Music

• Philippine theater Arts


  Evolved from the ritualistic dances of the early ethnolinguistic groups of the country
• Native ritual practitioners

  • Called baylans, madadawaks, bayoks or babaylans depending on the indigenous groups to where they belong
• Ritual performance

  Main reason is to appease on offended nature spirit
• Spaniards erased most of the indigenous rituals leaving no traces to spread Christianity more easily
• Theater


  Derived from the Greek word theatran, which literally means to see or to view
• Theater


  • An amalgamation of different arts on stage particularly music, acting, dancing, singing, visual arts and literature
  • Used effectively in the Philippines to showcase not just entertainment but also to address issues in the society
• The Philippines has theatrical forms that were influenced by foreign invaders, namely the Spaniards, the Japanese and the Americans
• Sarswela


  • A traditional theater form with songs and dances performed by actors and actresses in theater and eventually performed the town plazas during fiestas or Holy Week. Introduced in the Philippines by the Spaniards
• Moro-moro


  • Originally known as comedia de copa y espada, but as time progressed, it became known as comedia
  • Created by Spanish priest, is a theatrical form that depicts the battle between Christians as protagonists and Muslims or Moros as the antagonists
  • The theatrical presentation in the Philippine version of operatta, would always end with the baptism or conversion of the Moros to Christianity
• Arakyo


  • Similar to the Santacruzan, is a Philippine theatrical form that reenact the story of Queen Helena's church for the holy cross, 300 years after Christ's death
  • Performed in the province of Nueva Ecija
  • A two-day presentation that starts at morning of May 6 and ends at midnight of May 7
• Bodabil


  • The Filipinized version of American-introduced vaudeville believed to have been coined by Luis Borromeo, a Cebuano performer
  • Along with the introduction of vaudeville acts during the American occupation, jazz and blues musical genres flourished in the country
  • Themes deal with the Filipino culture, people, and heroes
• Walang Sugat


  • A play with song and dance in three acts
  • A story about two young lovers who were affected by their love for country and love for each other
  • Written and directed by Severino Reyes
  • Music composed by Fulgencio Tolentino
  • First premiered in 1902