he kundiman is the Philippines’ signature love song, generally expressing the forlorn lament of a faithful lover pining for his beloved. Written in triple time, and predominantly in the minor key, it is closely related in form to its predecessors: the kumintang, which is strangely enough, a war song; and the awit, direct offspring of the kumintang. Both these forms share the same rhythmic pattern and melodic inflection, which also reappear, although somewhat altered, in the kundiman.

            The origin of the term kundiman is the subject of several theories, one being that is the contraction of “kung hindi man,” literally meaning “if it were not so.” This phrase was a stock formula used in many early kundimans, which gives insight into the plaintive character of the song.

            Interestingly, the form took on a patriotic cast in the early days as a reaction to the Spanish practice of forbidding the Filipinos any display of nationalism. The result was an outpouring of feelings in song, expressing love for a woman who symbolized the Motherland. “Jocelynang Baliwag” (circa 1896), for example, was popular among the revolutionaries, and called the “kundiman of the Revolution,” because although disguised as a long song dedicated to a young beauty of Baliwag, Bulacan called Josefa (Pepita) Tiongson y Lara, it really spoke of the country they were working to free (“Happy Eden in which are enthroned/Enjoyment and sweet joy…”).

            The era of the kundiman is generally set between 1800 and 1930, in which the form underwent several distinct phases. What started as an expression of love through an extemporized text set in preexisting melodies next underwent semistylization, in which the metric pulses of Western dance forms – the danza, the waltz, the fandango – were integrated into the musical style. Then came the change from the extemporized text to literary-poetic verse forms by poets and fictionists like Jose Corazon de Jesus, who wrote the lyrics of the still-famous, patriotic “Bayan Ko” (My Country: A bird free to fly/ Weeps when caged…”), Deogracias A. Rosario and Jesus Balmori. The songs, however, continued to express unrequited and undying love, along with a resignation to heartbreak and pain.

            During the early decades of the 20^th century, in the American colonial regime, the kundiman underwent a final transformation as a result of the composers’ exposure to the academe. Formally trained musicians such as Fransisco Santiago and Nicanor Abelardo elevated it to the status of an art song. Santiago is credited with taking the simple folk song from and giving it three distinct parts. His first kundiman was “Anak Dalita” (Child of Woe) in 1917 (“I am the child of woe/burdened with tears… Let your heart fall to me/ and let fall life and hope”). Other important compositions were “Pakiusap” (Plea: ”I plead with you to take pity on me/ Even unto death, I only love once…”) and “Madaling Araw” (“Dawn”).

            Nicanor Abelardo later wrote kundimans believed to have been inspired by Santiago’s works. Among his most famous are “Mutya ng Pasig” (Muse of Pasig), “kundiman ng Luha” (kundiman of Tears: “Let fall your perfumed handkerchief/ to wipe away my heart’s tears…), and “Nasaan Ka Irog” (Where are You, My Love). It was alos at about his time that kundimans were used by sarswela composers for their plays’ love songs, a practice that would lead, in the late 1930s and after World War II, to similar use of the songs in film musicals.

            “Bituing Marikit” (Beautiful Star), for example, was composed in 1926 by Nicanor Abelardo, to lyrics by sarswela writer Servando de los Angeles. Using the rhythm of a danza, it speaks of a lover begging for a ray of light from his loved one, a distant and unreachable shining star. It was used in 1937 as the title song of a film, and is now a staple in the repertoire of Filipino singers:

                                    Bituing marikit sa gabi ng buhay
                                    Ang bawat kislap mo’y ligaya ang taglay
                                    Yaring aking palad iyong patnubayan
                                    At kahit na sinag ako’y bahaginan                                   

                                    Natanim sa puso ko yaong isang pag-ibig
                                    Na pinakasamba sa loob ng dibdib
                                    Sa iyong luningning laging nasasabik
                                    Ikaw ang pangarap, bituing marikit

                                    Lapitan mo ako, halina buitin
                                    Ating pag-isahin ang mga damdamin
                                    Ang sabik kong diwa’y huwag mong uhawin
                                    Sa batis ng iyong wagas na pag-giliw

                                    (Beautiful star in the night of life
                                    Each sparkle from you bears joy
                                    Guide my fortunes
                                    And share with me even just a ray of light       

                                    Planted in my heart is this one love
                                    Center of worship within my breast
                                    Always hungry for your light
                                    You are the dream, beautiful star

                                    Come close to me, come O star
                                    And let us make all feelings one
                                    Do not let my parched soul thirst
                                    In the waters of your pure love.)        

            In contemporary times, the term kundiman has now come to mean not only a specific music-literary form, but also a particular musical sentiment and style. This sentiment is still felt in the romantic ballads by composers such as Ernani Cuenco, Geroge Canseco, and Leopoldo Silos. Jazz musicians and composers Angel Peña, for example, is known for a modern kundiman called “Iyo Kailan Pa Man” (Yours for Always) with words by master lyricist Levi Celerio, in which the sentiments reflect the traditional longing: “…the days have gone by/ and your bow has been forgotten/ and my heart, O my love/ waits in sadness.”