Freddie Aguilar

Born on February 5, 1953 in Santo Tomas, Isabela in the Philippines, Freddie Aguilar moved to the old capital city, Manila as a child… started writing songs at 14… first guitar at 17… first time on stage at 20.

His Claim to Fame

It began in earnest in 1978 when the young man from Isabela entered his composition entitled Anak (child) in the First Metro Manila Popular Song Festival. The song, with its haunting melody and poignant story about a parent’s love for a wayward child, captured the imagination of the judges and became finalist from thousands on entries in spite of an essentially folk style, and thus, out of step with the strictly pop orientation of the competition. Close on the heels of the composition came a recording contract with Vicor Music Corporation, then the leading record label in the Philippines

The Anak single was an immediate smash success, gaining double platinum certification in a matter of weeks. This was followed by an album that contained both the Tagalog and the English versions of Anak but ironically, it was the Tagalog version that carried the album and brought international success. Anak climbed fast to the top ten charts in Japan and Europe; over six million copies were sold and the song went on to generate 55 conversions in 26 languages. International opportunities followed and Freddie recorded an album in Los Angeles in English. Even with its commercial success and the fact that the English version of another track off his second album entitled Buhay Nga Naman Ng Tao entitled in English as Think About The Good Times was eventually recorded by an American country music artist Lee Greenwood, Freddie was not happy with the international projects. He felt that his own songs had been abandoned with some of Los Angeles top songwriters bringing entirely different lyrics to Freddie’s songs. Freddie felt that the resulting album, while technically superior, was not really him.

Minstrel of the Masses

Freddie went back to continue his career in the Philippines with producer Jose Mari Gonzalez releasing an album in Tagalog entitled Magdalena. The album went double platinum and Freddie was back in the groove at home in the Philippines. Magdalena was released in Europe where it was charted in five countries, but Freddie hardly noticed because his country was in turmoil. On August 21, 1983, the incarcerated Philippine senator worshipped and loved by many was killed at the Manila International Airport, and everything changed, not only for Freddie but for the entire nation. Freddie Aguilar emerged as a key player in a complex political and social equation. It was at home in the Philippines that Freddie Aguilar, came of age not as an artist, but as one of the premier leaders of the country. His songs were not so much ‘social protest anthems,’ although there were some of these, as they were honest and heartfelt evocations of the lost values of the people, they were in the true sense folk songs for they established him in the truest and most meaningful sense as the voice of a nation.

Making History

Freddie’s songs, which had always probed deeply into human values, began to take on an overtly political quality. The battle lines had been drawn, and with the Philippine Society in the midst of a protracted upheaval, Freddie took a clear stand with the songs like Katarungan (justice), Pangako (promise), Luzviminda (Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, the three main islands in the Philippines,) songs that became rallying songs for the nation. More award winning albums followed and Freddie found himself increasingly identified with the political opposition to the Marcos regime. His songs were banned from the tri-media radio, television, print, but this did not hinder him. His efforts reached a stunning crescendo with Bayan Ko (my county), an old and plaintive 1933 Filipino folk song to which he added a verse that called the people to the streets in support of a peaceful democratic change. The song became the anthem of a growing revolution, the ‘People Power’ movement that swept the Marcos dictatorship from power in February, 1986. The people sang Bayan Ko in the streets all over the country, but no one could emote its meaning quite like Freddie Aguilar. ‘People Power’ won the revolution. The whole world watched as the nation headed for cataclysm with Freddie Aguilar, a singer - songwriter apolitical figure, at the center of a peaceful upheaval that caught the heart and the imagination of the world.

More Hit Songs and Movie Scores

The past behind him, Freddie Aguilar has returned to normal life as a thoughtful artist at the peak of his abilities. He has wall-to-wall collections of trophies and plaques honoring his contributions to music, everything from an Ampex Golden Reel Award (the second awarded in his country the Philippines) for excellency in recording, to Presidential citations from the past administrations (Presidents Marcos, Aquino, and Ramos). His credits also includes several multi platinum awards, including the one that launched his own record label, Aguilar Music Productions (AMP), a masterpiece album Kumusta Ka recorded in Wales. His home, office, and clubs display more than a dozen platinum awards, plus a score of gold albums. Some of them went beyond record sales and inspired other mediums.

