A typical courtship in modern Metro Manila
might feature texting as much as any other
smartphone-loving Asian city, but its older
predecessor plays out much more like the
romantic music videos today’s youth peruse
eagerly on YouTube.
Still in practice a few generations ago, the
Filipino ritual of harana takes its rhythm from
Spanish habanera dance music, and its roots
from the traditionally restrained response of a
coy Filipina towards her beau.
In an undeniably passionate scene, a man
will ready himself and his guitar at night underWith sophisticated social proceedings typical of
subdued Filipino society, gallant gentlemen once
wooed their women with sweet songsMusic to Her Ears
TENDER MELODIES
below The haranistas
of the film Harana
(2012) recording on setright A photographic
print captioned:
Where softly sighs of
love the light guitar- a Visayan-Filipino
serenade
“We’re going to record
them and immortalise
them. So that the next
generation will realise
that there was once a time
when romance flourished
through harana”
Benito Bautista, director, HaranaPHOTO © LOURDES FIGUEROA, FOR HARANA THE MOVIE
MeMories