Freddie Aguilar

Freddie Aguilar
Aguilar in Tondo, Manila, Philippines, 1988
Background information
Birth name Ferdinand Pascual Aguilar
Also known as Ka Freddie, Abdul Farid
Born (1953-02-05) February 5, 1953
Santo Tomas, Isabela, Philippines
Genres Folk, Manila Sound, OPM
Occupation(s) Musician, songwriter
Instruments Vocals, guitar, bass guitar
Years active 1973–present
Labels Vicor Music/Sunshine, RCA
Associated acts Watawat Band
Website freddieanakaguilar.com

Ferdinand Pascual Aguilar (born February 5, 1953), better known as Freddie Aguilar or Ka Freddie Aguilar, is a folk musician from the Philippines. He is best known for his rendition of "Bayan Ko", which became the anthem for the opposition to the Marcos regime during the 1986 People Power Revolution,[1] and for his song "Anak", the best-selling Philippine music record of all time.[2] He is heavily associated with Pinoy rock.[3]

He is well known internationally, and within the Philippines and Asia-Pacific region, claiming fame as one of the best musician-songwriters of the Philippines.

Early life

Freddie Aguilar's musical beginnings started when he was young. At the age of 14, he wrote songs about his family who are now knows as the Peralta Family from Bukidnon. It was said that these people were exceedingly handsome and beautiful people that stole the hearts of many. When he was 17-years-old, Aguilar played his first guitar. By the time he was 20-years-old, Freddie Aguilar performed on stage for the first time.[4]

Freddie Aguilar studied Electrical Engineering at De Guzman Institute of Technology but did not finish the degree program. Instead he pursued music, became a street musician, and then a folk club and bar musician.[5]

At the age of 18, Aguilar parted ways with his family and quit college. After realizing and regretting his mistakes five years later, he composed the song "Anak".[6]

Influences

Freddie Aguilar's influences include British and American folk-rock stars like Cat Stevens and James Taylor.[5] He is also heavily influenced by his Filipino heritage, nationalist feelings, and tries to constitute a musical exploration of the Filipino ethos.[5]

Career

International acclaim

Freddie Aguilar's "Anak" not only broke the Philippine record charts in 1979, but it also hit the no. 1 spot in Japan and achieved considerable popularity in other countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and parts of Western Europe.[7] The song has become so famous that, by some counts, it has been recorded in as many as a hundred versions in 23 languages throughout the world.[8] Billboard reported that the song was the number two world hit of the 1980s. As of 2006, it was unsurpassed as the highest-selling record of Philippine music history.[2]

Political activism

Even before Aguilar's rendition of "Bayan Ko," Aguilar created and performed songs targeted at social injustices. His album, Magdalena included songs about a girl forced into prostitution as a result of poverty and the Christian-Muslim clashes in his song Mindanao. After the album, Freddie Aguilar also sang about the injustices suffered by the powerless, poverty, and the arrogance of superpowers in a song about the U.S. and Russia.[5]

Five years after the composition of "Anak", Freddie Aguilar joined protests against the Marcos regime and began writing and performing songs that criticized the excesses of the government.[7] Some of the songs that caused him to be banned from mainstream media include: "Kata-rungan" or "Justice" (speaking for the unjustly accused), "Pangako" ("Promise") (a leader's unfulfilled pledges to an abandoned people), and "Luzvi-minda" (an acronym for Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, calling on Filipinos to wake up to the reality of oppression). One of the songs he was most remembered for during that time was his interpretation of "Bayan Ko" ("My Country"), in which he added a verse to the original piece.[9]

"Bayan Ko" (My Country)