Freddie’s music has scored and contributed theme songs to a variety of films. By the time Sariling atin achieved its multi-platinum mark, a movie based upon one of its hit singles, Estudyante Blues (Student Blues) was a smash hit at the box office and became a teenage craze as it spawned a television sitcom of the same title. Other movie theme songs borne from his album tracks include the double platinum love song Ipaglalaban Ko (I will fight for you), the socially relevant movies Sa Kuko Ng Agila (The Claw of an Eagle), and Hanggang Saan Ang Tapang Mo (How brave are you?) Freddie created theme songs for true-to-life movies such as those of the life of the infamous Commander Alibasbas and the notorious criminal Warren Balane. He has scored action films like Anak Ng Maton and entire dramas like Rubio Servios. The most exciting movie that Freddie scored was shot on location at the rebel hideout in the mountains of the Cordilleras. Night after night, he lived in a rebel camp at the edge of danger, where government troops have been known to ambush. This was also his first time to make a camera appearance (and sure enough, the real danger of mock government troops gunned him down, in the movie). These movie theme songs were gathered and eventually released in a smash hit album. There is a new version of the movie Anak with the popular Filipino actress and politician, Vilma Santos-Recto in the lead role. Still going strong in 2015, Anak is the theme song of Gangnam Blues [lit. Gangnam 1970] a South Korean noir action film written and directed by Yoo Ha, and starring Lee Min-ho and Kim Rae-won.

International Concert Tours

Freddie has gained popularity in the Middle East no doubt starting from the influx of labor forces sent there year after year. Every concert held there brought thousands of fans including the locals of Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, two were held in Israel’s Rison Lisium Amphitheater and at the Huslia Stadium in July of ’93. Ever since Anak dominated the airwaves, Japan was the first to clamor for his live performances after Tokiko Kato garnered the number one in the Japanese charts for the Japanese version Komodo (child), then Europe jumped on the bandwagon. After Italy released the Italian version Bambino, and RCA Germany followed suit with a German version. As did Spain, Portugal and France with singer Nana Mouskouri and many others. The lasting impression for his music held for decades, as proven by his concerts at the Hammersmith Odeon in London, and overwhelming success in concerts attended by predominantly European audiences from Finland, Switzerland, Sweden, France, Norway, Belgium. In another European tour which included Rome, Milan, and Geneva. At the Volkhaus in Zürich, the promoters required an additional impromptu night just to accommodate the large crowds who couldn’t fit in the venue the first night. Among his favorite concerts were those held in Seoul, Singapore, Japan, the Australian, and New Zealand tours.

The F.A.M.E. Label

More original music is scheduled for the market under the Freddie Aguilar Music Enterprise (FAME) label of fifteen years. Albums featuring songs not only of Freddie Aguilar but also of other artists are on their way. His children inherited his genes of inherent talent; his eldest daughter, Maegan Aguilar, has released three self-penned albums. His youngest son, Jeriko Aguilar, is an amazing guitarist who also composes his own music, and is also Freddie’s lead guitarist. Elder son, Jonan Aguilar, plays bass, composes his own music, and has a reputation as one the best rappers in the country. Recent additions to his label include a song he wrote for the campaign trail of the current Philippines President, Duterte Para sa Tunay na Pagbabago. An album entitled Maguindanao lamenting the story of the infamous election-related Maguindanao massacre of 58 people, and Bangon Bayan Ko inspired by the devastating typhoon Haiyan, and the Bohol earthquakes. True to his nature, Freddie dedicates all the profits of the album to victims of atrocities and calamities of yesterday, today and tomorrow.

A Legend in His Own Time

Today, Freddie Aguilar remains a perpetual artist performing his own homegrown music. He plays regularly to keep his vocals honed and likes to test out new music on the people who come hear him play at own club Ka Freddie Music Bar & Restaurant on Morato Street in Quezon City, and his club at the City State Hotel on Mabini Street in Manila. With over 40 years in the art of music, Freddie remains active within the vibrant but chaotic Philippine music industry, as he continues to touch our lives through music that emanates from his soul....