Philippine Popular Culture: Dimensions and Directions. The State of Research in Philippine Popular Culture

    

Philippine Popular Culture: Dimensions and Directions. The State of Research in Philippine Popular Culture

Objective:

-          To Give Emphasis on Philippine Popular Culture

-          To Identify the Evolution of Pop Culture in the Philippines

-          To determine the direction in identifying Philippine Popular Culture

-          To give importance to additional Information like Trivia’s and Insights about the dimensions of PPC.

Introduction:

According to Doreen Fernandez, Popular culture in the Philippines is a concern of recent awareness, recent exploration, and even more recent definition. Because it deals with recent news or trend. Mass media-generated culture in the Philippines is what can be properly called popular culture, and this is of recent vintage.

SUMMARY:

KOMIKS

We know comics is a form of art that has a story line with an image along with a text in different action, genre or story. Comics were partially inspired by American mainstream comic strips and comic books during the early 20th century.

The first comic made by Philippines is “The Monkey and the Tortoise” by Jose Rizal published in Truebner's Record in London in 1889.

1929 – And followed by Rizal, the next became popular are Written by Tony Velasquez and illustrated by Rudy Florese named “Kenkoy”. Kenkoy was a comedic character who wore a baggy pair of pants, suspenders and charol shoes, and had ironed or flattened hair. The story, as a whole. about the foibles of Filipinos grappling with the new manners and mores brought about by urbanization. And lately it become more popular it used to filler or featured in Liwayway Magazine, who began running comic strips by that time.

                                

1931 – Many comic strip characters joined, and all of them most likely modelled on other country like American comics character like Kulafo, who wandered mountains of Luzon as Tarzan did Africa; Huapelo, featured by Chinese store owner; Dyesebel the siren; the flying Darna, in other words most of character is inspired by historical figures, sport figures, and people from daily life.

1946 - The first komiks magasin, Halakhak was born. Halakhak only lasted a few issues but it was followed by a number of comics anthologies such as Pilipino Komiks, Tagalog Klasiks, Espesyal Komiks, and Hiwaga Komiks. The publisher of Liwayway, Don Ramon Roces and his family would practically run the entire komiks industry in the country.

1972 – Since Martial Law era (1972 – 1981) comics also been used by the government agencies to share information. Most of content are dream, hopes, values, vision of life, escape from reality or in short, what people experience during that day or era was to inform many readers what happening in their world right now. Although this was created by hard worker artist were inspired by public, voice, dream, and our culture. And by that time, many producers produce comics weekly more than 2 million copies and cause of that comics were called the literature of the masses. It also has 44 million Filipinos are reading comics, by estimating the fact. Many Filipinos can afford to read comics because it’s cheap, and accessible in any stalls in downtown manila or small store in the barrio and also the circulation and swapping in small community to urban one of reason of becoming popular of comics.

In that time, the Comics are regarded by Dr. Reyes as having taken on various roles for example: give us some knowledge or lesson and realizing in different perspective like farming, government, science or medicine.

1974 - In Fact, Karina Constantino David study the comics, “The Changing Images of Heoes in Local Comic Books,” Intrigue by both mass communication and literary-cultural in magazine, journal, and theses.

Insight about this topic is most of story, characters, and theme of making or idea comics are inspired by in real life like urbanization, situation of were being colonialize other country, escaping the reality, and so on.

FILM

Cinematography was the first film shown in the Philippines that usually presented with zarzuela or vaudeville numbers. 1909 two Americans, Yearsley and Gross, produced the first two locally made feature films, both on the life of Jose Rizal.

1919- The first full-length feature film, A was Jose Nepomuceno's "Dalagang Bukid," which used the story and the star of Herrnogenes Ilagan's zarzuela of the same name, the most successful play of the type (it is said to have played at least 1000 times all around the islands).

                          

1924- there were 214 movie houses all over the Philippines, thirty-four in Manila, nineteen in Negros, seventeen in Rizal province, sixteen in Pampanga, fourteen in Laguna, thirteen in Tayabas, and five in Iloilo.

1939 - the Philippine movie industry was fifth in the world in the number of talkies produced.

1976 - the year of the formation of the 'Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino,' the film critics circle, composed mostly of film buffs and writers from academe and journalism.

A Filipino director in the late fifties used to describe the films. The bakya, was used to symbolize the - unelevated taste reflected in the movies, with their melodrama, weeping, fighting, formula romances, and stereotyped characters.

I knew that the evolution of the film era showed that there are some important events happened in any certain years. From showing full-length feature films and becoming fifth in the world in the number of talkies. Also, the difficulties of research on the Philippine film, citing the absence of film archives, and the problems adhering to each of the periods of the development of the Filipino film.

