Gabi at Araw
1. Ang liwanag ng buhay ko
ay nanggaling sa buhay mo.
Tanglaw ka ng ligaya at pag-ibig.
2. Ang bituin sa gabi’y iyo,
‘pagkat ‘yan ay ang puso ko.
Tanawin mo’t ikaw ang s’yang nilalangit.
Gabi at araw aking aawitan
ang dakila mo’ng pagmamahal.
Gabi at araw lagi ka’ng karamay
sa lungkot at tuwa niya ring buhay.
H’wag mong tugutang tayo ay magtampuhan
ating tibayan ang pagmamahalan.
Gabi at araw, h’wag mong lilimutan,
ikaw at ako’y gabi’t araw.
About the Composer
Mike Velarde was a composer, conductor, musical director and screenwriter. His career spanned almost five decades, from 1920s to 1970s, crossing over from music to film and vice versa. A lover of jazz, he also played his own jazz arrangements on the piano.
Biography
Velarde was exposed to music at an early age when his mother taught him how to play piano and violin. He studied at the Zamboanga Normal School, where he became a member of the school orchestra. He went to Manila to take up medicine at the University of the Philippines, but later realized his passion for music. His father objected to his plans to pursue a career in music. To support his dream, he became a bus conductor.
Career
· Velarde appeared in a weekly show, Stardust Program, where he sang and played his own jazz arrangements on the piano.
· He learned the theory of harmony and composition from Antonio Molina and Ariston Avelino, and further improved his knowledge through self-study.
· He ventured into musical scores for Sampaguita Films' movie production and managed the outfit's advertising.
· During the Japanese Occupation, he worked as a musical director for Avenue Theater, where his concertized arrangements of folk songs like Planting Rice were well-received by the audience.
· Regarded as his most important works are Luksang Tagumpay (1960), which received the FAMAS Best Picture award from the Filipino Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS), and for which he wrote the story and screenplay, and Alaala Kita (1961). He won the FAMAS awards for the story of Luksang Tagumpay and for his musical direction of Alaala Kita.
· As a composer, Irving Berlin and Cole Porter first influenced Velarde. Later, he created his own style and produced songs such as Ikaw (1935), Lahat ng Araw(1939), Habang Buhay (1938), Minamahal Kita, Ikaw ay Akin (1940), and Dahil Sa Iyo' (1938).
· In 1970, he won the Best conductor award at the First International Popular Song Contest in Japan, where his composition “As Long as Forever” was the Philippine entry. In 1975 the Philippine Government Cultural Association awarded him the Cultural Achievement Award in Popular Music. He received the Gawad CCP Para Sa Sining in 1986.
Analysis
“Gabi at Araw” is one of the many “kundiman” songs composed by Miguel “Mike” Velarde. Because it is a “kundiman”, it is a “Filipino classical love song.” “Kundiman” songs are love songs about the love for the country and the love for a woman. “Gabi at Araw” is about the love for a woman. It tells us how a Filipino man loves a woman (through music).
“Gabi at Araw” is a song of a man to his beloved “sinta.” Like any other “kundiman” songs, it speaks about how a Filipino man expresses his feelings of love to a woman. The “araw” in the song refers to the woman while the “gabi” refers to the man. The first sentence “Ang liwanag ng buhay ko ay nanggaling sa buhay mo” tells us that the woman whom the man loves is the source of his strength and life. She is his inspiration and the love of his life. During “araw” there is the sun while during “gabi” there are stars and moon. Because the woman is the “araw” while the man is the “gabi”, it would also mean that the woman is the sun during the day while the man is the moon at night. The sun gives light to the moon at night. The light of the sun reflects to the moon at night which gives light to the earth. The moon has light because of the sun. Without it, moon has no light and there will be darkness at night. Without the woman in man’s life, life will be meaningless and useless. The woman in the song is man’s “everything” in his life.
