Roman Tesorio Villame (November 18, 1932 – May 18, 2007), better known as Yoyoy Villame, 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 ...
singer, composer, lyricist, actor and comedian.
Early life
A native of
Calape, Bohol Province, Villame was the youngest of ten children of a fisherman father and fishseller mother. He started composing songs for the Boy Scouts in his elementary days. Dropping out after his second year in high school, Villame enlisted to become a soldier-trainee of the
Philippine Army
The Philippine Army (PA) ( Tagalog: ''Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas''; in literal English: ''Army of the Ground of the Philippines''; in literal Spanish: ''Ejército de la Tierra de la Filipinas'') is the main, oldest and largest branch of the ...
. Being unhappy in his post in Pampanga, he asked for a discharge after the surrender of rebel leader
Luis Taruc
Luis Mangalus Taruc (; June 21, 1913 – May 4, 2005) was a Filipino political figure and rebel during the agrarian unrest of the 1930s until the end of the Cold War. He was the leader of the Hukbalahap group (from ''Hukbong Bayan Laban sa ...
. He became a passenger jeepney driver plying the Baclaran-Pasay Taft-Santa Cruz-Dimasalang route. During the ten years of driving jeeps, he would compete in amateur nights held at Plaza Miranda in
Quiapo only to lose, reportedly due to his strong Visayan accent.
In 1965, Villame went back to Bohol to become a bus driver, where he formed a
rondalla
The rondalla is an ensemble of stringed instruments played with the plectrum or pick and generally known as plectrum instruments. It originated in Medieval Spain, especially in the ancient Crown of Aragon: Catalonia, Aragon, Murcia, and Valencia. ...
band with some fellow drivers; he sang and played the mandolin. His first recording was in 1972 and entitled "Magellan", a parody of historicism of
Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan ( or ; pt, Fernão de Magalhães, ; es, link=no, Fernando de Magallanes, ; 4 February 1480 – 27 April 1521) was a Portuguese explorer. He is best known for having planned and led the 1519 Spanish expedition to the East ...
's failed conquest of the Philippines. This became the top-selling record in the Visayas-Mindanao region. Comedian
Chiquito recognized his potential and brought Villame to Manila to be signed to Vicor Records, which re-issued most of the Kinampay catalogue. Touring Pampanga, Nueva Ecija and other parts of Luzon helped Villame establish his name in the country.
Villame was the first to brand his music as "novelty" to distinguish himself from his contemporaries, who tried hard to sound like
Perry Como
Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an Italian-American singer, actor and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, after signing ...
or
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...
. It was the beginning of a long list of albums and recordings of his politically inspired songs in Bisaya, Tagalog and English.
Career
Villame blended Filipino folk melodies, popular tunes and nursery rhymes for his music and then added witty, comedic lyrics that mixed Tagalog, Cebuano and English in a form of grammar that he concocted. He also sings about the Filipinos daily experiences such as the traffic congestion in the country in the song "Trapik". He became a national figure in 1977 with his near-anthemic "Mag-exercise Tayo", which has been adopted by government agencies and public schools as the official music for their Monday morning exercise after the flag ceremony.
His most popular song was "
Butse Kik
"Butse Kik" (also spelled as "Buchikik" or "Abuchikik" or "Butsikik") is a 1980 novelty song by Yoyoy Villame that is widely regarded as one of his hits in the Philippines, becoming a radio staple.[Chinatown
A Chinatown () is an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Austra ...]
; it borrowed from the tune of
Dee Dee Sharp
Dee Dee Sharp (born Dione LaRue; September 9, 1945, in Philadelphia) is an American R&B singer, who began her career recording as a backing vocalist in 1961.
Career
Although Sharp had been playing the piano from an early age and directed chur ...
's "Baby Cakes", a 1962 hit. The song would then be covered by a host of artists,
Aiza Seguerra
Cariza "Ice" Yamson Seguerra (born September 17, 1983), formerly and still known professionally as Aiza Seguerra, is a Filipino actor, singer-songwriter, director and guitarist. Initially coming out as a lesbian in 2007, Seguerra now identifies ...
and The Company to name a few. The Chinese community in
Cebu
Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 167 ...
felt slighted by the song but dropped plans to bring Villame to court because not a single Chinese word was included in the song.
The song was actually released by Villame earlier in his career originally under the title "Vietcong Palagdas" with the Embees and the MB Rondalla Band through Kinampay Records.
Villame wrote "Philippine Geography", which lists 77 major islands, provinces, cities, municipalities, and towns in the Philippines from north to south. He also established a love team with "Barok Labs Dabiana" and celebrated his fisherman father with "Piyesta ng Mga Isda". His song "Take It, Take It" ("Pasko ng Fiasco") took potshots at the Manila Film Festival scam in the 1990s. He made more than 25 albums and won several sales awards, among them a double platinum for his album ''Tirana My Dear'' and a platinum for ''McArthur and Dagohoy'' in 1991. He also won Best Novelty Award for "Piyesta ng mga Isda" at the 1993 Awit Awards. His long list of hits and his entertaining style of music earned him the title of 'King of Philippine Novelty Songs'.
