Julio Nakpil y García (22 May 1867 – 2 November 1960) was a
Filipino
Filipino may refer to:
* Something from or related to the Philippines
** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines.
** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...
musician, composer and a General during the
Philippine Revolution against
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
. He was a member of the
Katipunan
The Katipunan, officially known as the Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan or Kataastaasan Kagalang-galang na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK; en, Supreme and Honorable Association of the Children of the Nation ...
, a secret society turned revolutionary government which was formed to overthrow the Spanish government in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. His Katipunan adoptive name was ''J. Giliw'' or simply ''Giliw''. He was commissioned by
Andres Bonifacio
Andres or Andrés may refer to:
*Andres, Illinois, an unincorporated community in Will County, Illinois, US
*Andres, Pas-de-Calais, a commune in Pas-de-Calais, France
*Andres (name)
*Hurricane Andres
* "Andres" (song), a 1994 song by L7
See also ...
, President of the
Revolutionary Government, to compose a hymn which was intended to become the National Anthem of the Tagalog Republic. That hymn was entitled "''Marangal na Dalit ng Katagalugan''". Thus, to some, he is remembered as the composer of the first national anthem of the Philippines. He is also a known critic of
Emilio Aguinaldo
Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (: March 22, 1869February 6, 1964) was a Filipino revolutionary, statesman, and military leader who is the youngest president of the Philippines (1899–1901) and is recognized as the first president of the Philippine ...
.
Early life
Julio Nakpil was born on May 22, 1867, as one of the twelve children of a well-off family in
Quiapo district of
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
. His parents withdrew him from formal schooling after two years and had him look over the family stable. Julio educated himself at home and eventually learned how to play the piano as customary among the affluent families during that period.
During the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution in August 1896, Julio was appointed as General by the Katipunan Government and was the commander of the revolutionary forces in the northern Philippines under Andrés Bonifacio.
Many of Julio's compositions during this time were inspired directly by the Revolution. Julio composed "Marangal na Dalit ng Katagalugan" which was intended by Bonifacio to become the national anthem of the Philippines but was ultimately replaced for ''
Lupang Hinirang
"" ("Chosen Land"), originally titled in Spanish as "" ("Philippine National March"), and commonly and informally known by its incipit "" ("Beloved Country"), is the national anthem of the Philippines. Its music was composed in 1898 by Julián ...
'' composed by
Julián Felipe
Julián Reyes Felipe (: January 28, 1861 – October 2, 1944) was a Filipino composer of the music of the Philippine national anthem, formerly known as ''"Marcha Nacional Filipina"'', now known as " Lupang Hinirang".
Early life
Julián Feli ...
. After execution of the Bonifacio brothers, Nakpil claimed to have received threats on his own life as well as that of General
Antonio Luna
Antonio Narciso Luna de San Pedro y Novicio Ancheta (; October 29, 1866 – June 5, 1899) was a Filipino army general who fought in the Philippine–American War before his assassination in 1899.
Regarded as one of the fiercest generals of his ...
, the which latter ending up being assassinated.
Later life
After the Revolution, Nakpil fell in love with and eventually married Bonifacio's widow
Gregoria de Jesús
Gregoria de Jesús y Álvarez (9 May 1875 – 15 March 1943), also known by her nickname Oriang, was the founder and vice-president of the women's chapter of the Katipunan of the Philippines. She was also the custodian of the documents and s ...
. They moved to Manila and raised six children. Their eldest child and the only boy was
Juan Nakpil
Juan Felipe de Jesús Nakpil, KGCR (born Juan Felipe Nakpil y de Jesús; May 26, 1899 – May 7, 1986) known as Juan Nakpil, was a Filipino architect, teacher and a community leader. In 1973, he was named one of the National Artists for architec ...
who became a prominent Filipino
architect
An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
and was recognized as a National Artist for Architecture. Another child married the architect
Carlos Santos-Viola. Julio continued to compose until his death in 1960. Before his death he also contributed to a book on his life that was published by his heirs in 1964.
He became a renowned critic of
Emilio Aguinaldo
Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (: March 22, 1869February 6, 1964) was a Filipino revolutionary, statesman, and military leader who is the youngest president of the Philippines (1899–1901) and is recognized as the first president of the Philippine ...
, in his memoirs titled Apuntes Sobre la Revolución Filipina (Notes on the Philippine Revolution)
I swear before God and before History that everything related in these notes is the truth and I entreat the historian not to publish this until after my death." On page 30 of his memoirs can be found Nakpil's notes on the death of Bonifacio, and on page 130 is his account of the assassination of Antonio Luna where Nakpil wrote "When General A. Luna was dastardly assassinated by Janolino and his men on the stairs of the Convent of
Kabanatuan and already fallen on the ground, Trinidad Aguinaldo the mother of Emilio Aguinaldo looked out the window and asked: ''Ano, humihinga pa ba?'' (So, is he still breathing?)
(according to Nakpil's acoount)
On pages 157-158, Nakpil wrote of Aguinaldo,
''"Emilio Aguinaldo's surrender to the Americans was a cowardly act. There was no doubt that he coveted the presidency. He surrendered for fear that others more competent than he would occupy the post of president of the Republic.
Had he fought with his captors, regardless of whether he succumbed so that he might be considered a hero, at least to vindicate his crimes, by this time we would be admiring a monument to the second hero of the Philippines, unlike what he did delivering himself as prisoner and afterward taking an oath of allegiance to the American flag."
''
Death
He died of
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...
at his home on November 2, 1960, in
Quiapo,
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
. He was buried at
Manila North Cemetery
The Manila North Cemetery (Spanish: ''Cementerio del Norte'') is one of the oldest cemeteries in Metro Manila, Philippines. The cemetery is owned by and located in the City of Manila, the national capital, and is one of the largest in the metropo ...
in
Santa Cruz,
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
the next day.
[Julio Nakpil's Death Certificate](_blank)
/ref>
Legacy
The house where Nakpil and de Jesús lived, known as Bahay Nakpil-Bautista
The Nakpil-Bautista House ( tl, Bahay Nakpil-Bautista) is a ''bahay na bato'' ancestral home found in the district of Quiapo, Manila, the Philippines. It was built in 1914 by Arcadio Arellano. The house originally sat on two lots, having a tota ...
, still stands in Quiapo and is maintained by his heirs as a museum that also offers walking tours of Quiapo and other special events and doubles as a performance area. Bahay Nakpil-Bautista is the one of the two Spanish-style structures left standing in Bautista Street, Quiapo, Manila, the other being Casa Boix.
Compositions
References
External links
Biographical Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nakpil, Julio
People from Quiapo, Manila
Musicians from Manila
Filipino composers
People of the Philippine Revolution
1867 births
1960 deaths
Burials at the Manila North Cemetery