Heber Gonzalez Bartolome (November 4, 1948 – November 15, 2021) was a Filipino folk and

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

singer, songwriter, composer, poet, guitarist,

bandurria The bandurria is a plucked chordophone from Spain, similar to the mandolin and bandola, primarily used in Spanish folk music, but also found in former Spanish colonies. Instrument development Prior to the 18th century, the bandurria had a round ...

player, bluesman, and painter. His music was influenced by the "stylistic tradition" of Philippine folk and religious melodies. He was the founder of Banyuhay, a "

protest band A protest song is a song that is associated with a movement for social change and hence part of the broader category of ''topical'' songs (or songs connected to current events). It may be folk, classical, or commercial in genre. Among social mov ...

" that carried the trademark sound of the '' kubing'', a native musical instrument in the Philippines. His compositions were described as a "unique synthesis of rock and blues, and Philippine ethnic rhythms". Bartolome's song "Nena" became a hit in 1977. His song "Tayo'y Mga Pinoy" ("''We're Filipinos''") was a finalist during the 1978 first

Metro Manila Popular Music Festival The Metro Manila Popular Music Festival (also known as Metropop) was launched by the Popular Music Foundation of the Philippines in 1977 and held annually from 1978 to 1985. It was "the country’s pioneering and once foremost songwriting competit ...

.Heber Gonzalez Bartolome
Cultural Heritage, globalpinoy.com

Biography

Bartolome was born in Cabanatuan City in

Nueva Ecija Nueva Ecija, officially the Province of Nueva Ecija ( tgl, Lalawigan ng Nueva Ecija , also ; ilo, Probinsia ti Nueva Ecija; pag, Luyag/Probinsia na Nueva Ecija; Kapampangan: ''Lalawigan/Probinsia ning Nueva Ecija''), is a landlocked province i ...

, Philippines to Deogracias Bartolome and Angelina Gonzalez. Deogracias Bartolome was a pastor and violin and guitar maker, and a rondalla band leader while Angelina Gonzalez was a singer in the

zarzuela () is a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates between spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating operatic and popular songs, as well as dance. The etymology of the name is uncertain, but some propose it may derive from the name of ...

. During his school days, Heber Bartolome was a member of the ROTC Band and the

University of the Philippines Concert Chorus The University of the Philippines (UP; fil, Pamantasan ng Pilipinas Unibersidad ng Pilipinas) is a state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by Republic Act No. 9500 (UP Charter of 2008) ...

. Bartolome started his professional career in music in folk houses during the late 1960s.Ramos, Neil
Heber Bartolome on the warpath against FILSCAP
, 24 February 2010, mb.com.ph In 1973, Bartolome obtained the degree in Fine Arts from the

University of the Philippines The University of the Philippines (UP; fil, Pamantasan ng Pilipinas Unibersidad ng Pilipinas) is a state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by Republic Act No. 9500 (UP Charter of 200 ...

. He was a professor of

Filipino Literature Philippine literature is literature associated with the Philippines from prehistory, through its colonial legacies, and on to the present. Pre-Hispanic Philippine literature was actually epics passed on from generation to generation, o ...

at the

De La Salle University De La Salle University ( fil, Pamantasang De La Salle or Unibersidad ng De La Salle), also referred to as DLSU, De La Salle or La Salle, is a private university, private, Catholic Church, Catholic coeducational research university run by the I ...

from 1981 to 1984. As a musician, he held performances throughout the Philippines. Abroad, he staged concerts in Australia and Europe. In 1993, he launched ''Mga Awit ni Heber'' ("''Heber's Songs''"), a collection of Bartolome's greatest songs. Apart from being a musician, Bartolome also exhibited artworks and was an active lobbyist for the rights of Filipino composers. He was the founder of the UP Astrological Society.

Career in music

Bartolome's famous songs include "Pasahero" ("''Passenger''") (1977), "Almusal" ("''Breakfast''"), "Inutil na Gising" ("''An Awake Fool''") (1985), and "Karaniwang Tao" ("''Ordinary Person''") (1985). He was the songwriter of the tune for Bulwagang Gantimpala's ''Ibong Adarna'', a 1989 musical drama with a

libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...

written by

Rene O. Villanueva Rene O. Villanueva (September 22, 1954 – December 5, 2007) was a Filipino playwright and author. He is famed for his deep involvement in theater and television and in children's literature, whether it be on television, in books or on stage. A ...

. Bartolome was a former member and trustee of the

Filipino Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, Inc. The Filipino Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, Inc. (FILSCAP), is a collecting society in the Philippines. It undertakes collective rights management for public performances and use of songs in television and radio broadcast and movie ...

(FILSCAP),PEP: FILSCAP weighs in on Heber Bartolome copyright issue
gmanews.tv, 2 March 2010. an organization in the Philippines responsible for collecting royalties for its members after holding public performances and for songs used on television and radio broadcast, movies and the like.Concepcion, Pocholo
Musicians’ group kicks out Heber Bartolome in money squabble
, ''

Philippine Daily Inquirer The ''Philippine Daily Inquirer'' (''PDI''), or simply the ''Inquirer'', is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines. Founded in 1985, it is often regarded as the Philippines' newspaper of record. The newspaper is the most awarded bro ...

'', 25 February 2010. FILSCAP's responsibility of royalty collecting extends to members of foreign affiliates such as the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (Ascap),

Broadcast Music Inc. Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) is a performance rights organization in the United States. It collects blanket license fees from businesses that use music, entitling those businesses to play or sync any songs from BMI's repertoire of over 20.6 milli ...

(BMI),

Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong The Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong Ltd.(CASH) is a copyright society in Hong Kong established in 1977 which aims to administer and enforce collectively the rights of composers and authors of musical works subsisting under the copyright l ...

(CASH), and more than fifty other organizations.

Death

Bartolome died on November 15, 2021. In a June 2021 interview, he had said that he was sick, but did not elaborate.

Discography

*''Katotohanan Lamang'' (Akasha Records, 1988)

References

External links

Official websiteHeber Bartolome
on Facebook * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bartolome, Heber 1948 births 2021 deaths 20th-century Filipino male singers De La Salle University faculty Filipino folk singers Filipino lobbyists Filipino songwriters Musicians from Nueva Ecija People from Cabanatuan University of the Philippines alumni Male songwriters