In 1978, Aguilar first recorded "Bayan Ko" in a patriotic effort to, in his words, "jolt back those who were starting to forget who we really are."[7] He also provided a rendition of the song as it is inspiring and gave him excitement and a surge of power.[10] The song was originally composed in 1928 by Constancio de Guzman, with lyrics by poet Jose Corazon de Jesus, during a time of struggle for Philippine independence from US occupation.[11] It emerged once again during the Marcos regime as the unofficial anthem of the emergent "people" of "People Power", the new democratic nation opposed to authoritarianism that is widely credited with the deposing of Ferdinand Marcos.[7] In 1983, the assassination of Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino triggered massive demonstrations against the Marcos dictatorship, and Aguilar's rendition of "Bayan Ko" was blared on the radio and speakers mounted on jeepneys throughout the streets of Manila and the provinces of the Philippines.[11] At the funeral of Senator Aquino, Freddie Aguilar sang "Bayan Ko" and felt that Aquino was a man of action who even gave his life for the freedom of the Philippines.[12] During the performance, Freddie Aguilar did not feel scared anymore and felt strong and confident.[10] He then decided to join the cause as well.[12] Aguilar, along with APO Hiking Society and other Pinoy pop musicians who took a stand against dictatorship, joined other protest singers in music and street performances as part of the anti-Marcos rallies.[11]

A few years later, Aguilar campaigned for the presidential candidacy of Corazon Aquino in the national election that would lead to the 1986 revolt.[7]

Aguilar mentioned in an interview with ABS-CBN News that the lyrics of the song combines the love the Filipinos have for their country, commemorate the Aquino family, and commitment to the country.[10] Even in this modern time, Filipinos will identify "Bayan Ko" as the nation's protest anthem.[11]

Present day

On January 18, 2008, Aguilar received the Asia Star Award from the Asia Model Award Festival in Korea.[13]

Aguilar still lives in the Philippines, and continues to perform. He currently has moved to his own place dubbed "Ka Freddie's". He still has a strong following in the Philippines and among many Filipinos living overseas.

On July 14, 2016, Aguilar has been appointed as one of the 15 commissioners of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). Aguilar has been advocating for the creation of a new department called "Department of Culture and Arts".[14] During the campaign and the Inauguration of president Rodrigo Duterte, Aguilar performed “Para sa Tunay na Pagbabago”, which is one of Duterte's campaign jingles to the tune of Ipaglalaban Ko.[15] Aguilar is President Duterte's favorite singer. [16]

Personal life

In 1978, he married Josephine Queipo and with her had 4 children: Maegan, Jonan, Isabella, and Jeriko.

On October 17, 2013, Aguilar openly admitted, in spite of the controversy that followed,[17] that he is in a relationship with a 16-year-old girl, with plans to marry and even have children, as his partner insisted that she is willing to have a baby.[18][19][20]

On November 22, 2013, Aguilar, under Islamic rites, married his partner in Buluan, Maguindanao.[21] Aguilar had converted to Islam six months prior to these reports, so that he could marry his then 16-year-old girlfriend.[22] His Muslim name is Abdul Farid.[23][24]

On January 3, 2018, Aguilar's residence in North Fairview, Quezon City was destroyed by a fire, which was reported to have started at his music room.[25] The fire destroyed most of Aguilar's valuables estimated at around ₱1.5 million, including his art collection, awards, musical instruments, records, and other personal memorabilia. Aguilar was at a bar along Tomas Morato Avenue during the fire. His wife, son Jonan, and mother-in-law were all inside his residence during the fire, but were able to escape unharmed with the help of their neighbors.[26]

Discography

Year Title Record label
1978 Anak Vicor Music/Sunshine
1979 Freddie Aguilar PDU
1980 Diyosa Ugat Tunog Ng Lahi/Vicor Music
1980 Freddie Aguilar (US release) RCA Records
1983 Magdalena G. Records International
1991 Kumusta Ka (AMP release)
1991 Freddie Aguilar (AMP release)
1992 Pagbabalik Himig Vicor Music
1993 Minamahal Kita Alpha Records
1994 Anak (CD re-issue) Vicor Music
1994 Diwa Ng Pasko Alpha Records
1995 Fifteen Years of Freddie Aguilar (AMP release) Aguilar Music
1995 The Best of Freddie Aguilar Alpha Records

In chronological order [date or year of release]:

  • 1978 "Anak"
  • 1976 "Alaala"
  • 1980 "Pulubi"
  • 1980 "Bulag, Pipi at Bingi"
  • 1981 "Ang Buhay Nga Naman Ng Tao"
  • 1984 "Pinoy"
  • 1978 "Bayan Ko"
  • 1983 "Magdalena"
  • 1983 "Mindanao"
  • 1986 "Katarungan"
  • 1989 "Luzviminda"
  • 1989 "Pangako"
  • 1987 "'Di Ka Nag-iisa"
  • 1985 "Mga Bata Sa Negros"
  • 1988 "Estudyante Blues"
  • 1985 "Ipaglalaban Ko"
  • 1993 "Minamahal Kita"
  • 1994 "Kumusta Ka"
  • 1994 "Pasko Ang Damdamin"
  • 1994 "Mga Pilipino Kong Mahal"
  • 1994 "Ang Bansa Kong Maligaya"

