Potenciano Gregorio

Last updated
Potenciano Gregorio
Born(1880-05-18)May 18, 1880 [1]
Lib-og, Albay, Captaincy General of the Philippines, Spanish Empire
DiedFebruary 12, 1939(1939-02-12) (aged 58)
Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, U.S.
OccupationMusician, composer
CitizenshipFlag of the Philippines.svg  Philippines

Potenciano Gregorio, often referred to as Potenciano Gregorio Sr. (May 19, 1880 - February 12, 1939) was a Bicolano musician. He was the composer of "Sarung Banggi" [2] [3] (One Evening), a waltz [4] that is the most famous song in the Bikol language.

Potenciano Gregorio was born in what was then known as the town of Lib-og (now Santo Domingo) in the province of Albay in the Philippines. His parents were Narciso Gregorio and Canuta Valladolid (some sources spell his mother's name as Balladolid). At an early age he learned to play the violin and was soon recognized for his talent. He subsequently learned to play other instruments such as the bandurria, the guitar, and piano. Later he started writing music for the local church by himself or in collaboration with his older brother Bernardo who organized the local band Banda de Lib-og. Potenciano later became the bandmaster of the same band until he joined the Philippine Constabulary Band in 1919.

Historical marker installed in 2005 Potenciano V. Gregorio Sr. historical marker.jpg
Historical marker installed in 2005

It is claimed that Potenciano Gregorio composed "Sarung Banggi" when he was 17 years old. [3] There are different versions as to how he composed this song. Hilario Balilo, the former town mayor stated that the composer wrote the music and lyrics of the song one night after hearing a bird chirping and the leaves rustling. He based this version on information he received from Justo Gregorio, a nephew of Potenciano. Resurrecion Gregorio, a grandson of Potenciano however claimed that the song was written during the 1897 eruption of Mayon volcano and initially the composer wanted to dedicate the song to his then fiancée Dominga Duran whom he later married.

Potenciano Gregorio later sold the rights to the song to Constancio de Guzman.

He also wrote other songs like "Pusong Tagub nin Sakit" and "Hinuyop-hoyop nin Dios". [5]

In 1919, he joined the Philippine Constabulary band under the tutelage of Col. Walter Loving. [3]

Potenciano Gregorio was among those invited to compete with other musicians during the Golden Gate International Exposition in 1938. However, while he was overseas, he died in 1939 of pneumonia in Honolulu. His remains were brought back to the Philippines and buried in La Loma Cemetery in Manila. [1] In 2005, his remains were exhumed and brought to his hometown of Santo Domingo where they were reinterred. He was given full military honors at the Potenciano Gregorio garden Camp General Simeon A Ola upon his remains' arrival. [6]

In 1961, a fire hit Santo Domingo which destroyed Potenciano Gregorio's ancestral home. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippine Constabulary</span> Defunct Philippine military-police force

The Philippine Constabulary was a gendarmerie-type military police force of the Philippines from 1901 to 1991, and the predecessor to the Philippine National Police. It was created by the American occupational government to replace the Spanish colonial Guardia Civil, happened on the 19th century history of the Philippines. It was the first of the four branches of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. On January 29, 1991, it was merged with the Integrated National Police to form the Philippine National Police.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albay</span> Province in Bicol, Philippines

Albay, officially the Province of Albay, is a province in the Bicol Region of the Philippines, mostly on the southeastern part of the island of Luzon. Its capital is the city of Legazpi, the regional center of the whole Bicol Region, which is located in the southern foothill of Mayon Volcano.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bicol Region</span> Administrative region of the Philippines

The Bicol Region, commonly shortened to Bicol and designated as Region V, is an administrative region of the Philippines. Also referred to as Bicolandia, it comprises six provinces, four on the Bicol Peninsula : Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, and Sorsogon, and two off the shore: Catanduanes and Masbate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camarines Sur</span> Province in Bicol, Philippines

Camarines Sur, officially the Province of Camarines Sur, is a province in the Philippines located in the Bicol Region on Luzon. Its capital is Pili and the province borders Camarines Norte and Quezon to the northwest, and Albay to the south. To the east lies the island province of Catanduanes across the Maqueda Channel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camarines Norte</span> Province in Bicol, Philippines

Camarines Norte, officially the Province of Camarines Norte, is a province in the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital is Daet. The province borders Quezon to the west, Camarines Sur to the south, and the Philippine Sea to the north. It has historically been a Bikol-speaking region. However, there has been a language shift in recent years to Tagalog, which is more commonly used nowadays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guinobatan</span> Municipality in Albay, Philippines

Guinobatan, officially the Municipality of Guinobatan, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Albay, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 85,786 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polangui</span> Municipality in Albay, Philippines

Polangui, officially the Municipality of Polangui, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Albay, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 89,176 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santo Domingo, Albay</span> Municipality in Albay, Philippines

Santo Domingo, officially the Municipality of Santo Domingo,, is a 4th class municipality in the province of Albay, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 37,765 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bombon, Camarines Sur</span> Municipality in Camarines Sur, Philippines

Bombon, officially the Municipality of Bombon, is a 4th class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 17,995 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camaligan</span> Municipality in Camarines Sur, Philippines