“Gabi at araw” is a sweet song because of the tone it has and the words used. Another meaningful line in the song that is so striking is the line “Ang bituin sa gabi’y iyo ‘pagkat ‘yan ay ang puso ko.” It tells us that the man is giving his own heart to the woman. It would also mean that the man really loves the woman offering him his own self. The “bituin” refers to the heart of the man. The stars at night make the sky beautiful to look at. They add beauty to the sky. The sun is also a star but it refers to the woman and her heart. The sun and the other stars are far from each other but their light can still be seen from a far. The light coming from both the sun and stars refer to “love.” Their love reaches from each other wherever they will go. Space and distance cannot stop them from loving each other.
Another beautiful line in the song is “Gabi at Araw lagi ka’ng karamay sa lungkot at tuwa niya ring buhay.” It tells us that the man is telling the woman that whatever will happen to them, they will be with each other be it in times of happiness and sadness. “Gabi” and “araw” are always present. They are always part of the day. Half of this world is the “araw” while the other half is “gabi.” The one facing the sun is “araw” while the one not facing the sun is “gabi.” “Sabay sila.” There was no point in the history or in time wherein “hindi sila sabay.”
“Gabi at Araw” is a sweet love song about the love of a man to a woman. The “Gabi” refers to the man while the “Araw” refers to the woman. What it tells us about our being Filipinos is that we would express our love to a woman using sweet and poetic words. It is captured by the line “Ang liwanag ng buhay ko ay nanggaling sa buhay mo” and “Ang bituin sa gabi’y iyo ‘pagkat ‘yan ay ang puso ko.” In the line “H’wag mong tugutang tayo ay magtampuhan ating tibayan ang pagmamahalan” tells us that we Filipinos doesn’t want to have conflicts with anyone especially to our loved ones. What we just want is a good and healthy relationship with others and with those close to us (family, friends especially our “kasintahan”). “Gabi” and “Araw” are two extremes. They are extremes but each of them needs the other just like how the man needs the woman of his life.
1. Ang liwanag ng buhay ko
ay nanggaling sa buhay mo.
Tanglaw ka ng ligaya at pag-ibig.
2. Ang bituin sa gabi’y iyo,
‘pagkat ‘yan ay ang puso ko.
Tanawin mo’t ikaw ang s’yang nilalangit.
Gabi at araw aking aawitan
ang dakila mo’ng pagmamahal.
Gabi at araw lagi ka’ng karamay
sa lungkot at tuwa niya ring buhay.
H’wag mong tugutang tayo ay magtampuhan
ating tibayan ang pagmamahalan.
Gabi at araw, h’wag mong lilimutan,
ikaw at ako’y gabi’t araw.
About the Composer
Mike Velarde was a composer, conductor, musical director and screenwriter. His career spanned almost five decades, from 1920s to 1970s, crossing over from music to film and vice versa. A lover of jazz, he also played his own jazz arrangements on the piano.
Biography
Velarde was exposed to music at an early age when his mother taught him how to play piano and violin. He studied at the Zamboanga Normal School, where he became a member of the school orchestra. He went to Manila to take up medicine at the University of the Philippines, but later realized his passion for music. His father objected to his plans to pursue a career in music. To support his dream, he became a bus conductor.
Career
· Velarde appeared in a weekly show, Stardust Program, where he sang and played his own jazz arrangements on the piano.
· He learned the theory of harmony and composition from Antonio Molina and Ariston Avelino, and further improved his knowledge through self-study.
· He ventured into musical scores for Sampaguita Films' movie production and managed the outfit's advertising.
· During the Japanese Occupation, he worked as a musical director for Avenue Theater, where his concertized arrangements of folk songs like Planting Rice were well-received by the audience.
· Regarded as his most important works are Luksang Tagumpay (1960), which received the FAMAS Best Picture award from the Filipino Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS), and for which he wrote the story and screenplay, and Alaala Kita (1961). He won the FAMAS awards for the story of Luksang Tagumpay and for his musical direction of Alaala Kita.
