The Philippines Arts & Music

Filipino music and art have both been influenced by the cultures that have come to this country. Indigenous music, brought to the Philippines by indigenous tribes who immigrated from Taiwan, was the first genre of music to be created there. 

Different Indigenous Music Styles

Indigenous music styles can be divided into three main categories: Southern styles, Northern styles, and other genres. Five distinct instruments, including the Agung, the kulintang, and the gangdinagan dabakanbabedil, are typically used to create the southern type of music.

Native music from the north has a style that is reminiscent of Asian gong music. Their music frequently features the unbossed gangs’ gong. The Philippines also uses instruments such as flutes, log drums, stringed instruments, and bamboo Kudyapi in addition to the tools used in the musical genres of the South and the North.

Influences on Traditional Music in the Philippines

Native Philippine music is a mash-up of the nation’s historical past, much like the country’s culture as a whole. The music that has ever been introduced to the Philippines has influenced the local traditional music, which can occasionally sound “European,” “Indian,” or even “Chinese.” Filipino music has been significantly impacted by Hispanic civilizations from Mexico and Spain.