for freedom....

(To be continued...)




*Excerpts from De Juan, Alexander C. “The Tongue and the Pen versus the Spanish Rule in Aklan”. In Palayag: Selected Papers from the Proceedings of the 7th Conference on West Visayan History and Culture (pp. 80-95). Iloilo City: Center for West Visayan Studies, University of the Philippines in the Visayas, 1999.




REFERENCES: 


Books, Published and Unpublished Printed Materials

Barrios, John, Melchor Cichon and Dominador Ilio. The Katipunan in Aklan. A research presented to the Sub-commission for Cultural Dissemination, National Commission for Culture and the Arts, 1993. (Later published in 1997)

De la Cruz, Beato A. Contributions of the Aklan Mind to Philippine Literature. Rizal: Kalantiao Press, 1958.

Magos, Alicia, Henry Funtecha and Emmeline Cabalum. “Culture, Mass Media and National Development.” In Danyag, Journal of Studies in the Humanities, Education and the Sciences. Iloilo City: U.P. in the Visayas, June 1989.

Manyas, Peping Tansinko. Tagipuson nga Hueowaran. Kalibo: Limbagan nay G. Francisco J. Albar, 1926.

Perla-Imson, Ma. Elnora. “Philippine Literature in Spanish: Evolving a National Literature.” Celebrating the Word/Pagdiwang ng Salita. Efren Abueg, et al. (eds.). Manila: Linangan ng Literatura ng Pilipinas (Literary League of the Philippines), n.d.


Interviewees

Concepcion, Crisalinda, 64 years old, resident of Batan, Aklan, interviewed in Batan, November 3, 1996.

Cortes, Editha, 69 years old, resident of Batan, Aklan, interviewed in Batan, November 3, 1996.

Cortes, Almyra, 52 years old, resident of Batan, Aklan, interviewed in Batan, October 27, 1996.

Recidoro, Efren, 71 years old, resident of Balete, Aklan, interviewed in Balete, August 15, 1995.

Solano, Florencia Franco Silva, 76 years old, resident of Ondoy, Ibajay, Aklan, interviewed in Ondoy, June 20, 1999.