Filipino song composers

“The only person who could play music with a leaf” labeled by the Guinness Book of World Records.

He belonged to a poor family. His father works in a real estate and jewelry business while her mother is a harpist and choir member in a church.

Uses music to divert his attention from the poverty-stricken conditions of their neighborhood.

He became close with a famous gang leader, the Manila Kingpin and Hitler of Tondo: Asiong Salonga.

He attended Torres High School while being a band member and entered UP Conservatory of Music to study violin for two semesters.

is not only good with music, he was like an all-around man; he was good at other fields of expertise too.

Composition and Conducting at UP Conservatory

Commerce at Jose Rizal College (now Jose Rizal University)

Electrician course,

Arranged the Philippine National Anthem and Kataka-taka for Boston Pops Orchestra

Scored Universal Pictures’ “No Man Is An Island”

Four “Best Musical Score” FAMAS Awards

“Best Music Awards” Manila Film Festival

“Best Music Awards” Olongapo Film Festival

father taught him violin and exposed the family to rondalla regularly. He learned solfeggio and score analysis at Mapa High School where he took an active part of glee club and orchestra.

He played the trombone, tuba and E-flat horn as a member of UST Band.

He finished three courses in different fields: music, business and electronics.

is considered as the most important composer during the second golden age of Philippine Cinema in the 1980s.

Full Scholar, UST Conservatory

Master of Music, Sta. Isabel College

“Best Theme Song” FAMAS, Gawad Urian and the MMFF

UST’s Most Outstanding alumnus

National Artist for Music in 1999

He wrote songs for movies and did music scoring.

He was also a music director and a music teacher.

He was discovered by actor, former Mayor and President Joseph “Erap” Estrada which marked the beginning of his career in musical directing.

He composed film ballads and collaborated with other artists, such as Levi Celerio, to do music scores, including “Bato sa Buhangin” with the late FPJ and Vilma Santos, former actors.

did not study in music schools, nor his parents have any music background.

Liberal Arts, University of the East

Self-taught in music

He is self-taught in piano and learned to interpret, write and compose notes at an early age.

As a journalist, he realized the dangers of his job, and began writing music.

This unfortunate event in his journalism career turned him to be one of the greatest Tagalog song composers in music history.

Many Filipino singers owe much of their success to his songs: Sharon Cuneta, Regine Velasquez, Kuh Ledesma, Pilita Corrales, Zsazsa Padilla, Dulce, Martin Nievera and Basil Valdez.

He was the musical director for the movies “Burlesk Queen,” “Atsay,” “Miss X,” and “Pagputi ng Uwak, Pag-Itim ng Tagak.”

His manner of writing songs truly was a gift, as he can draw bittersweet emotions from only his imagination and experiences and play it over and over his head before making melodies on paper.

He influenced the likes of Gary Valenciano and Ogie Alcasid.