Anak (song)

Last updated

"Anak"
Anak single cover.jpg
Single by Freddie Aguilar
from the album Anak
A-side "Anak"
B-side "Child"
Released1978 (1978)
Recorded1977
Studio Cinema Audio
Genre Pinoy pop, folk
Length3:53 (original version)
Label Sunshine Records
RCA Records (internationally released)
Star Music (copyright owner)
Songwriter(s) Freddie Aguilar
Producer(s) Celso Llarina [1]

"Anak" (Filipino for child or more gender specific my son or my daughter) is a Tagalog song written and performed by Filipino folk-singer Freddie Aguilar. It made the finals for the inaugural 1978 Metropop Song Festival held in Manila. It became an international hit, and was translated into 27 languages. [2] The lyrics speak of Filipino family values. [3] The current copyright owner of the song is Star Music, a recording company owned and operated by the Philippine media conglomerate ABS-CBN Corporation. [4] It was produced by Celso Llarina of VST & Co. Tito Sotto was the executive producer for this song as well as its album of the same name. [5] It is the best-selling single by a Filipino artist of all time, with over 33 million copies sold worldwide. [6] [7] [8] [9]

Contents

Inspiration and composition

Freddie Aguilar left home at the age of 18 without graduating from school. His father, who had wanted him to be a lawyer, was disappointed. Freddie traveled to faraway places carrying with him only his guitar. With no one to guide and discipline him, he got into gambling. Realizing and regretting his mistakes five years later, Freddie composed "Anak", a song of remorse and apology to his parents. He went back home and asked for forgiveness from his parents, who welcomed him with open arms. After his father read the lyrics of "Anak", the two became closer. The homecoming proved timely as his father died not long after. [2] According to Felipe de Leon, Jr., an authority on Philippine music, the song was composed in a Western style but has aspects of pasyon , a form that many Filipinos can identify with. [3]

Impact

"Anak" became a finalist in the first MetroPop Song Festival. It went on to become very popular in the Philippines and eventually abroad. The song generated a hundred cover versions, was released in 56 countries and in 27 different foreign languages, and is claimed to have sold 30 million copies. [10] [11] [ better source needed ] This was unlikely, however, and only three songs have been confirmed to have sold at least 30 million copies.

An eponymous film was released in 2000, with a plot inspired by the lyrics of the song. [3]

Other recordings or versions

Media

"Anak", in both Filipino and Korean versions, was featured in the 2015 South Korean action film Gangnam Blues. [17]

Charts

Related Research Articles

Tsui is a surname. It is an alternative transcription of two Chinese surnames, namely Cuī (崔) and Xú (徐).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freddie Aguilar</span> Filipino folk singer-songwriter

Ferdinand Pascual Aguilar, better known as Freddie Aguilar, Ka Freddie Aguilar, or simply Ka Freddie, is a Filipino folk musician and singer-songwriter regarded as one of the pillars and icons of Original Pilipino Music (OPM). He is best known for his rendition of "Bayan Ko", which became the anthem of the opposition against the regime of Ferdinand Marcos during the 1986 People Power Revolution, and for his song "Anak", the best-selling Philippine music record of all time, selling 33 million copies worldwide. He is heavily associated with Pinoy rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Lam</span> Hong Kong singer-songwriter, music producer and actor

George Lam Tsz-Cheung, also known professionally by his surname Lam, is a Hong Kong-based veteran Cantopop singer, singer-songwriter, music producer and actor, with a career that has so far lasted more than four decades. Lam produces most of his own albums, writes many of his own songs, occasionally writes for other artists, and covers other people's songs. Lam has a wide vocal range and is capable of interpreting and performing many different genres of music. He is heavily involved with planning and designing his concerts and his LP/CD covers. He was the one who came up with the first Cantopop rap, "Ah Lam's Diary", and he also pioneered the stringing together of multiple hit Cantopop songs to create a 10-minute long medley which is called "10 Minutes 12 Inches". In 2019, Lam interwove his songs together to put on a musical-like concert, Lamusical.

Star Music is a record label in the Philippines owned and operated by media conglomerate ABS-CBN Corporation. It was formerly a separate company operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of ABS-CBN until 2013 when it was merged to ABS-CBN Film Productions, Inc. It is now a division of ABS-CBN Music, a division of ABS-CBN for its music. Its publishing and distribution subsidiary in the country is Star Music Publishing and has over one thousand songs in its catalog including the classic song "Anak" by Freddie Aguilar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ace Vergel</span> Filipino actor


Ace York Caesar Asturias Aguilar, better known by his stage name Ace Vergel, was a Filipino actor dubbed "The Original Bad Boy of Philippine Movies". He was the son of the late film actors Alicia Vergel and César Ramírez, and brother of actress Beverly Vergel.

Roman Tesorio Villame, better known as Yoyoy Villame, was a Filipino singer, composer, lyricist, actor, politician and comedian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zsa Zsa Padilla</span> Filipino actress and singer (born 1964)

Esperanza "Zsa Zsa" Perez Padilla is a Filipino singer, actress, television host, music producer and businesswoman.

Anak is a figure in the Hebrew Bible said to be the forefather of the Anakites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bayan Ko</span> Patriotic song of the Philippines

"Bayan Ko" is one of the most recognizable patriotic songs of the Philippines. It was written in Spanish by the revolutionary general José Alejandrino in light of the Philippine–American War and subsequent American occupation, and translated into Tagalog some three decades later by the poet José Corazón de Jesús.

