[Updated on September 9, 2006] Rare, long out-of-print album of Visayan songs from the Philippines. King of Tagalog Kundiman, Ruben Tagalog, and Visayan/Cebuana vocalist and composer Nora Hermosa perform 8 duets in this album with orchestral arrangments by Leopoldo Silos. With Spain's 300+ year colonization of the Philippines also came their musical influnece as shown in these 8 Visayan songs. The songs are, for the most part, ... [+]

[Updated on September 9, 2006] Rare, long out-of-print album of Visayan songs from the Philippines. King of Tagalog Kundiman, Ruben Tagalog, and Visayan/Cebuana vocalist and composer Nora Hermosa perform 8 duets in this album with orchestral arrangments by Leopoldo Silos. With Spain's 300+ year colonization of the Philippines also came their musical influnece as shown in these 8 Visayan songs. The songs are, for the most part, melancholic and speak poetically of lost loves, abandonment and broken hearts in the Cebuano Visayan language (as opposed to the oft-celebrated Filipino national language: Tagalog).

The sound quality of the mp3s is lacking. Hissing and pops and scratches are heared throughout. This was recorded from an old LP that I found on ebay. I made minimal use the audio cleaning software because I find that overuse of such software makes for audio akin to that of poorly compressed mp3s.

Those who enjoy the grandeur of the Portuguese Fado or the Spanish Flamenco may want to give these a listen. Whilst not as artistically developed as those musical styles you'll feel the innocent longing of the musical Visayan common to the Fado, Flamenco and Visayan Harana. [-]