Why Filipinos love singing?
It’s fascinating and also kind of crazy. Imagine you are travelling on one of the 7107 Philippine islands and a mototaxi has dropped you off late at night at a small street crossing in the middle of the jungle. Instinctively you would walk off to look for a place to sleep, a village or at least some farmers to get further information. But there seems to be no one there. Then suddenly you hear someone singing Justin Bieber or Bryan Adams from a distance. You follow the sounds and suddenly you are standing in front of a karaoke machine on the side of the road in front of which many young people are gathering and singing. Everything else is dark.
These karaoke machines can be found on every corner in the Philippines. For 5 pesos you are in and can show your own singing talent. – But be careful, the Phillipinos take their singing very seriously. Furthermore, I personally can’t remember any Pinoy event or party without karaoke.
Filipinos love to sing and among them there are many talents.: Homegrown talents like Lea Salonga, Arnel Pineda and Jake Zyrus und stars of mixed ethnic heritage like Bruno Mars or Olivia Rodrigo. Even President Rodrigo Duterte has belted out a few songs on certain occasions. American pop songs from the 80s seem to be particularly popular. Many grow up watching talent shows, which can be found on nearly every television channel in the Philippines. Furthermore they have their own versions of popular talent shows like “The Voice,” “X-Factor” and “American Idol.” That‘ s why some people dream about becoming future singers or celebrities or even consider it as a way out of poverty.
But also in everyday life, singing seems to play a very important role in expressing joy or other emotions and is deeply rooted in various traditions. The Philippines has been influenced by numerous cultures, so it’s not surprising that melodies are diverse and unique among Asias countries. Nearly every traditional ceremony or any other Pinoy occasion involves singing. For example, the Babaylan (shaman) used chants and songs to practice healing.
Some may claim, Filipinos have better singing diction than most – or possibly one of the reasons they sing may be that they are one of the happiest people in the world and easily find contentment without the finer things in life. Go find out yourself!
