English-Tagalog Songs: An opinion

"Ako'y natisod, natapilok, natisod, natapilok
Di maingat sa pagmamahal
Ako'y nadulas, umikot, nadulas, umikot
Di maingat sa pagmamahal"

-Lampa

Filipinos are known for our musical talents. Thanks to Charice Pempengco & Arnel Pineda(The journey band vocalist), we have proven to the world that we are worthy of that notion. We should be thankful that there are Filipinos out there who have the guts to represent our country and show them that we have a talent despite of the corruption, poverty and other national problems that we are encountering. But, is it enough to prove that we have talent? Are we worthy of having it?.

During the last quarters to the year 2008, songs like, umbrella, low and clumsy have been popular not only to the Filipinos but worldwide. In the Philippines, we often hear it along the roadside, mobiles, radios, and even watch them on TV. But due to it's popularity, other foreign artists have done covers(versions), of the original songs. Artists who made their way to popularity through youtube such as Marie Digby, Boyce Avenue and Chris Cendana (a fellow Filipino), made their own versions of Umbrella by Rihanna. Mandy Moore, also made a cover of that song for Pepsi and can be seen/heard at yahoo! music. But, its not only the foreign artists who made covers of that song, Filipinos as well have their own versions of the popular songs. From the English laguage, Filipinos have translated the songs into our native tongue.

Payong, Low and Lampa, are examples of the popular foreign songs that are translated to Tagalog. Translated to the fact that it ruined the essence of the original songs. Some Filipinos liked it, some are annoyed and some people found it as funny. Whichever it is that we felt when we have heard the songs, it still boiled down to a single point and that is, unoriginality. We made a mistake of translating foreign songs to tagalog. Why? because, one, we have ruined the song. Two, we have immitated it, three, we have put our country into shame and four, we have lost our identiy and wasted our talents. It's as if that we don't use our head anymore. We often get ideas from other countries, adopt it and claim it as ours. It's comparable to the remakes of the"novelas" of other countries. We're making an image to our fellow countrymen and ot the world that we have lost our sense of originality and that we can't compose/ make movies/novelas, without grabbing ideas from the works of other countries.

Talent is not enough. And in this world wherein a lot of people have vast talents. Distinction is much harder. We need to stand out. We need to show how we differ from the others. We need identity. If we keep on immitating other peole's works then, how can we be known? How can we be worthy of the talents that are given to us? If we keep on immitating and getting ideas from other people, do you think we'll stand out? We'll just be compared and judged. We'll be degraded. And if translating the songs to Tagalog is not immitating, can you tell me what it is? Can you prove to me that it is ORIGINAL? Is translating a form of originality?

Perhaps translating the songs have somehow helped us. But think of the image that we are creating to the world and most especially, to the Filipinos. Aren't we ashamed of it?Maybe some people would say that what they did was not bad at all. In fact, they're entertained by it. BUT is it still appropriate that we make fun of our own talents and works? Aren't we degraded by it? Have we lost our pride or our sense of self?

If we ask ourselves, do we still have our own identity? Can we survive without the ideas of other countries? Filipinos are talented, and that is non debatable but, we're not harnessing it. We're too lazy to improve those abilities that might help our country and our economy. We're not thinking outside of the box and let ourselves get out of our comfort zones. We want instant cash up to the point wherein we're risking the quality of our products and abilities. And as a result, we end up having low class products. And that is why we are not progressing.

We cannot control the lives of the people behind it. Especially if it is the only way that they could earn money. If we really want to translate songs, we should translate the thought and not the words. That's the law of "Pagsasaling-wika". Not the words, but the thought. And maybe if they'll do that, you could somehow prove me wrong.




note: This is just an opinion. You may agree with what i have said and you may not. I don't intend to humiliate the people who excerted their efforts just to translate the songs. I'm speaking in general. And if ever i have offended anybody, well, sorry..^^,

PEACE!^^,