RADIO

KZKZ/KZRH

              

 

 

 

 

 

In June 1922, three 50-watt stations owned and operated by an electrical supply company and organized by an American, Henry Hermann, were given temporary permits to set up stations in Manila and Pasay. Radio in the Philippines started in 1924 with the establishment of KZKZ (AM) in Manila, Philippines by Henry Herman Sr., owner of the Electrical Supply Company in Manila. Henry Herman was an American and a former soldier who came to the Philippines to fight in the Philippine–American War.

1939 - There were four stations owned by department stores, which used them mainly to advertise their own merchandise.

“Sunrise Club” and “Listerine Amateur Hour” were the more popular radio shows. Radio control laws were promulgated at about the same time that these outside advertisements began to be accepted.

During the Japanese Occupation

All radio stations were closed, except KZRH, which was renamed PIAM. Reception on shortwave was strictly forbidden. This Era Broadcasting news and advertisement is difficult to those writers, journalist and reporter mostly when the Japanese era which all radio station is closed and forbidden the transfer/giving news about the war to our countrymen with the help of “The Voice of Juan de la Cruz,” the “Voice of Freedom” from Corregidor and the Voice of America. It was on these hidden radio sets that the underground newspapers depended heavily for information on the war. Pilipino risks their live to listen to broadcast to keep updated 5 years after the war there were 30 operating stations and it started the growth of broadcasting chain in the Philippines began to be formed.

1942- at the height of World War II, the Japanese invasion of the Philippine Islands Carlos Malonso, creates his own radio station called The Voice of Juan de la Cruz.

His broadcasts supply information about pro-American war events and disseminate anti-Japanese propaganda. He stays one step in front of the pursuing Japanese by moving his make-shift radio station from place to place.

1945 - The real birth of Philippine radio.  Within five years after the war, there were thirty operating stations.

March 1,1950 - Republic Broadcasting System’s DZBB, started by Bob Stewart became famous for on-the-spot news coverage, and for “Newscoop,” a program on which controversial individuals discussed “hot” subjects.

From those early days and past landmarks like the famous “Kuwentong Kutsero” of the fifties, a satire on Filipino manners, mores, politics, and government which eventually moved on to television; “Karni Naman,” a situation comedy; and “Vicks’ Variety Show,” the formula of Philippine radio developed.

“Transistor Revolution”

1959- The reach of radio changed with the “transistor revolution.” President Carlos P. Garcia asked CARE to donate a few thousand transistor radios for the barrios, explaining that these would “combat subversive elements in the rural areas,” most of which, of course, did not, and still do not, have electricity.

In the barrio, therefore, where the traditional – and often the only – method of spreading or getting information was by word of mouth, the transistor radio became a towering presence, bringing news of the government and of the city and its problems; infusing pop music into the domain of the kundiman; spreading, in effect, popular culture beyond the urban sprawl and into the rural folk realm.

 One might note at this point that the longest-running shows on radio were the serials “Ilaw ng Tahanan” (nine years) and “Gulong ng Palad,” recently translated to television, both built on the fool proof formula of cascades of tears and flocks of martyred women.

1961 -the largest broadcasting chain in the Philippines began to be formed

First as the Bolinao Electronics Corporation, which became then the Alto Broadcasting System, then the Chronicle Broadcasting Network, which A After Martial Law became the Kanlaon Broadcasting System.

DZRH initiated the first successful local shows: Philippine Manufacturing Company’s “Purico Show,” “Kwentong Kapitbahay ,” the first soap opera in Pilipino, and “Kapitan Kidlat,” about a Philippine superhero.

TRIVIA

A survey made in 1969 by the Economic

-           Monitor showed that 62 percent of a total of 6,347,000 households had radio sets, and there were 1.5 million sets in the islands. In Rizal province, surrounding Manila, 50 percent of the homes had radios, whereas 4 in Albay only 4 percent. In Manila, 87 percent of the households had radio sets. It was obvious that radios were massed in urban centres.

MAGAZINES

Popular Magazines. The first magazine of general circulation in the Philippines was probably The Philippine Magazine, published in 1905. It cannot quite be called "popular," however, since it was in English, and therefore, not available to the majority, especially at that time, when the teaching of English had begun only four years earlier. It was printed on cheap newsprint and eventually, by the time it stopped publication in 1972, was indeed read by the majority of the English-speaking Philippine public.

1923 - A real popular magazine would have to be in the vernacular, and although there have been many short-lived publications in this century, liwayway was the most popular magazine.

1941- The magazine had a circulation of 89,000.16 With its sister publications Bisaya, in Cebuano Visayan; Hiligaynon, in Ilongo Visayan; Bannawag, in Ilocano, and Bicolnon in Bicol, Liwayway became the cornerstone of popular publishing in the Philippines.