Camaligan, officially the Municipality of Camaligan, is a 4th class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 25,036 people. Camaligan rapidly became an urban town during the 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iriga</span> Component city in Camarines Sur, Philippines

Iriga, officially the City of Iriga, is a component city in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 114,457 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cáceres</span> Roman Catholic archdiocese in the Philippines

The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cáceres is a Latin Church archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the Philippines. It is a metropolitan see that comprises the Bicol Region, while directly overseeing the third, fourth, and fifth congressional districts of Camarines Sur, Naga City, Iriga City and the Municipality of Gainza. The archdiocese, having been founded in 1595 in Nueva Cáceres, is also considered one of the oldest dioceses in the Philippines with Cebu, Segovia and Manila, and once had jurisdiction that stretched from Samar in the south and Isabela Province in the north. The seat of the archdiocese is currently located in Naga City, also known as the Queen City of Bicol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bicolano people</span> Ethnic group of the eastern Philippines

The Bicolano people are the fourth-largest Filipino ethnolinguistic group. Their native region is commonly referred to as Bicolandia, which comprises the entirety of the Bicol Peninsula and neighboring minor islands, all in the southeast portion of Luzon. Males from the region are often referred to as Bicolano, while Bicolana may be used to refer to females.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ambos Camarines</span> Former province of the Philippines

Ambos Camarines, officially the Province of Ambos Camarines, was a historical province in the Philippines found on the northern end of the Bicol Peninsula. It now exists as two separate provinces: Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Bikol</span> Austronesian language spoken in the Philippines

Central Bikol, commonly called Bikol Naga or simply as Bikol, is an Austronesian language spoken by the Bicolanos, primarily in the Bicol Region of southern Luzon, Philippines. It is spoken in the northern and western part of Camarines Sur, second congressional district of Camarines Norte, eastern part of Albay, northeastern part of Sorsogon, San Pascual town in Masbate, and southwestern part of Catanduanes. Central Bikol speakers can be found in all provinces of Bicol and it is a majority language in Camarines Sur. The standard sprachraum form is based on the Canaman dialect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Loma Cemetery</span> Cemetery in Manila and Caloocan, Philippines

The La Loma Catholic Cemetery was opened in 1884 and is largely located in Caloocan, Metro Manila. A portion of the southern part of the cemetery is located in Manila.

The Philippine Historical Association is a professional association of historians in the Philippines and is considered one of the oldest organizations of historians in the country. It was founded on September 18, 1955 by a group of prominent historians at Carbungco Restaurant located at Lepanto St., Manila. Among the group were Encarnacion Alzona, Gabriel Fabella, Gregorio Zaide, Nicolas Zafra, Celedonio Resurreccion, Teodoro Agoncillo and Esteban de Ocampo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DLTBCo</span> Bus company in the Philippines

Del Monte Land Transport Bus Company (DLTBCo) is a provincial bus company formed as a subsidiary of Del Monte Motor Works, Incorporated. It was formed as a resurgent of Batangas Laguna Tayabas Bus Company Incorporated (BLTBCo.), one of the oldest provincial bus companies in the Philippines. It plies routes mainly to Southern Luzon provinces and other parts in Eastern Visayas region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">José María Panganiban</span> Filipino writer

Jose Ma. Panganiban y Enverga was a Filipino propagandist, linguist, and essayist. He is one of the main writers and contributors for La Solidaridad, writing under the pen names "Jomapa" and "J.M.P."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippine Constabulary Band</span> Military unit

The Philippine Constabulary Band was the principal military band of the Philippine Constabulary, and later, as the Philippine Army Orchestra, of the Army of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. Between its establishment in 1901 and dissolution during World War II, it registered a reputation for musical excellence both in the Philippines and the United States, and is credited with being the first band other than the United States Marine Band to provide the musical escort to the president of the United States during a U.S. presidential inauguration. The Philippine National Police Band from Camp Crame,considers the successor to the Philippine Constabulary Band. The Philippine Army Band considers itself as a successor too.

References

  1. 1 2 Arevalo, Gil Francis G. (September 6, 2004). "Lolo Potin and his 'Sarung Banggi'". inq7.net. Archived from the original on September 6, 2004. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  2. ↑ History from the People: Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate, and Sorsogon. National Historical Institute and Philippine National Historical Society. 1998. p. 135. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Amo, Celso T. (May 31, 2005). "Bicol sets homecoming welcome for 'Sarung Banggi' composer". Philippine Information Agency. Archived from the original on March 25, 2007. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  4. ↑ Aniceto, Ben (2007). Stay Tuned: The Golden Years of Philippine Radio : a Historical Perspective of Philippine Radio, Its Beginnings, Its Golden Years and Its Suppression in September, 1972. Rufino J. Policarpio, Jr. p. 387. ISBN   978-971-94014-0-7 . Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  5. ↑ Remoto, Danton (April 19, 2018). "ALAMIN: Mga kuwento sa likod ng awiting 'Sarung Banggi'". Balitambayan (in Tagalog). Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  6. ↑ Jaucian, Michael B. (May 20, 2005). "'Sarong Banggi' composer's remains comes home". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.