𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐌usic

This period marked the early rise of Manila Sound, a movement that represented original Filipino pop music.

New recording groups joined the Manila Sound bandwagon, contributing to its growing popularity. During this infancy stage, the industry was ripe for innovation. One such gimmick was adapting foreign music with original Tagalog lyrics. At the time, the Philippines was not under international copyright law, so re-recording without permission or royalties was possible.

Do you remember the lyrics "Alaala, ng tayo'y mag-sweetheart pa, namamasyal pa sa Luneta, na walang pera" or "Tag-araw, sa may dagat namasyal, at pagdilim, sa may baybay humimlay"? These were foreign tunes given new life with Tagalog lyrics, performed by Rico J Puno and Hajji Alejandro, respectively. This trend quickly caught on and was embraced by the listening public, though it was short-lived.

In 1976, the Apo Hiking Society released the hit "Mahirap Magmahal ng Syota ng Iba", Florante debuted with "Ako’y Isang Pinoy", and many other solo artists emerged. 

The Manila Sound movement continued to thrive, with numerous artists and original songs contributing to its success. If you were around in the '70s, you might recall the myriad of artists who added to the rich tapestry of Philippine pop music across genres like Pinoy Rock, Pinoy Folk, Pinoy Ethnic, Pinoy Funk, Jazz, Novelty, and Pop.

The airwaves were saturated with original Filipino music, and for the first time, Filipinos were genuinely listening to and appreciating their own.