"Enchanting Melodies on Native Instruments" was the phrase used to introduce the Ne Pomoceno Quartet to mid-western audiences in 1917. Nowadays, those words are ironic, considering that, outside of the International Expositions, Filipinos playing in clubs and chautauquas rarely played native instruments, although they did play Philippine adaptations of European string instruments. This website is dedicated to Filipino musicians in the United States, especially those "old-timers" who performed during the early 20th century. My father was one of them: he played in a band in New Orleans and other cities during the 1930s. My grandfather and granduncle played in the Philippine Constabulary Band in international expositions. Filipinos have been entertaining audiences with their music since at least the early 20th century. Considering that "Manilla Men" first began settling in the Louisiana territory during the 18th century, it's possible that Filipino musicians have been making music in the Americas since the 19th century or earlier. My aim for this website is to post information on these little-known and under-appreciated musicians, and update as often as possible. This is a labor of love. Thanks to the "Redpath Chautauqua Collection and Traveling Culture exhibit, Special Collections, University of Iowa for making some of this material (photographs and documents about Filipino musicians in the Chautauqua) available.
If you have information or photos of Filipino musicians or bands from the early to mid-20th century (1960s) and would like it posted on this site, contact me at okir2k@gmail.com.
Friday, February 20, 2004
In 1903 a group of 98 Filipino students, or pensionados, first arrived in the United States to attend college. The 1921 promo for the Filipino Collegians proudly notes that the manager of the company, Louis Biason (violinist and tenor banjoist), studied at Crane College in Chicago and at Northwestern University. His brother, "P. Biason," was the first mandolinist, and had studied at the University of Minnesota. E. Tavora, second mandolinist, had studied at the University of California. M. Banbalan on bass guitar and mandolin studied at the University of Minnesota, and pianist "Flo" Suarez studied accounting at Northwestern. Among the pieces they played included "Schubert's Serenade," (a banjo serenade?) "Indian Love Call," "Blue Skies," and "The Philippine Overture." Apparently their summers were spent on the road, for the copy reads that they had "been in practically every state...given hundreds of concerts throughout the middlewest, and on scores of occasions have entertained in Chicago and surrounding territory. Their summer seasons have been filled with Chautauqua tours that have brought added recognition for their musical abilities." Read more of their promo here.