Villame began making film in the early 1970s with the help of Chiquito. His first on-screen appearance was in ''Isla Limasawa'', where "Magellan" was used as theme song. In 2004, he played a
Visayan
Visayans (Visayan: ''mga Bisaya''; ) or Visayan people are a Philippine ethnolinguistic group or metaethnicity native to the Visayas, the southernmost islands of Luzon and a significant portion of Mindanao. When taken as a single ethnic group, ...
troubadour
A troubadour (, ; oc, trobador ) was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages (1100–1350). Since the word ''troubadour'' is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a ''trobairit ...
in the critically acclaimed film, ''Babae sa Breakwater'' ("''Woman of the Breakwater''"). In doing over 50 films, Villame is most noted for his role in the 1974
suspense thriller
Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...
''Biktima''. His song "My Country, My Philippines" was played in the opening scene of the film ''Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros'', while his songs landed in the soundtrack for the film ''Pepot Artista''.
On July 21, 1989, Villame was one of the passengers of the BAC 1-11 airplane when it overran an airport runway and crashed into a busy highway in
Las Piñas
Las Piñas, officially the City of Las Piñas ( fil, Lungsod ng Las Piñas), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 606,293 people.
Las Piñas ...
; none of the passengers perished, with Villame uninjured, but eight people who were on the highway died from the crash.
He moved to Las Piñas, where he became a city councilor for ten years.
He then ran for vice-mayor in 1995 on a platform focused against illegal drugs but lost.
Personal life
Villame lived with his wife Tessie and their six children, including singer Hannah Villame. He became a member of
Members Church of God International
Member may refer to:
* Military jury, referred to as "Members" in military jargon
* Element (mathematics), an object that belongs to a mathematical set
* In object-oriented programming, a member of a class
** Field (computer science), entries in ...
known for its TV/internet program ''
Ang Dating Daan
''Ang Dating Daan'' (English: The Old Path, Portuguese: ''O Caminho Antigo'', Spanish: ''El Camino Antiguo'') is a religious radio and television program produced by the Members Church of God International. It is primarily hosted by Brother El ...
''.
Death
Villame died of
cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. It is a medical emergency that, without immediate medical intervention, will result in sudden cardiac death within minutes. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and possib ...
on May 18, 2007.
He was buried at Calape Catholic Cemetery in
Calape
Calape, officially the Municipality of Calape ( ceb, Munisipyo sa Calape; tgl, Bayan ng Calape), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 33,079 people.
Located no ...
,
Bohol Province
Bohol (), officially the Province of Bohol ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Bohol; tl, Lalawigan ng Bohol), is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of the island itself and 75 minor surrounding islands. It ...
.
Discography
Albums
Singles
*"Paregla sa Mga Batan-on" / "Caingit Rock" (1971)
*"Gobiyerno sa Kadagatan" / "Sa Idad Pa Ako'g Sixteen" (1971)
*"Magellan" / "Dagohoy" / "Tsuper ng Jeepney" (1971)
*"Kinilaw" / "Ay Loleng" (1972)
*"Ang Perlas" (Side B, 1972)
*"I Shall Return" / "Columbus" (1972)
*"Crabs Administration" (1972)
*"Wa Na Gyud" / "Batasan Nga Bag-o" (1972)
*"Kundansoy Cha Cha" / "Day"
*"Isprakenhayt" (1973)
*"Kanser" / "Bungalow" (1977)
*"Duha" / "Boy Scout Na Ko" (1977)
*"Tarzan at Barok" / "Mag-Exercise Tayo" (1977)
*"Philippine Geography" / "Welcome Balikbayan" (1977)
*"Nasaan Ka Darling" / "Exercise Boogie" (1977)
*"Granada '78" / "Sabi Barok Lab Ko Dariana" (1978)
*"Gugmang Dinalian" (Side B; 1978)
*"Super Hopia Disco" (with
Max Surban
Max Surban (born Maximo Surban, May 15, 1939) is a Filipino singer in mainly in Cebuano language. He has been given the moniker "King of Visayan Song". Although known primarily for his singing of novelty songs, he has also recorded romantic ba ...
and
Fred Panopio
Alfredo 'Fred' Panopio (February 2, 1939 – April 22, 2010) was a Filipino singer and actor who rose to fame in the 1960s and 1970s.
He is known for having made the yodeling style of music famous in the Philippines. This particular kind of music ...
