HARANA Documentary Film
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Introducing the Harana Kings
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Introducing THE HARANA KINGS
Serenade Music from the Philippines
Music from the film HARANA

Florante Aguilar, classical guitar
Felipe Alonzo, vocals and steel string guitar
Celestino Aniel, vocals
Romeo Bergunio, vocals
special guest Michael Dadap, classical guitar
with Chus Alonso (laud), Sage Baggott (percussion) & Greg Kehret (bass)
Also available in iTunes, Amazon and CD Baby
Florante Aguilar

Florante Aguilar  
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Florante Aguilar
1 DUNGAWIN MO SANA (Constancio de Guzman)
2 SAPAGKAT MAHAL KITA (Felipe de Leon)
3 IKAW (Miguel Velarde, Jr.)
4 AKING BITUIN (O ILAW) Traditional
5 INDAY NG BUHAY KO (Ruben Vega)
6 DARDAREPDEP (By Remigio Peron)
7 SA MAGDAMAG (Ruben Vega)
8 NO DUADUAEM PAY (Ilocano Folksong)
9 MARUJA (Antonio Maiquez)
10 LIHIM NA PAGIBIG (Unknown)
11 NAPUSAKSAK NGA SABONG (Unknown)
12 INIIBIG KITA (Unknown)
13 DALAGANG PILIPINA
(Music by Jose Santos, Lyrics by Jose Corazon de Jesus)
14 DUNGAWIN MO HIRANG (Santiago Suarez)


(Hi-Res 256 kbps MP3, 14 tracks, album artwork)
$9.99 (downloads immediately)

 

HARANA KINGS is the result of Florante Aguilar's search for haranistas as chronicled in the documentary film HARANA. They represent the truest practitioners of the vanished custom of Filipino serenading when men sang underneath the window at night to introduce themselves to a maiden. About fifty years ago, Felipe Alonzo, Celestino Aniel and Romeo Bergunio were active participants of this once-popular courtship ritual and are among its last surviving practitioners.


Felipe AlonzoBorn in 1934, Felipe Alonzo hails from Bantay, Ilocos Sur. He is well known in his community and is often seen performing around the city of Vigan during Christmas and town fiestas. He learned many of the songs when he was growing up performing in sarswelas, which he refers to as "entablados" - live comic operettas performed in the town plaza. In 1965, Mr. Alonzo, who is a self-taught guitarist, recorded Ilocano haranas for Villar Records.

Mr. Alonzo passed away in March 2013. He was 78.

Celestino AnielCelestino Aniel was born in 1946 in the town of Naic, Cavite. Mr. Aniel learned many popular songs through the radio and recordings from the 1950s to the 1970s such as those of Ruben Tagalog, Larry Miranda, Ric Manrique, Jr. and Cenon Lagman. Aniel's singing style is also a nod to popular crooners such as Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole and Perry Como, a style that was adopted and incorporated into harana during American occupation in the 1940s. Mr. Aniel is often seen singing around his hometown for friends and small gatherings.

Mr. Aniel passed away in September 2012. He was 66.

Romeo BergunioBorn 1946 in Maragondon, Cavite, Romeo Bergunio recently won first place in a harana singing contest for seniors in his hometown. He learned from his father and grandfather many olden and unknown songs not often heard on the radio, thus preserving the songs completely through oral tradition. He specializes in kundiman songs - both in its rudimentary form as well as the more formalized structure championed by Philippine composers such as Nicanor Abelardo.

Mr. Bergunio has recently retired after years of making his livelihood as a fisherman because “there are no more fish to be caught” in the rivers and open  waters.


 
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