Junelie Otero Barrios (born on June 12, 1968, to parents of Manobo origin),[1] professionally known as Bayang Barrios, is a Filipina folk musician, singer-songwriter, teacher, designer and peace advocate.[1] who hails from Bunawan, Agusan del Sur. Barrios, a Manobo born on June 12, 1968, which is Philippine Independence Day, was nicknamed Bayang, a name taken from the first word of the Philippine national anthem, Lupang Hinirang.[2][3]
Considered as one of the most iconic folk musicians in the Philippines,[4] she initially downplayed her ethnic origins until she met the songwriter-performer Joey Ayala and joined his band, Joey Ayala at ang Bagong Lumad. Many of her known songs, especially those recorded with Ayala, utilized Filipino indigenous instruments. Barrios has received numerous awards, including the Lorenzo Ruiz Award for Music from the Catholic Mass Media Awards in 1997 for her album Bayang Makulay, the Golden Vocalist of Asia Award at a Hanoi music festival in 1999, and the PMPC Best Alternative Album of the Year for her album Biyaya.[5]
She performed her self-written song "Malayo Man, Malapit Din" at the 2003 Metropop Song Festival, where she won the Grand Prize.[6] Some of her popular songs are "Bagong Umaga", "Pag Nananalo Ang Ginebra", and "Tadhana", the theme song for GMA Network's television series Encantadia.
Early life
Bayang Barrios, a Manobo, was born in Bunawan, Agusan del Sur.[4][7] She was given the nickname Bayang in keeping with her tribe's tradition of naming a child after the first word the mother hears during labor.[2] Born on June 12, 1968,[3]Philippine Independence Day, at exactly 7:30 a.m.,[8] Barrios got her nickname from the first word of Lupang Hinirang, the national anthem of the Philippines,[2] as government employees were heard singing it during a flag ceremony.[8]
Because of bullying and discrimination during her childhood due to her ethnicity, which caused her trauma, she initially resisted her indigenous roots but later embraced her identity when she entered the music scene.[1][8]
Barrios earned a bachelor's degree in education, majoring in catechesis.[1][8] Although she had initially planned to become a nun because of her major, she ultimately pursued a career as a teacher.[1][8]
Career
Barrios started her musical career when she met Joey Ayala in Davao before she graduated in college.[1][8] She joined Ayala's band, Joey Ayala at ang Bagong Lumad, bringing indigenous music with a modern beat and vibe to a mainstream audience.[1] She later embarked on a solo career with the release of her first single, "Ka Tribo Ko",[2] from her debut album Bayang Makulay in 1996.[9] The album received the Lorenzo Ruiz Award for Music from the Catholic Mass Media Awards in 1997, which was personally presented to her by Cardinal Jaime Sin.[1]
Her second album, Harinawa, was released in 2001 under the independent label Tao Music, co-founded by fellow Bunawan native and musician Grace Nono.[10] In 2003, she joined the Metropop Song Festival and her song entry, "Malayo Man, Malapit Din", which she wrote, won the Grand Prize.[6][11] Eventually, "Malayo Man, Malapit Din" became the opening theme song of GMA Public Affair's show Pinoy Abroad.[12] Her music combines folk and alternative influences, often telling stories rooted in folklore, personal narratives, and everyday experiences.[11] These influences reflect in her 2004 album, Alon, her the third album second indie release.[6]
Among her most notable works is "Tadhana", the theme song of GMA Network's hit television series Encantadia in 2005.[13] The original piece, composed and arranged by Allan Feliciano, had no lyrics.[13] After hearing the instrumental, Barrios improvised the chants at Feliciano's direction, feeling the music as if she were the Encantada, with the forests gone and her people violated.[13]
Also In 2005, Barrios' composition "Isipin Mo Na Lang", co-written with her husband Mike Villegas, played at the ending credits of the indie Filipino film Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros. In 2008, she released her fourth album, Biyaya, which won Best Alternative Album of the Year at the 1st PMPC Star Awards for Music.[14] This album is another indie release under Mayumi record label, named after her daughter, Mayumi.[15]
Her sixth album, Sariwang Hangin, was released in 2021 with her band Naliyagan.[20] Officially known as Bayang Barrios at ang Naliyagan,[21] the group was formed in 2016.[11] In 2023, after 35 years in the music industry, Barrios held her first solo concert at the CCP Tanghalang Ignacio B. Gimenez.[1]
Personal life
Barrios in traditional Manobo attire, 2025.
Barrios began her advocacy for defending the rights of indigenous peoples when she became a solo singer.[1] Through her music, she promotes the recognition and respect of indigenous cultures as well as the broader Filipino identity.[2]
Barrios married to Rizal Underground guitarist Mike Villegas in 2002.[4] They have a daughter, Mayumi, born in 2006, who has mild autism.[22]
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