Kundiman ng Lahi: From Suffering to Redemption
Films are an audiovisual media. They feature scenes that are based on our reality — for example, while there are no superheroes in real life, in films they have office jobs that make them seem like normal people to fool others and make them more relatable. But film is not just visual, but also auditory. Post-production has made enhancing the audio of the events possible. Other than the sound effects such as punches and tire screeches, there is also music being added. The creation of music for film is called film scoring. Nowadays, songs with lyrics are termed official movie soundtracks (OSTs). They are also being put in films. OSTs and the rest of film scoring add more flavor to the viewer’s listening experience, as they serve as guide to the viewer's emotional response (Black 5). While there are OSTs that are not found in the actual film, the songs are still chosen because they complement the film. They may shed light on the meaning of the movie, or they may be the theme song.
The kundiman is a song that expresses love for one’s country, but is also seen as a love song. It became an artform because of artists like Nicanor Abelardo. Some of Abelardo’s kundimans have influences in film, as they were the inspiration for some movies. One of them is his “Kundiman ng Luha,” which was the theme song of the film Kundiman ng Lahi directed by Lamberto Avellana (“Kundiman ng Luha”).
Fig. 1. Lamberto Avellana from Manny Reyes; 2011; Flickr; Web; 8 July 2017.
Kundiman ng Lahi features a woman named Isang, who was left behind when her mother died. She had to work as a house helper for her aunt, Siyanang, whom Isang's mother had debts to. She is treated like a servant. Isang’s side job was being a seamstress, but then her aunt's husband invites her to work for his friend's cabaret business, where she would be dancing with other men. Despite her uncle’s offer having a higher pay than sewing, Isang initially declines the offer. Eventually, she gives in and starts working in the cabaret. There, several men try to court her. In particular, there was a rich man who made sexual advances on her, but Isang escaped and made her way to Tonyo, her sweetheart. They lived together, away from Isang's aunt, and Tonyo gets a job in a construction site. He figures out that Isang worked in a cabaret, since she kept it a secret from him. He was initially disappointed but then his coworker convinced Tonyo of Isang's faithfulness and integrity. In the end, Siyanang reunites with the couple, who already had a baby (Kundiman ng Lahi).
Fig. 2. Isang (Charito Solis) works as a seamstress from Kundiman ng Lahi; Dir. Lamberto Avellana; Perf. Charito Solis and Eddie Rodriguez; LVN Pictures, Inc., 1959; YouTube video; YouTube; Jotiv69, 10 Oct. 2010; Web; 28 June 2017; <https://youtu.be/54yWGJZnbtU>.
Overall, the film focused on Isang’s misfortune, such as working as a servant for her aunt, being objectified by her step-uncle and the rich man, and having a feud with Tonyo. The only major part of the movie where the mood was happy was when she and her husband lived together and had a stable income. Otherwise, the plot was mainly agony for Isang. Fortunately, all her misfortune paid off, as the family and marital values Filipinos are known for resounded in the end.
Fig. 3. A portrait of Restie Umali from Christine Graza-Magboo; "Grade 10 music q3;" LinkedIn SlideShare; LinkedIn Corporation; 21 Apr. 2015; Web; 07 July 2017.
The movie scoring was done by Francisco Buencamino, Jr, and it was delivered by the LVN Symphony Orchestra, with Restie Umali as the orchestral arranger (Kundiman ng Lahi). Almost all scores in the movie used brass instruments and instances of sudden loudness during critical moments. An example of this was when Isang found out the news of her mother, and another was when she touched Tonyo while trying to make ends meet. The buildup during conflict complemented the visuals, like the moment when Tonyo found out about the rich guy that courted Isang. Moreover, the scoring showed instanced of change of mood, which was best illustrated when Tonyo and Isang lived together and then Tonyo applied for the construction job, and was eventually accepted. This featured a shift from mellow to lively.
A song was featured in the beginning of the movie, which was sung by the rural people during a celebration. While this song was not a kundiman, since there is no shift to the major key, it did help in setting the tone of the entire movie. The song could be a balitaw because it was about being hardworking in the field. Regardless, it did shed light on what Isang had to go through, as she had to work and suffer her way out of the misery:
Sa gawaing bukid, tayo'y magsipag
Sa tulong ng binhi, tayo'y uunlad
Sa tulo ng pawis ay maliligtas
Ang lahi nating tunay na naghihirap
Fig. 4. The townspeople singing what could be a baliaw from Kundiman ng Lahi; Dir. Lamberto Avellana; Perf. Charito Solis and Eddie Rodriguez; LVN Pictures, Inc., 1959; YouTube video; YouTube; Jotiv69, 10 Oct. 2010; Web; 28 June 2017; <https://youtu.be/54yWGJZnbtU>.
While Abelardo’s kundiman was the theme song, it was not used in any part of the film. Despite this, “Kundiman ng Luha” does resemble the encapsulating theme of suffering evident in the film. The kundiman has four stanzas; the first shows the singer calling out his/her lover to sympathize with and help her poor grieving soul. The second entails the situation of the one calling out, as someone who is in sorrowful tears and asking and dying for the lover’s mercy and love, while the third one includes the singer telling the lover to comfort him/her by giving a handkerchief to wipe his/her tears. Finally, the fourth one emphasizes the love between them, a bond that will last until death. Indeed, the title of the kundiman is used in the context of the lyrics, with the overall theme of weeping. Relating this context to the movie, it is more on the situation that leads to grieving, as Isang did not cry too often in the film. The only remarkable time she was crying in pain was when she was begging her husband Tonyo stay with her, despite her not admitting to him that she worked as a cabaret. This is fitting, since the two are the main couple in the movie.
Fig. 5. Tonyo (left) confronts Isang upon knowing about her cabaret job from Kundiman ng Lahi; Dir. Lamberto Avellana; Perf. Charito Solis and Eddie Rodriguez; LVN Pictures, Inc., 1959; YouTube video; YouTube; Jotiv69, 10 Oct. 2010; Web; 28 June 2017; <https://youtu.be/54yWGJZnbtU>.
Values are a fundamental aspect of culture, and to a bigger perspective, a race, as they dictate people’s motivations and actions, and that is what the movie was about, retaining the value of familial and marital ties despite difficulties brought about by unexpected events. I suppose that standing up to the country’s values is important in expressing love of country, because this is one way of uniting the people, by having same mindsets, while also being open to the challenges of life. Our values are what make us who we are and who we will be, even if this means suffering first before redemption.
Works Cited
Black, Katherine. "The Relationship between Movie Scores, Visual Stimuli, and Physiological Response."
Electronic Thesis or Dissertation. Marietta College, 2010. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Center. 30 Jun 2017.
Kundiman ng Lahi. Dir. Lamberto Avellana. Perf. Charito Solis and Eddie Rodriguez. LVN Pictures, Inc., 1959.
YouTube video. YouTube. Jotiv69, 10 Oct. 2010. Web. 28 June 2017. <https://youtu.be/54yWGJZnbtU>.
"Kundiman ng Luha." Himig. Ayala Foundation, n.d. Web. 29 June 2017. <http://www.himig.com.ph/songs/54-
kundiman-ng-luha>.