Visayan pop
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Visayan pop | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Vispop, Vis-pop, Bisaya pop, Bispop, V-Pop, Cebuano pop |
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | 20th century, Visayas, Philippines |
| Other topics | |
Visayan pop, better known as Vispop, usually refers to popular music in the Cebuano language. The genre has many listeners in the Visayas and parts of Mindanao in which Cebuano is spoken. It is characterized by simple melodies and lyrics that reflect Visayan culture. A November 2022 study by Mesiona et al. identified the influence of traditional Cebuano literary forms such as the balak (spoken poetry, often used in courtship) upon Vispop songs.
In the early 20th century, the popularity of zarzuelas in Cebu led to the increased production of Cebuano music. Modern Cebuano music flourished until the 1970s to 1980s. From the 1980s to 1990s, Cebuano interest in local music waned. BisRock bands briefly revived Cebuano-language music in the 2000s. In the 2010s, the launch of the Visayan Pop Songwriting Campaign steered modern Cebuano music towards a contemporary pop sound, influenced by reggae and rock. Various Vispop songs written partially in Cebuano and partially in other languages, primarily English and Tagalog, achieved mainstream success in the 2020s.
The term "Vispop" is derived from Visayan pop or Visayan popular music.[1][2] Lorenzo "Insoy" Niñal, a member of the Visayan Pop Songwriting Campaign committee, said in 2019, "We have different languages in the Visayas. We accept that. We are sensitive to nuances, that's why it is [called] Bisaya, not Cebuano pop."[3] However, various sources still use the term Vispop in reference to popular music written specifically in Cebuano.[a]
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Many artists and songs from the Mindanao region are associated with Vispop, due to their use of Cebuano. Examples include the band Oh! Caraga, whose members hail from Caraga,[7] as well as Maris Racal,[8] KZ Tandingan,[2] Alas Alvarez (also a member of Alamat),[6] and J Florence,[9] who are all from Davao. Writing for Nusasonic,[b] Dominic Zinampan noted that "most" budots songs were written in Cebuano, although the musical style originated in Davao. He explained that its history was "deeply rooted in Bisaya culture".[11] In an article published on February 18, 2025, The Philippine Daily Inquirer's Gabriel Pabico Lalu identified budots as a "Visayan pop dance craze".[12]
In the late 2010s, distinct pop music movements emerged in Iloilo and Mindanao. The former was called Ilonggo Pop and focused on songs written in the Hiligaynon language.[13] The latter, called Mindanao Pop or Minpop, aimed to "hyper-localize" pop songs to Mindanao, although some Minpop songs still feature Cebuano lyrics.[14] Founders of both movements have acknowledged Vispop as their inspiration.[13][14]
Characteristics
Musical styles
In an interview with Kara Angan of Billboard Philippines, Boholano singer-songwriter Joseph Gara identified a "distinct Bisaya melody" common to Vispop songs. He said that the melody was simple and did not have many complicated elements. He attributed it to the loose structure of traditional Cebuano songs from which the genre evolved, noting that such songs lacked the rigid song structures of Western music.[15]
Ruben Almendras of The Freeman described Cebuano musicality as "a mixture of Asian, Spanish and Chinese influences".[16] Jude Gitamondoc, the founder of Visayan Pop Songwriting Campaign, told Angan in a separate interview that the contest's vision was to promote "more contemporary trends of pop music" in the Visayas, combining them with genres that previously flourished in the region such as reggae and rock.[17]
Lyrical content
In an analysis of Vispop artist Therese Villarante-Langit's music, Mesiona et al. linked her songwriting style to Cebuano traditional literary forms such as balak (spoken poetry, often used in courtship) and balitao (love debate between man and woman). They noted that the influence of these literary forms helps Cebuano speakers "celebrate individuality via literature and music".[19] Likewise, a Rappler article by Angan notes that the songs feature the "poetic side" of the language, as opposed to everyday conversational Cebuano. This echoes a sentiment expressed by singer Morissette Amon in the interview, who is quoted as saying, "[Even though] I have been speaking the language, it's really different when it's singing." She described the words in Vispop songs as "laum" (deep).[20]
In a feature about "Day and Night" by Alamat, a song prominently featuring Cebuano lyrics, Acer Batislaong of Nylon Manila wrote that the Cebuano language adds "an extra touch of romance and allure" to music.[21] Elfa et al. identified romance, family, work, and appreciation for one's own city as common themes in Vispop, adding that themes of self-love are also common in songs by women. They explained that the songs use sound symbolism to convey meanings even to individuals who do not understand Cebuano. The study concluded that the genre offers listeners an idea of what topics Visayans find important, reflecting Visayan culture and identity.[22]
A study published in December 2023 found that Cebuano lyrics in Vispop songs avoided using noun-forming suffixes, favoring noun-forming prefixes, although both inflectional morphemes exist in Cebuano. Cebuano lyrics in Vispop songs also avoided using adverb-forming affixes and negative affixes, but used verb-forming suffixes. Again, all of these morphemes exist in the language itself.[23] Vispop songs often use a mix of Cebuano and other languages, mainly English and sometimes Tagalog.[6] In 2021, Maris Racal attributed her mixing of Cebuano lyrics with Tagalog to her fear that "not everyone would understand it" if she wrote a song exclusively in Cebuano.[24] On the other hand, singer-songwriter Shoti, who is known for mixing Cebuano and English in his discography, said that he simply wants his songs to stand out from music that is wholly in either language.[25] In an article published on March 19, 2025, Positively Filipino writer Julienne Loreto said that Vispop remained "a great vehicle for Visayan self-expression" despite its use of Western musical styles and English lyrics.[6]
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