The elite magazines, on better paper and with fine printing, were publishing English material, and so this colonial aftereffect made the Tagalog writer both serious and popular at the same time, since he had a z concrete audience to reach, and editors who had definite ideas about what that audience wanted.

POPULAR MUSIC

There was popular music earlier - kundimans, zarzuelas, love songs, street songs, children's nonsense songs and although some of these actually found their way into records, they were not sung on vaudeville stages or spun out on the air lanes. Even the nationalism and activism of the late sixties and early seventies did not change the steady diet of American pop, rock, and Broadway on the air lanes, TV variety shows, and stage shows, although they did arouse an interest in old Philippine songs which were sometimes reworded to suit new conditions.

                                          

1950-1959 - During the 1950's rock and roll dominated the first half of the decade, with previous influences from the 1940's. Major music labels mirrored the popularity of certain genres increasing the access to them and allowing them to become more popular. Big voiced singers set the tone for the development of the popular music during the 50's. Rock and roll was said to have been born on April 12, 1954, when Bill Haley and the Comets recorded "Rock Around the Clock.

            

1960 – 1969 - The technology used by the pop music industry developed beyond recognition during this decade. As pop music developed the television industry embraced the well- known artists of the time and gave them the audience a connection with them. From the 60s British artists became front runners in the popular music industry. Artists such as The Beatles included the key characteristics of pop during the 1960's: harmonies main instruments were guitar, drums and vocals.

  

1970 – 1979 - Soft Rock became a very popular genre, as well as big ballads from artists such as Elton John. Euro pop began to become more popular during this decade. Most importantly this decade saw the rise of disco music, which became one of the biggest genres of the decade. The Bee Gees were the leaders of the disco era with Saturday night fever

            

                                         

1980 – 1989 - Artists such as Madonna and Michael Jackson were by far the most famous singers of this time. Michael Jackson’s thriller was the most widely sold track of the 80's, selling 110 million copies. Both of their music was based around dance. Including certain influences from Motown for Michael Jackson and electronic from Madonna.

                        

1990 – 1999 - 1990’s pop music was typically categorized by hearty ballads, dance music. The development of teen pop and dance pop bands such as the spice girls broke into the American music industry which then also influenced bigger named artists such as Christina Aguilera and Destiny’s Child. One of the spice girls most famous songs is spice up your life with a Latin and salsa influence.

                            

2000 – 2009 - Teen pop continued to be extremely popular into the 2000’s, but soon plummeted due to the rise in popularity of R&B and hip hop. Styles from the 1980’s pop scene have influenced artists’ music more recently in the charts of the noughties. More recently Pop Ballad artists such as Adele have dominated the later noughties.

Impact of Popular Music in Society

-  Through several different times in history, music has influenced teenagers. Teens in Philippines are a prime example of how music has affected teenagers economically, physically, and even psychologically. Different decades lead to different styles of popular music, but the effects are about the same. Popular music can be used by: companies as a marketing gimmick, young teenagers trying to become recognized by starting as a garage band, or just used for entertainment purposes. However, it is used, popular music is a powerful tool to impact teens of all times. Music has gone a long way throughout the previous decades. Music has evolved and shape shifted its way to the time of now.

History of Philippine Music

Music in the highland and lowland hamlets where indigenous culture continues to thrive has strong Asian elements. Spanish and American influences are highly evident in the music of the urban areas. In discussing Philippine music, three main divisions are apparent: an old Asian influenced music referred to as the indigenous; a religious and secular music influenced by Spanish and European forms; and an American/European inspired classical, semi-classical, and popular music.

The Spanish-European Influenced Traditions

       With the coming of the Spaniards the Filipino’s music underwent a transformation with the influx of western influences, particularly the Spanish-European culture prevalent during the 17th to the 19th centuries. The Hispanization during the succeeding three centuries after 1521 was tied up with religious conversion. It effected a change in the people’s musical thinking and what emerged was a hybrid expression tinged with Hispanic flavor. It produced a religious music connected to and outside the Catholic liturgy and a European-inspired secular music adapted by the Filipinos and reflected in their folk songs and instrumental music.

The American Influenced Traditions

       The American regime lasted from 1898 to 1946 during which time Philippine music underwent another process of transformation.

       In the newly established public-school system, music was included in the curriculum at the elementary and later at the high school levels. Music conservatories and colleges were established at the tertiary level. Graduates from these institutions included the first generation of Filipino composers whose works were written in western idioms and forms. Their works and those of the succeeding generations of Filipino composers represent the classical art music tradition which continues to flourish today.