· As a composer, Irving Berlin and Cole Porter first influenced Velarde. Later, he created his own style and produced songs such as Ikaw (1935), Lahat ng Araw(1939), Habang Buhay (1938), Minamahal Kita, Ikaw ay Akin (1940), and Dahil Sa Iyo' (1938).
· In 1970, he won the Best conductor award at the First International Popular Song Contest in Japan, where his composition “As Long as Forever” was the Philippine entry. In 1975 the Philippine Government Cultural Association awarded him the Cultural Achievement Award in Popular Music. He received the Gawad CCP Para Sa Sining in 1986.
Analysis
“Gabi at Araw” is one of the many “kundiman” songs composed by Miguel “Mike” Velarde. Because it is a “kundiman”, it is a “Filipino classical love song.” “Kundiman” songs are love songs about the love for the country and the love for a woman. “Gabi at Araw” is about the love for a woman. It tells us how a Filipino man loves a woman (through music).
“Gabi at Araw” is a song of a man to his beloved “sinta.” Like any other “kundiman” songs, it speaks about how a Filipino man expresses his feelings of love to a woman. The “araw” in the song refers to the woman while the “gabi” refers to the man. The first sentence “Ang liwanag ng buhay ko ay nanggaling sa buhay mo” tells us that the woman whom the man loves is the source of his strength and life. She is his inspiration and the love of his life. During “araw” there is the sun while during “gabi” there are stars and moon. Because the woman is the “araw” while the man is the “gabi”, it would also mean that the woman is the sun during the day while the man is the moon at night. The sun gives light to the moon at night. The light of the sun reflects to the moon at night which gives light to the earth. The moon has light because of the sun. Without it, moon has no light and there will be darkness at night. Without the woman in man’s life, life will be meaningless and useless. The woman in the song is man’s “everything” in his life.
“Gabi at araw” is a sweet song because of the tone it has and the words used. Another meaningful line in the song that is so striking is the line “Ang bituin sa gabi’y iyo ‘pagkat ‘yan ay ang puso ko.” It tells us that the man is giving his own heart to the woman. It would also mean that the man really loves the woman offering him his own self. The “bituin” refers to the heart of the man. The stars at night make the sky beautiful to look at. They add beauty to the sky. The sun is also a star but it refers to the woman and her heart. The sun and the other stars are far from each other but their light can still be seen from a far. The light coming from both the sun and stars refer to “love.” Their love reaches from each other wherever they will go. Space and distance cannot stop them from loving each other.
Another beautiful line in the song is “Gabi at Araw lagi ka’ng karamay sa lungkot at tuwa niya ring buhay.” It tells us that the man is telling the woman that whatever will happen to them, they will be with each other be it in times of happiness and sadness. “Gabi” and “araw” are always present. They are always part of the day. Half of this world is the “araw” while the other half is “gabi.” The one facing the sun is “araw” while the one not facing the sun is “gabi.” “Sabay sila.” There was no point in the history or in time wherein “hindi sila sabay.”
“Gabi at Araw” is a sweet love song about the love of a man to a woman. The “Gabi” refers to the man while the “Araw” refers to the woman. What it tells us about our being Filipinos is that we would express our love to a woman using sweet and poetic words. It is captured by the line “Ang liwanag ng buhay ko ay nanggaling sa buhay mo” and “Ang bituin sa gabi’y iyo ‘pagkat ‘yan ay ang puso ko.” In the line “H’wag mong tugutang tayo ay magtampuhan ating tibayan ang pagmamahalan” tells us that we Filipinos doesn’t want to have conflicts with anyone especially to our loved ones. What we just want is a good and healthy relationship with others and with those close to us (family, friends especially our “kasintahan”). “Gabi” and “Araw” are two extremes. They are extremes but each of them needs the other just like how the man needs the woman of his life.