) / "Kawawa Naman Ako" (1978)
*"Bayle sa Tibuok Kalibutan" / "Pagkamingaw" (1978)
*"Mag-Flower Dance Kita" / "Gi-Indyan" (1978)
*"Rapido Rock" / "Bombero" (1980)
*"Tigmo" / "Gaksa" (1980)
*"Misteryo ni Herodes" / "Christmas ng Isang Bilanggo"
*"Aha... Hala Ka" / "Si Felimon, si Felimon" (1982)
*"Happy Birthday" (1983)
*"Sangla Lupa Punta Saudi"
*"Wooly Booly" / "Ang Classmate Kong Alien" (1989)
*"Piyesta (ng Mga Isda)" / "Tweedle Tweedle Dam" (1993)
*"Likas-Yaman" (1993)
*"Lilibee" (Side B, 1994)
*"Ring-Ting-A-Ling Ding-Dong" (Side B, 1994)
Filmography
Film
*''Isla Limasawa'' (1972)
*''Eh, Kasi Bisaya'' (1972)
*''Los Compadres'' (1973)
*''Cariñosa'' (1973)
*''Telebong, Telebong, Telebong'' (1973)
*''"Sinbad" The Tailor'' (1973)
*''Prinsipe Abante'' (1973)
*''Abogado de Campanilla'' (1973)
*''Isprakenhayt'' (1973)
*''Jack and the Magic Beans'' (1974)
*''Biktima'' (1974)
*''Batul of Mactan'' (1974)
*''Enter Garote'' (1974)
*''Pepe and Pilar'' (1975)
*''Anino sa Villa Lagrimas'' (1976)
*''Sabi Barok Lab Ko Dabiana'' (1978)
*''Ang Sisiw Ay Osang Agila'' (1979)
*''Dabiana and Barok'' (1980)
*''Barok Goes to Hong Kong'' (1984)
*''Wooly Booly: Ang Classmate Kong Alien'' (1989)
*''Tootsie Wootsie'' (1990)
*''
Titser's Enemi No. 1'' (1990)
*''Bikining Itim'' (1990)
*''Hulihin si... Nardong Toothpick'' (1990)
*''Ang Titser Kong Alien: Wooly Booly II'' (1990)
*''
Humanap Ka ng Panget
''Humanap Ka ng Panget'' () is a 1991 Filipino comedy film co-written and directed by Ben Feleo.It stars Jimmy Santos and Keempee de Leon, with rapper Andrew E. in his acting debut. It also stars Eddie Gutierrez, Carmi Martin, Gelli de Belen, ...
'' (1991)
*''Andrew Ford Medina: Huwag Kang Gamol'' (1991)
*''
Ober Da Bakod (The Movie)'' (1994)
*''
Once Upon a Time in Manila'' (1994)
*''Tunay na Magkaibigan, Walang Iwanan... Peksman'' (1994)
*''Milyonaryong Mini'' (1996)
*''Sis'' (2001)
*''Pepot Artista'' (2004)
*''
Babae sa Breakwater
''Women of Breakwater'', also known as ''Woman of Breakwater ''or ''Babae sa Breakwater ''in Tagalog is a 2003 Filipino drama film directed by Mario O'Hara and starring Katherine Luna. The film is a moving insight into the squalor and poverty of ...
'' (2004)
Television
*''T.O.D.A.S.'' (IBC 13)
*''T.O.D.A.S. Again'' (IBC 13)
*''Alabang Girls'' (TV5)
*''Toink: Hulog ng Langit'' (GMA 7)
*''D'on Po sa Amin'' (New Vision 9) - Gilbert Magaling
*''
Eat Bulaga!
''Eat Bulaga!'' (), formerly ''Eat... Bulaga!'', is a noontime Philippine television variety show broadcast by GMA Network. Produced by TAPE Inc., it is the longest running variety show in the Philippines with over 13,000 episodes. Originally ...
'' (New Vision 9, ABS-CBN, GMA 7)
*''
Bubble Gang
''Bubble Gang'' is a Philippine television sketch comedy show broadcast by GMA Network. Directed by Frasco Mortiz, it stars Michael V. It premiered on October 20, 1995 on the network's Friday night line up replacing '' Vilma''. The show is the ...
'' (GMA 7) – guest/himself
*''
Maynila
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 populated ...
'' (GMA 7)
*''
Idol Ko si Kap
''Idol Ko si Kap'' () is a Philippine television situational comedy series broadcast by GMA Network. Starring Bong Revilla, it premiered on September 17, 2000 on the network's KiliTV line up. The series concluded on September 3, 2005 with a tota ...
'' (GMA 7)
*''
Milyonaryong Mini'' (with
Max Surban
Max Surban (born Maximo Surban, May 15, 1939) is a Filipino singer in mainly in Cebuano language. He has been given the moniker "King of Visayan Song". Although known primarily for his singing of novelty songs, he has also recorded romantic ba ...
) (ABS-CBN Regional)
*''Hokus Pokus'' (GMA 7) – His last TV role
*''
Tunay na Buhay
''Tunay na Buhay'' () is a Philippine television documentary show broadcast by GMA Network, GMA News TV and GTV. Originally hosted by Rhea Santos, it premiered on January 21, 2011 replacing '' OFW Diaries'' on the network's evening line up. Th ...
'' (GMA 7) – Posthumously featured
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Villame, Yoyoy
1932 births
2007 deaths
20th-century Filipino male singers
Filipino male comedians
Filipino male film actors
Filipino singer-songwriters
Male actors from Bohol
Metro Manila city and municipal councilors
People from Las Piñas
Singers from Bohol
20th-century comedians
Vicor Music artists