       Side by side with this classical art music tradition was a lighter type of music. This semi-classical repertoire includes stylized folk songs, theater music, and instrumental music. The sarswela tradition produced a large body of music consisting of songs patterned after opera arias of the day as well as short instrumental overtures and interludes.

       The strong band tradition in the Philippines, which began during the previous Spanish period and which continues to this day, produced outstanding musicians, composers and performers. Another popular instrumental ensemble was the rondalla which superceded an earlier type of ensemble called the cumparsa. The latter was an adaptation of similar instrumental groups, the murza of Mexico and the estudiantina of Spain.

       American lifestyle and pop culture gave rise to music created by Filipinos using western pop forms. Referred to as Pinoy pop it includes a wide range of forms: folk songs, dance tunes, ballads, Broadway type songs, rock’ n’ roll, disco, jazz, and rap.

       These three main streams of Philippine music– indigenous, Spanish influenced religious and secular music, American/European influenced classical, semi-classical, and popular music comprise what we refer to today as Philippine music

THE LITERATURE OF THE POPULAR CULTURE

Most of the Philippine pop culture manly revolves around studies on reportage and features on daily newspapers and weekly magazines, reviews on fil, television shows, performance and radio programs. It also revolves on studies by mass communication undergraduates, thesis papers and the studies of scholars that originated from the discipline of literature and sociology.

Literature of popular culture revolves entirely of beliefs, attitudes, ideas, images, film, and other aspect within the culture of the society. The problem mentioned above is that it is done in isolation, without a clear standpoint, and untraceable in a definite context in synthesizing findings to determine the Filipino popular culture.

In journalism, they use journalistic norms like newsworthiness, currency, human interest. The mass communication scholars tabulate even when using content analysis, which is useful in locating trends, values, attitude, philosophies and many more. Studies in Mass Communication enumerates, when quantification should be used towards explaining the meaning of its significance. Literary scholars use literary norms on critical stances taken after themes are established, characters analyzed implication and values read. Most of them use the methods based on customary to his discipline.

Directions

The above cursory survey of areas of Philippine popular culture and the research done in them makes clear the fact that although there seems to be a volume of available literature touching on popular culture and related topics, much of it is diffuse, and not always focused on either the significance of the popularity of the cultural form, or the meaning of the cultural form that has achieved such popularity. The tasks facing research in Philippine popular culture, therefore, include:

 1. Definition - A stable definition of "popular culture" in the Philippine context has to be reached. More than the choice of topics that can be included under popular culture study, this also involves defining boundaries or overlaps with respect, to other relatively established fields of inquiry (for example, mass communications, drama, literature) in terms of theory, methods, and concerns.

2. Review of Literature - There is a need for critical review and integration of all the related literature, to define the problems of and possibilities for future research.

3. Identification of Issues. Since popular culture in the Philippines was brought about mainly by the entry from the United States of mass media into a culture already heavily American in orientation because of the colonial experience, discussion of popular culture should consider the following and related issues:

·         Commodified culture and consumerism, exemplified in the generation of false needs through advertisements and the exposure to an alien lifestyle through forms of popular culture

·         Westernized taste and consciousness, or cultural imperialism and cultural socialization, through imported films, television shows, publications, and popular songs

·         The mystification of Philippine social realities and the pacification of any feelings against current reality by means of the legitimization of economic and political structures not only through the content of TV, radio, film, and comics stories, but also through slogans, government advertising, programming, and the like.

4. Identification of the "public. " The audience, the Populus, that makes culture popular rather than elite should be identified in the concrete Philippine context. What is the popular writer's concept of his public? How is his, or the industry's idea of what "sells".

 5. Definition of the popular writer. Considering the size of his audience, the popular writer is definitely a significant intellectual.

6. Identification of purpose. "Popular culture is power," and since it is not created by the people who "consume" it, who does, and to identify its purpose, development and manipulation.

7. Deepening of inquiry into fields already explored. The preceding survey has shown that much of the work done to date on popular culture has been survey work: the history of the field, its current state, its significance in Philippine life, perhaps an evaluation. In these fields - film, radio, television, comics, magazines, - it is now necessary to start narrow field, in-depth studies.

8. Identification of other fields of inquiry. A few other fields not mentioned here have already been explored by one or two individuals: popular arts, namely the ceramic and crocheted objects that the low-budget housewife buys with which to decorate her home; popular languages, like sward speak, Taglish, the young slang; popular religiosity, e.g. the Sto. Niilo, the icons hanging in jeepneys, the rites and rituals in Quiapo; food habits; disco culture.

// ALL RIGHTS RESERVED TO THE RESPECTIVE OWNERS //

----NO COPY RIGHT INFRAGMENT INTENDED-----