One of the most successful Filipino songs of all time, Freddie Aguilar’s “Anak” remains and continues to be played up to this time. While the song already transcends ages and generations, the song’s charm remains immortal.
Just recently, an acquaintance who traveled to Bangkok was very delighted to hear the song being played in a mall in Thailand, proof of the influence Anak has left in the global music scene.
While many, especially the “young once” are too familiar with this iconic song, we’re sure there are still things unknown to many most probably for the young ones or the millennials.
So, here are the 5 things about Anak which millennials probably don’t know yet.
1. It’s one of the most overplayed song
When you are a Pinoy traveling abroad and even in Asian countries, when local folks find out that you are a Filipino, they will either ask you to sing Anak or they will tell you how they love the song. CNN in fact cited Anak as one of the 13 most overplayed Filipino cover band songs.
Read: 13 most overplayed Filipino cover band songs
2. Anak went viral!
Yes, Anak, has been viral even before the word, as we know it, came to being. It quickly climbed the record charts in Japan and some parts of Europe. It sold six million copies and generated 55 versions in 26 languages. Proving the song to be immortal, this year the song became the theme song of the Korean film, Gangnam Blues.
3. It’s Freddie Aguilar’s story
If there’s a word for musical biography or a biography told in a song, Anak is one great example. In an interview published by The Philippine Star, Aguilar “at 18, left his school and family to the great disappointment of his father who wanted his son to be a lawyer. Freddie, instead, went meandering to far away places with only his guitar.” After five years of getting himself to vices and living on his own, he composed Anak. An act of atonement for all the mistakes he committed.
4. Anak is a lullaby
In a report, Freddie recalled asking Doming Amarillo to arrange Anak to sound like a lullaby. This is evident with the string introduction of the song. An apt intro for the first line “nung isilang ka sa mundong ito” and the picture of a mother and father alternating raising a child.
Read: Freddie Aguilar’s ‘Anak’
5. Anak didn’t win the 1977 Metro Pop Song Festival
Contrary to most hearsay, Anak was just a finalists at the 1977 Metro Pop Song Festival. It didn’t even win the second nor the third spot.
Ryan Cayabyab through Hajji Alejandro beat Freddie Aguilar and made Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika as the first winner of the first year of the songwriting competition.
But that didn’t stop the song to soar high into the charts and made history as the most successful Filipino song of all time.
Read: Still up on his toes
——————————————————-
Follow GigsManila on Facebook at GigsManila, Twitter @GigsManila and IG @GigsManilaPH
