1950s – 1980sPeak: 1950s
Kundiman
About Kundiman
Kundiman is the classic Filipino art song of love and longing, a lyrical serenade tradition that flowered in the early twentieth century and became the emotional bedrock of Philippine music. Sung in Tagalog over a gentle triple meter, it turned courtship and devotion, and often veiled love of country, into high melody. Composers like Nicanor Abelardo shaped it, and singers such as Ruben Tagalog carried it through the recording era.