"Dahil Sa Iyo" is a song by Mike Velarde, Jr., written in 1938 for the movie, ''

Bituing Marikit ''Bituing Marikit'' is the first full-length film produced by Sampaguita Pictures, released in 1937. It starred Elsa Oria and Rogelio de la Rosa. Cast *Rogelio de la Rosa *Juancho Gutierrez *Daisy Romualdez *Elsa Oria *Sylvia La Torre ...

'' and sung by

Rogelio de la Rosa Regidor Lim de la Rosa"Filipinos in History Vol. 3", page 75. (November 12, 1916 – November 26, 1986), professionally known as Rogelio de la Rosa, was one of the most popular Filipino matinee idols of the 20th century.Garcia, J., ''A Movie Q ...

. A version with English-Tagalog lyrics, recorded in 1964, was a hit in the United States and continues to be popular in Filipino communities on American soil. One of the most popular examples of the

kundiman Kundiman is a genre of traditional Filipino love songs. The lyrics of the kundiman are written in Tagalog. The melody is characterized by a smooth, flowing and gentle rhythm with dramatic intervals. Kundiman was the traditional means of sere ...

genre, this "classic Filipino love song" with original Tagalog lyrics has been translated into different languages. The languages it was translated in include English, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, and other local languages of the Philippines. Representing an earlier era remembered in nostalgia, it is one of the most popular songs in Tagalog, and a favorite in the Philippines as well as among Filipino communities in

Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...

, on the American West Coast, and in places like

Virginia Beach, Virginia Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous city ...

. Its popularity in the Philippines is such that some think it ought to replace the current

national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European n ...

, and that it be played if former American president

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

had made a state visit to the Philippines. It has been covered many times and is a standard on the repertoire of many artists performing Filipino romantic and popular music. The song's canonical status as a classic Filipino love song was again confirmed by its inclusion on the 2004 hit compilation album ''Great Filipino Love Songs''. The song is a personal favourite of former

First Lady First lady is an unofficial title usually used for the wife, and occasionally used for the daughter or other female relative, of a non-monarchical A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state fo ...

Imelda Marcos Imelda Romualdez Marcos (; born Imelda Remedios Visitacion Trinidad Romualdez; July 2, 1929) is a Filipino politician who served as the First Lady of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986, wielding significant political power during the dictator ...

, wife of

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Ferdinand Marcos Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. ( , , ; September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, dictator, and kleptocrat who was the 10th president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martial ...

. She would sing it frequently: as a duet with her husband in public gatherings, during her 1992 presidential bid, and performed it as late as July 2000 to wounded soldiers in the

Armed Forces of the Philippines The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) ( fil, Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas) are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy (including the Marine Corps). The P ...

Medical Center in

Quezon City Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...

. In 2008, the song was still associated with her in Manila: "Suddenly, the heads of Peninsula Hotel lobby guests swiveled. Imelda Marcos had walked in. Without missing a beat, hotel musicians struck up 'Dahil sa Iyo.'" The song is known in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

because of the Filipino-English lyrics by Tom Spinosa (original lyrics by Dominador Santiago) and Mike Velarde Jr. It was recorded by Cora and Santos Beloy, and released in 1964 by Tri-World Records. This rendition of the song has a 1964 copyright owned by Dexter Music Co. The original composer, Mike Velarde, Jr., said: "Sometime in 1960 a famous US singer who made a personal appearance in Manila presented me a contract seeking authority to record 'Dahil Sa Iyo' in the States. The five figure offer was fabulous but I turned it down - simply because she wanted to change the title to an American title. I couldn't, and wouldn't sell the identity we are trying hard to establish. The merits of the song is its identity.'" This song was famously performed by

Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's music career began after he dropped out of school at the age of 15, and continued f ...

at the

Araneta Coliseum The Araneta Coliseum, also currently known by naming rights sponsorship as Smart Araneta Coliseum, is an indoor multi-purpose sports arena that is part of the Araneta City in the Cubao area of Quezon City, Philippines. Nicknamed as "the Big Dom ...

(now SMART Araneta Coliseum) in

in 1961. This was also sung by

Jerry Vale Jerry Vale (born Gennaro Louis Vitaliano; July 8, 1930 – May 18, 2014) was an American singer, songwriter and actor. During the 1950s and 1960s, he reached the top of the pop charts with his interpretations of romantic ballads, including a cover ...

with English title "Your Love Is Mine" (Eng. lyrics by Sonny Burke) on his album ''The Language of Love'' on Columbia Records, released in 1963. The late Malaysian pop singer Surdiman Arshad also sang his few lines sample version during the closing ceremonies in the 15th South East Asian Games 1989 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and also 1 year before Manila Philippines hosted the SEA Games in 1991.

References

External links

* sung by the

Mabuhay Singers The Mabuhay Singers were a group of singers from the Philippines that was formed in 1958. Some of the members went on to become soloists like Cely Bautista, Raye Lucero, Naning Alba, and the late Rene Evangelista, among many others. The group ...

. * words and music by Tom Spinosa and Mike Velarde Jr. * sung by PINAY at Xubee Studios. {{authority control 1938 songs 1964 songs Tagalog-language songs