Filipino iTunes

I don’t know when or if the Philippines will get its own iTunes Music Store, but you can actually buy songs by Filipinos from the U.S. iTMS right now. Tagalog ones too. Yes, really. I combed iTunes in search for songs by Filipinos and about Filipinos/the Philippines. The following list is what I came up with. Now I only found a few mainstream OPM* artists so if they’re what you’re looking for, it’s best to just order CDs from websites like this and this. The bulk of what I found are mostly obscure bands and singers. There is also a handful of Fil-Am pop artists, who are mostly featured in iMixes here and here. Ok, here we go (you need iTunes to access the links):

OPM
• Side A
• Chadburn
• Death Threat – Pinoy Gangsta Rap (tagalog)
• Lea Salonga appears in the following soundtracks: Mulan and Flower Drum Song

Fil-Ams (not featured in the iMixes mentioned above)
• Emm Gryner
• Moonpools & Caterpillars
• Tey Punsalan – pop singer who sings in both English and Tagalog (she’s like a Pinay Samantha Fox or something)
• Versus

Electronica, Dance & Hip-Hop
• APSCI – the Fil-Australian half of this hip-hop duo declares “I am Donna, a Filipina” in early De La Soul fashion
• DJ Jester the Filipino Fist has a track here
• e:trinity – Pinoy electronica (check out the amazing Salidumay 3.0)
• Illmind – Filipino half of a hip-hop duo
• Luzon – Pinoy electronica (also found here)

Classical, Jazz & Folk
• Angelito Agcaoili does guitar renditions of Philippine folk songs
• Manny Cabase (vocals by Amapola)
• Bobby Enriquez – the Wild Man from Mindanao
• Ilaya – folk singer based in the Bay Area
• Kasilag Guitar Quartet
• Ben Luis – misfiled under “Latin”; the only track I’d buy from his album is Kulintang, by Joachim Luis & Mitchel Yangson. The rest of the album is Quiet Storm stuff.
• Walter Sanchez – Avant-garde(?) classical

Spoken Word
• Re-evolve – Fil-ams kick the cipher

Inspirational
• Gentle Strength – Catholic inspirational album

Filipino Songs by Non-Filipinos
• Dahil Sayo – lounge version(!) by Arthur Lyman
• Waray Waray by Eartha Kitt – I just love the way she rolls her Rs (she says it’s Togalog though)

Songs about Filipinos by Non-Filipinos
• Belle of the Philippines by Ophelia Ragtime Orchestra
• Filipino Baby by Ernest Tubb
• Filipino Baby by Pearl Harbour
• Filipino Box Spring Hog by Tom Waits
• Filipino Cancer Eaters (WTHey?!!) by Index for Potential Suicide
• The Filipino Hombre by Les Paul, Quincy Jones & His Orchestra – (the “Dude” is that old??)
• Filipino Phil by Greenskeepers – “If you see him, you may think you know him”
• Fluffy Filipina Baby by Pascal Plantinga (what’s up with all these songs about babies?)
• Whiskey & Pinays (again, WTHey?!!) by Partikul

Tracks about the Philippines by Non-Filipinos
• Cebu by the Commodores – 70s era jazz fusion
• The Conquest of the Philippines from a lecture by Howard Zinn
• Elite Manila by The Smugglers
• Manila by Ciclon – song by Colombian band
• Manila by Martin Denny – vibraphone goodness, complete with exotic bird calls
• Manila by Joe Loco – latin jazz track about wanting to dance with a Filipina
• Manila by Mongo Santamaria & Poncho Sanchez – entirely different latin jazz song from the one by Joe Loco above; it says something about Filipina women being divine, precious and cariñosa.
• Manila Bay by Glik
• Manila Stylez by MB1000 (German rap)
• Manila Waltz by Broque
• Mayon, Philippines, meditation music by Sam Dickens
• Philippines / Zero Attack from the Medal of Honor: Rising Sun videogame soundtrack

Whew, there you go. I’m thinking whether to add the artists from the iMixes above. I probably will later. But in the meantime, if you find any more tracks, please let me know so I can add them here.

I’ll try to do a “Filipinos in iTunes Podcasts” post but it takes time and effort so if any of you guys are up to the task, you’re more than welcome to do it before me.

*Original Pilipino Music