Philippine Entertainment

• Zarzuela


  A Spanish lyric-dramatic genre alternating between spoken and sung scenes incorporating operatic, popular song, and dance
• Jazz was a popular genre of music during the 1920s in America, referred to as the Roaring Twenties
• During the American occupation of the Philippines, American military groups introduced jazz music to the Philippines
• Jazz music came to the Philippines as a form of expression and performance


  1921
• Bodabil/Vaudeville


  A popular genre of entertainment in the Philippines from the 1910s until the 1960s
• Borromeo Lou spearheaded the organization of the first Filipino bodabil company
• Bodabil/Vaudeville was a testament to the local initiative and creativity in the Philippines
• Bodabil/Vaudeville held its ground against the rising competition from film, radio, and television for many decades
• Bodabil genre


  A testament to the vibrant cultural exchange between Filipinos and Americans, featuring a variety of musical numbers, short-form comedy, dramatic skits, and sometimes magical acts
• The performances of the Bodabil genre were staged inside the theaters of Manila and were a platform for Filipinos to entertain American troops stationed in the Philippines
• To fulfill the requirement of entertaining American troops, vaudeville acts from outside the Philippines were brought in, enriching the local entertainment scene with diverse influences
• The Teatre Zorillo, a leading theater in Manila, promoted some vaudeville acts


  1901
• During the early years of vaudeville in the Philippines, most featured entertainers were non-Filipinos
• By the middle of the 1910s, a significant shift occurred as a few Filipino performers began to make their mark in vaudeville acts
• These Filipino performers, with their unique talents and cultural expressions, were featured as intermission numbers in between sarswelas, sometimes called "jamborees"
• This marked a significant milestone in the evolution of Filipino entertainment
• The bodabil genre, which grew to become extremely popular, was not just a replica of vaudeville
• The bodabil genre incorporated elements of American culture, which resonated with the Filipino audience
• Many cultural trends popularized by the bodabil genre were Western or American in origin, though the interpreters were predominantly Filipino
• When America ruled the Philippines, American culture greatly impacted what people enjoyed for fun
• American-style theater shows and musicals became popular, especially in cities like Manila
• Inspired by vaudeville and Broadway productions in the United States, these shows often featured a mix of comedy, music, and dance
• Hollywood films, such as silent films, were screened in Philippine theaters, captivating audiences with tales of adventure, romance, and drama
• Hollywood productions inspired Filipino filmmakers and began experimenting with new cinematic techniques and storytelling styles
• Americans brought new kinds of music, such as jazz, blues, folk, and rock and roll
• Americans also taught music in schools, which helped Filipinos learn Western music and make their versions
• The emergence of American-style radio programs introduced a new form of entertainment to Filipino households
• American colonial authorities invested in modernizing entertainment infrastructure in the Philippines, constructing theaters, cinemas, and concert halls
• These venues became hubs of cultural exchange, where Filipino and American artists came together to share their artistry
• Dalagang Bukid (1919)


  • A silent film directed by José Nepomuceno, considered one of the pioneers of Philippine cinema. It is a story about a young flower vendor named Angelita, who is forced by her parents to marry a wealthy old man, Don Silvestre, despite her love for Cipriano, a law student
• Borromeo Lou & Co., Ltd


  • Philippines' first bodabil group established by Luis Borromeo who coined the term for Philippine vaudeville, which was initially vod-a-vil
• Student Canteen (1979–1986), Lunch Date (1986–1993), and 'Sang Linggo nAPO Sila (1995–1998)


  • Some of the most iconic noontime variety shows that carried the bodabil (vaudeville) culture in the Philippines
• Comics


  A graphic medium that intends to communicate with its audience via images and text presented in a single panel or series of panels read left to right
• Komiks


  The local version of comics in the Philippines, a Tagalized version of the English term

  
• The Monkey and the Tortoise


  • Rizal's first indigenously produced comic strip in the Philippines, a fable on how the wise tortoise outwitted the selfish and devious monkey, published in 1885 in Trubner's Record, an English magazine
• Kiko at Angge


  • A comic strip that began its run in 1922 inside the pages of the Tagalog weekly magazine Telembang, written by Inigo Ed Regalado and illustrated by would-be first National Artist Fernando Amorsolo

  
• Mga Kabalbalan ni Kenkoy


  • The first comic strip that gained mass popularity among Filipinos, created by Antonio "Tony" Velasquez from the concept and script by the magazine's top writer at the time, Romualdo Ramos, debuting in the January 11, 1929 issue of Liwayway magazine

  
• Velasquez used Kenkoy's character to poke fun at the silliness of Filipinos trying hard to imitate their Western colonizers
• Pilipino Komiks, Tagalog Komiks, Hiwaga Komiks, Pinoy Komiks, Pinoy Klasiks, and Aliwan Komiks

  • Some of the most popular Filipino comic books published by Tony Velasquez's Ace Publications and Graphic Arts Service, Inc. (GASI) Publications

  
• Darna, Captain Barbell, Lastikman


  • Some of the most popular Filipino superheroes created by writer Mars Ravelo