Singing or rapping about the Filipina

Oh, the Pilipina. Her beauty and virtuous qualities have been extolled in song through generations. Oh, but while she has remained beautiful and a gem to be exalted and desired through the ages, the way she has been written about in words and music from balitaw to rap, has drastically changed. Here are the most famous examples.

The earliest recorded instance that the Pilipina was paid tribute in song was in Dalagang Pilipina. The song had a folk melody in the balitaw style by an unknown composer and words by the great poet Jose Corazon de Jesus, who also wrote Bayan Ko.

“Ang dalagang Pilipina/ Parang tala sa umaga/ kung tanawin ay nakaliligaya/ may ningning na tangi at dakilang ganda

“Bulaklak na tanging marilag/ ang bango ay humahalimuyak/ sa mundo’y dakilang panghiyas/ pang-aliw sa pusong may hirap/ batis ng ligaya at galak/ hantungan ng madlang pangarap/ ganyan ang dalagang Pilipina/ karapat-dapat sa isang tunay na pagsinta

“Maging sa ugali maging sa kumilos/ mayumi, mahinhin, mabini sa lahat ng ayos/ malinis ang puso maging sa pag-irog/ may tibay at tining ng loob...”

During the late ‘70s, the prolific brothers Dennis and Rene Garcia, enthroned the Pilipina in the kingdom of universal beauty using the then prevalent pop-rock mode. The song was simply titled Pilipina and was recorded by the Manila Sound pioneering band Hotdog.

“Bulag lang ang di makapapansin sa kagandahan niya/ kagandahang natural talagang ibang-iba/ inggit na inggit ang mga puti/ sa kagandahan niya/ sa kulay na kulay lang panalo na

“Ewan ko kayo ngunit kung tatanungin’y ako/ wala talagang sing-ganda ng Pilipina/ sa buong daigdig wala pa ring dadaig sa Pilipina/ saan ka man magtungo/ sa kagandahan number one/ kilig na kilig ang buong daigdig sa kagandahan niya…”

Only a few months ago, three foreigners who have all made their homes and are enjoying successful careers in the Philippines came up with a song in praise of the Filipina girl. Music stars James Reid, who is part-Australian, Billy Crawford, who is part-American and Marcus Davis who comes from California, are all in loving relationships with Filipina girls and here in a mix of hip-hop and R&B is what they have to say about it.

Filipina Girl performed by Billy Crawford featuring Marcus and James goes like this:

“You got my heart and you had it the first day we met/ one look at you and I knew this is as good as it gets/ I look in your eyes and I’m watching the sunset/ I need this forever baby/ I need this forever cause I …

“Lose myself around you girl, you got some kind of way/ there’s just something ‘bout you girl that makes me wanna stay/ I could spend the rest of my life ride or die with you/ that’s just what you do

“There ain’t nothing in this world/ nothing in this world like a Filipina girl/ there ain’t nothing in this world/ nothing in this world like a Filipina girl…”

Barely a few weeks later, Dalaga composed and performed by ALLMO$T came along. Everybody must be familiar with this one given the way the viral meme has gone around. Think 40 million views on YouTube and 12 million streams on Spotify.

This time around, the dalaga is in soft hip-hop written, sung and rapped by long-time school buddies from the underground Olongapo rap scene, Crakky and Russell and their buddies Clien who lives in Italy and Jom who is from Canada. The creators may be Pinoys from various parts of the world but the sentiments although in today’s colloquial terms hark back to the Dalagang Pilipina of long ago.

Here now, dedicated to Dalagang Filipinas all over the world is Dalaga by ALLMO$T:

“Baby, ‘wag ka nang mag-alinlangan pa/ alam mo naman talaga na kailangan ka/ ang katulad mo ay matagal kong hinahanap at/ gusto kong makita, yeah/ gusto kong makita…

Isang dalagang Pilipina, yeah/ dalagang Pilipina, yeah/ isang dalagang Pilipina/ dalagang Pilipina, yeah/ isang dalagang Pilipina

Matagal kong hinanap ang isang dalagang/ sa akin magpapasaya/ hindi papayagang mawalay pa sa ‘kin/ kapag ika’y aking natagpuan na

Walang hinangad kundi makatabi/ susulitin lahat handang magpagabi/ ikaw ang rason sa aking pananabik/ sana ay pagbigyan mo na makahalik/ kapag dumating ka ay laking tuwa/ ikaw ang sagot sa mga bakit/ ‘wag na tayong magpahuling dalawa/ alam mo naman sa tabi mo ay langit/ dahil kathang-isip lang kaya nawawala/ sana ay bukas paggising ay kasama na kita…”