See also

References

  1. ↑ Priestess, Wife, Revolutionary: A new film documents the role of women in Philippine history Archived December 15, 2006, at the Wayback Machine.
  2. 1 2 Dot Ramos Balasbas-Gancayco (December 12, 2006). "Still up on his toes (an interview with Freddie Aguilar)". The Philippine Star. Archived from the original on March 10, 2012. Retrieved June 6, 2010.
  3. ↑ Dorian, Frederick; Simon Broughton; Mark Ellingham; James McConnachie; Richard Trillo; Orla Duane (2000). World Music: The Rough Guide. Rough Guides. p. 216. ISBN 1-85828-636-0. Retrieved 2009-07-06.
  4. ↑ The Freddie Aguilar Story
  5. 1 2 3 4 Lockard, Craig A. (1998). Dance of life: popular music and politics in Southeast Asia. University of Hawaii. p. 144. ISBN 0-8248-1918-7. Retrieved 2009-07-03.
  6. ↑ Freddie: I wrote Anak to atone my sins Philstar (10 June 2017). Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Tadiar, Neferti X. M. (2009). "Popular Laments". Cultural Studies. 23 (1): 1–26. doi:10.1080/09502380701702482.
  8. ↑ Caruncho, Eric S. (July 15, 2001), "Whose 'Anak' is it Anyway?", Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. 3
  9. ↑ Poblete, Johanna D. (August 7, 2009), "Songs of Freedom", Weekender, pp. S4/1
  10. 1 2 3 'Bayan Ko' has a long history
  11. 1 2 3 4 Maceda, Teresita Gemenez (2007). "Problematizing the popular: the dynamics of Pinoy pop(ular) music and popular protest music". Inter-Asian Cultural Studies. 8 (3): 390–413. doi:10.1080/14649370701393766.
  12. 1 2 Dancing to the Tune of the Revolution: 5 songs of EDSA
  13. ↑ GMA NEWS.TV, Iza Calzado bags Asian model award in Korea
  14. ↑ Serato, Arniel (July 15, 2016). "Freddie Aguilar appointed as new NCCA commissioner by President Rodrigo Duterte" (in Filipino). Philippine Entertainment Portal. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Freddie Aguilar at the peak of his career". GMA news. June 30, 1994. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  16. ↑ "At Duterte inauguration, Freddie Aguilar sings about 'tunay na pagbabago'". GMA News. June 30, 2016. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  17. ↑ "Twittterverse slams Freddie Aguilar for relationship with 16-year-old girl". InterAksyon. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
  18. ↑ "Freddie Aguilar ready to marry 16-year-old GF". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved 2013-10-17.
  19. ↑ "Freddie Aguilar to Marry 16-Year-Old GF who Wants to Have a Baby | Philippine News". Philnews.ph. Retrieved 2013-10-17.
  20. ↑ "60-year-old legendary singer Freddie Aguilar is helplessly in love with 16-year-old girlfriend". PEP.ph. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
  21. ↑ Diola, Camille. "Now a Muslim, Freddie Aguilar marries 16-year-old | Entertainment, News, The Philippine Star". philstar.com. Retrieved 2013-11-23.
  22. ↑ "Why Freddie, 16-year-old GF can marry as Muslims". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved 2013-11-23.
  23. ↑ "Freddie Aguilar as Abdul Farid Wedding Photos with 16-Year-Old GF | Philippine News". Philnews.ph. August 9, 2013. Retrieved 2013-11-23.
  24. ↑ "Teen explains why she married Freddie Aguilar". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved 2013-11-23.
  25. ↑ Jalea, Mary Gleefer (January 4, 2018). "Singer Freddie Aguilar loses QC home, belongings to fire". The Manila Times. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
  26. ↑ Enano, Jhesset (January 4, 2018). "Fire guts Freddie Aguilar's QC house". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
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