Asian Geographic - April 2018

DATA SOURCES: FILIPINOS TODAY, JUSTIN CABALES, RABINDRANATH POLITO, INQUIRER,
FLORENTINE AGUILAR, ASIAN JOURNAL USA, PHILIPPINE ENTERTAINMENT PORTAL

PHOTO © C.L. WASSON

the bedroom window of the woman he desires,

accompanied by a number of friends and

professional musicians, called harananistas,

for support. Using a customary set of songs,

the troubadour then serenades his ladylove for

the entire neighbourhood to hear, bolstered

by his entourage.

The lyrics of typical harana songs use

archaic Tagalog. Beginning with a gentle

strumming of the guitar as a prelude to the

oncoming nocturne, the man addresses the

woman directly. Through his impassioned

tunes, he may ask her if she is asleep, or appeal

for her to look out of the window.

Should the window stay shut, the rejected

suitor will leave, but if the object of his

affections shows herself and listens to the

ballad, she may either respond with a few lines

of her own, or invite him into the house, where

he then presents gifts to the family as a symbol

of his matrimonial intentions. Despite his

success, the suitor has yet to seal the deal –

it is not uncommon to require several rounds

1500s

or before

Mindanao locals

use kapanirong

serenades as a way

for men and women

to get introduced

1600s

Under Spanish rule, the

guitar is introduced to

the Philippines. Harana

songs develop from

Spanish-Mexican music

and indigenous music

1800s

Harana rituals reach

peak popularity and use

in Filipino society

1898

Western notions of

romance become

popular. Harana is

now practised mostly

in rural villages of

remote provinces

1970

Harana traditions

have all but faded with

modern courtship

harana history

of harana to prove a supplicant’s persistence

to a discerning recipient.

Another occasion for the ritual is when

women from other villages or cities visit,

and men organise a harana session to catch

a glimpse of the new arrivals and introduce

themselves with chaste formality.

This vanishing “serenade of fervent love,

tongue-tied of naivety”, as described in the

poem Hoy, Pinoy, Bangon Na! (Hey, Filipino,

Rise Up!) by Filipino poet and novelist

Gumercindo Rafanan has been immortalised

in its namesake, award-winning film Harana

(2012), which garnered critical acclaim in the

international film festival circuit. Based on the

experiences of its Filipino director and cast,

including acclaimed musician Florante Aguilar

and septuagenarian harananistas Celestino

Aniel, Romeo Bergunio and Felipe Alonzo,

the meta-cinema piece asks society the same

question it does of its protagonist: Will

harana vanish into tomorrow’s woefully

silent night? ag

song sets

Set 1: Arrival

Songs announce the

suitor’s presence

Set 2: Courting

Songs declare

admiration for

the woman

Set 3: Response

The woman sings

back lines imbibed

with meaning: either

reciprocity, uncertainty

or disinterest

Set 4: Reaction

If rejected, the

suitor’s songs are

about heartbreak

Set 5: Departure

Songs bid farewell,

showing how unwilling

the suitor is to leave

Traditional harana

sessions follow a

structured protocol

consisting of five

stages. Each stage

has a designated

set of songs