George Masangkay Canseco was a Filipino composer and former politician. He composed numerous popular Filipino songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victor Wood</span> Filipino singer, actor, and politician (1946–2021)

Victor Nobleza Wood was a Filipino singer, actor and politician. His voice earned him various titles, including "Jukebox King" and "Plaka King".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charo Santos-Concio</span> Filipino television actress and film producer (born 1955)

María Rosario Navarro Santos-Concio, popularly known as Charo Santos-Concio or simply Charo Santos, is a Filipino media executive and actress. She is the host of Maalaala Mo Kaya, the longest-running television drama anthology in Asia. From 2012 to 2016, she was the chief executive officer of ABS-CBN Corporation, the largest entertainment and media conglomerate in the Philippines. Currently she serves as chief content officer and president of ABS-CBN University. Santos-Concio plays a powerful role in TV and film production in the Philippines.

The Metro Manila Popular Music Festival was launched by the Popular Music Foundation of the Philippines in 1977 and held annually from 1978 to 1985. It was "the country’s pioneering and once foremost songwriting competition," according to The Philippine Star. Its objective was to promote the advancement of Filipino music, and its chief proponents were journalist Teodoro Valencia and Imee Marcos. These festivals launched many the careers of songwriters and singers, and gave original Filipino music more than a few memorable and modern-day song classics. Among them is Freddie Aguilar.

<i>Anak</i> (film) 2000 Filipino film

The Child (Anak) is a 2000 Filipino family drama film directed by Rory Quintos starring Vilma Santos and Claudine Barretto, with Joel Torre and Baron Geisler.

Basil Salvador Valdez is a Filipino singer. He has received several Tinig Awards and the 1991 Tanglaw ng Lahi Award from Ateneo de Manila University.

Carlene Ang Aguilar-Ocampo is a Filipina actress and former beauty pageant titleholder, who was crowned Miss Philippines Earth 2001 and Binibining Pilipinas World 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Janella Salvador</span> Filipino actress, singer and model (born 1998)

Janella Maxine Desiderio Salvador is a Filipino actress and singer. Debuting in the hit morning drama Be Careful with My Heart (2012–2014), she followed with leading roles in Oh My G! (2015), Born for You (2016), So Connected (2018), The Killer Bride (2019–2020) and Darna (2022–2023) as Mars Ravelo supervillain Valentina. Her awards include three PMPC Star Awards, a FAMAS Award and Princess of Philippine Television.

Michael Yonting, more popularly known by his screen name Mitoy Yonting, is a Filipino singer, comedian, actor, and lead vocalist for The Draybers. Yonting rose to fame after winning the first season of The Voice of the Philippines in 2013.

Atin Cu Pung Singsing is a traditional Filipino folk song from Central Luzon, Philippines in Kapampangan sung by adults and children. The origin of the song is unknown, and there was a debate whether it was pre-historic or colonial. But its melody is most likely from the 18th century as it was similar to Spanish and Mexican folk songs of the era. The folk song, it presents a woman as its main character and a man as a secondary character. The woman in the song was looking for a missing ring given by her mother and offers her love as a prize for the man who could find it.

Vicente del Rosario Jr. is a Filipino businessman who co-founded the music publishing company Vicor Music in 1966 and the entertainment company Viva Communications in 1981.

References

  1. "Freddie Aguilar – Anak (1979, Vinyl)". 1979 via www.discogs.com.
  2. 1 2 Dot Ramos Balasbas-Gancayco (December 12, 2006). "Still up on his toes (an interview with Freddie Aguilar)". The Philippine Star. Archived from the original on March 10, 2012. Retrieved June 6, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 Rodell, Paul A. (2002). Culture and customs of the Philippines. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 186. ISBN   978-0-313-30415-6 . Retrieved July 3, 2009.
  4. "Star Music - About Us". abs-cbn.com.
  5. "Freddie Aguilar – Anak (1978, Vinyl)". 1978 via www.discogs.com.
  6. "Freddie gets Senate recognition for his song". www.philstar.com. April 5, 2018. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  7. Ager, Maila (March 13, 2018). "Aguilar's contributions to PH arts and culture get Senate recognition". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  8. "Philippines 10 best OPM singers and groups of all time". South China Morning Post. June 12, 2018. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  9. "Senate honors Freddie Aguilar for outstanding lifetime contributions". www.gmanetwork.com. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  10. Gil, Baby A. (March 4, 2015). "The continuing odyssey of Anak". The Philippine Star . Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  11. Magano, Louie (April 20, 2018). "FAST FACTS: Freddie Aguilar's "Anak" @40". ABS-CBNnews.com . Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  12. "Child(Anak)".
  13. "孩兒".
  14. "你的影子".
  15. "三分、七分".
  16. "徐小鳳全新歌集". Discogs . 1982.
  17. "Gangnam Blues - Tagalized Trailer". YouTube . June 11, 2015. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021.
  18. "Freddie Aguilar – Anak" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  19. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 41, 1980" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  20. "Freddie Aguilar – Anak" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  21. "Offiziellecharts.de – Freddie Aguilar – Anak" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  22. "Jaaroverzichten 1980". Ultratop. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  23. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1980". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  24. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1980". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved September 23, 2021.