By Ben Yanto

Roots of Pinoy Pop (Rock N Roll) Music

by Ben Yanto

(This article was written around June & July 2004)

Mid-50s saw the initiation and the popularization of Rock & Roll music in US being spearheaded by Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Fats Domino, Buddy Holly, Everly Brothers and many more. Many radio stations in the Philippines back then played many of the Rock & Roll tunes, particularly Elvis' songs. Elvis Presley was "the" music icon of the 1950s decade and later, became the King of Rock & Roll. Henceforth, the 50s was the period when the Rock and Roll music became widely accepted internationally.

During the late 50s, Bobby Gonzales recorded his big hit song "Hahabol-Habol" and Eddie Mesa, because of his looks and charisma, was named the Elvis Presley of the Philippines. These 2 were the popular music icons in the Philippines at that time.

During that time also in the Philippines, the establishments of "combo" (with their instruments like non-electric acoustic guitars, ukeleles, unique floor-bass made of gas tank, bongos and maracas) groupings had proliferated in Pinoy music scenes. Many combos had imitated the Elvis' Rock & Roll pop culture (such as the attire as well as the smoothly-combed, greasy hairdo). The "Battle of the Bands" then got established amongst combos in metropolitan Manila, Pasay City and as far as in Cavite areas.

Then around the early stage of the new decade of 1960, the instrumental groups from US & England such as the Ventures & the Shadows respectively became popular and hit it big in the Philippine shore. Thus, the electric instruments (such as electric and bass guitars made by Fender, Gibson and local Philippine-made electric guitars) as well as the 5-piece drum set had finally set in into the Pinoy combos or bands as the standard musical equipment.

At that time in the early 60s, Pinoy instrumental bands had also evolved and came the bands like the RJ & the Riots, the Electromaniacs, the Technicolors, the Hi-Jacks, the Deltas and the Celtics just to name a few. Henceforth, it was also when some of the Pinoy bands started to make their own music composition such tunes as RJ's Mashi-Mashi, The Electromaniacs' Lovers Guitar, the Celtics' 707 tunes and many more raw Pinoy rock music.

The British are coming.....

Then came 1963, the Beatles music were getting into the Philippine radio airwaves. The Beatles became popular first in the Philippines and in Asia before they were even made popular in US. Remember hearing Eddie Mesa & the Hi-Jacks recording of the Beatles' "I Saw Her Standing There" song being played at the radio stations in the Philippines back then?

February 1964, the Beatles finally conquered America and thus revolutionized the Rock & Roll music pop culture scene into a new level worldwide into what we called now as the pop Rock music phenomenon. Thus, the Beatles became the pop culture music icons throughout the remaining 60s decade and Beatlemania had propelled worldwide.

The "British Invasion" of the mid-60s era had catapulted many more aspiring Pinoy bands like the Moonstrucks, the Dynasouls (formerly Dynasonics), Tilt Down Men, Bits & Pieces, Downbeats and many others that followed. Those Pinoy bands then had imitated many popular British and US bands so meticulously (plakang-plaka talaga!) such as the Beatles, Dave Clark 5, the Rollingstones, Cream, the Beach Boys, the Doors, the Young Rascals, Jimi Hendrix and lots more. The addition of the portable electronic organ instrument (such as the Farfisa & Vox organs) in the band's musical accompaniment equipment had added new dimensions & sounds to the blooming Pinoy Rock & Roll music.

1963-1965 begun the new epoch in Pinoy rock music, the ever-popularization of the Beatles as well as the British Invasion had catapulted to the expansion of more Pinoy rock bands in the Philippine pop music scene.

Then came 1967, the Beatles' released the "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band" LP album and it became a smash hits internationally. The pop (rock) music had lifted to a new level, came the "psychedelia era"... long hair, hippies, peace & love theme came to the fore (remember such bands as Cream, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Janis Joplin & Holding Company, Doors, etc.). Many more Pinoy bands had also formed and added more repertoire to their music line ups.

Later on, more US pop bands had emerged such as Chicago, Santana, Blood, Sweat & Tears (BST), Tower Of Power, Sly & the Family Stones, Three Dog Night and the popularization of Motown music by the Temptations, Four Tops, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles and lots more. With horn & brass section added to the band music instrumentation (such as alto/tenor saxophone, flute, trumpet, trombone), many Pinoy bands has also adapted to such pop music explosion such bands as the Imperials, the Howlers, Drop Outs, Clubmen, the Originals, the HouseRockers and many others.

Late 60s & early 70s also saw the growing nationalism in the Philippines due to the social & political upheaval that was taking place at that time in the Philippine society as well as the anti-war sentiments. Some Pinoy bands & artists had somehow gravitated to that societal pride & identity scenes. This is the time when Pinoy bands & blooming music artists started consciously composing/recording many Pinoy pop rock music to its native tongue (that is, in Tagalog as being the Philippine national language) aside from the English tunes they had been accustomed with beforehand. Such period, saw the emergence of such bands (in which many Pinoy band players-personalities fully developed their skills & musicianship during the 60s) as the Juan de la Cruz band, Anakbayan, Banyuhay, APO and many pop bands as well as the emergence of folk-rock singers/groupings such as Freddie Aguilar, Florante, Asin and so on. Moreover, this is also the period when the OPM (Original Pilipino Music) came to be and was popularized.

Throughout the 70s, many Pinoy rock bands with its proudly-produced music got fully established and finally set in to the Philippine pop music scene. Lots of OPM were recorded and the pride of being Pilipino became the theme of such decade. In fact, this is the period when many of the Pinoy bands' recordings were imported abroad, particular in US where many Pinoys immigrants carry along with them those LP albums and also, many Filipino stores in the heavily populated Filipino communities in US had begun selling those LP or cassette records of the pop rock music of the Pinoy bands from the Philippines.

The rest is history, the PINOY pop music has finally got its recognition and became part of the Philippines music scene from there on after.

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One important & final note: In looking back to the evolution of the Rock & Roll music, many popular music icons like Elvis Presley and the Beatles were inspired by many Black music & artists such as Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Fats Domino, Robert Johnson and many other faceless Blues musicians in US of the 30s, 40s & 50s.