Naku... Kenkoy!
Titik: Romualdo Ramos
Musika: Nicanor Abelardo
Koro: Mary the Queen Children's Choir
Pianista: Raul Navarro
The video above was taken at the book launch for Kolonyal na Patakaran at ang Nagbabagong Kamalayang Pilipino: Musika sa Pampublikong Paaralan sa Pilipinas, 1898–1935 [Colonial Policy and the Changing Filipino Consciousness: Music in Philippine Public Schools, 1898-1935] by Raul C. Navarro.
What I really liked about the whole event was that it was "ecumenical," for lack of a better word, because the author is from the University of the Philippines and the event was held at UP's College of Music, even though the book was published by the Ateneo de Manila University Press. This was emphasized further by the college dean, a La Salle alumnus, who joked that he thought of canceling the book launch when Ateneo's basketball team beat La Salle's (for the second time this year!) the previous night.
But it wasn't really just the unusual lack of academic rivalry at the event that was impressive, it was, in the words of Maricor Baytion, director of the Ateneo Press, the "gift of music and scholarship" displayed by the author Raul Navarro, who not only played the piano for the students who performed on his birthday (!), but also wrote a book that illuminates the important role played by music in the "Americanization" of the Philippines, and the creative ways by which Filipinos resisted colonialization.
The song "Naku... Kenkoy!" is an example of the latter. Navarro writes: "Si Kenkoy ay karikatura ng mga Filipinong sa halip na magmahal sa sariling wika at ipagmalaki ito ay kabaligtaran ang kanilang nararamdaman at ginagawa" [Kenkoy is a caricature of Filipinos who instead of using and promoting their native language, feel and do the opposite]. I did not understand the lyrics while the song was being sung—through no fault of the singers—but it is helpful to read them while listening to the song:
The song "Naku... Kenkoy!" is an example of the latter. Navarro writes: "Si Kenkoy ay karikatura ng mga Filipinong sa halip na magmahal sa sariling wika at ipagmalaki ito ay kabaligtaran ang kanilang nararamdaman at ginagawa" [Kenkoy is a caricature of Filipinos who instead of using and promoting their native language, feel and do the opposite]. I did not understand the lyrics while the song was being sung—through no fault of the singers—but it is helpful to read them while listening to the song:
Kahit saan ka naroon,
Sa bayan man o nayon
Ang lagi mong kasalubong
Ay ang maharot na Kenkoy
Hayan siya umuugong,
Ang maluang na pantalon
At hayan parang ulol
Habang daa'y umuungol
Aruy! Naku! Kenkoy!
Hoy! Hey! Sh!
Pati noo'y inahit na
Kilos, lakad ay nag-iba
Habang daa'y kumakanta
Ng Ingles na walang letra
Batiin mo "Kamusta ka?"
At ang sagot tingnan mo ba
"Hey! Tagalog, mi no habla!"
Ay, naku, naku, Kenkoy!
At si Kenkoy ay popular
Sa lahat ng handaan
Ukulele'y tangan-tangan
Handa mo'y inaawitan
Hayan siya sumasayaw
Katawa'y anong gaslaw
Sumasabog and laway
Walang tigil sa pag-ungal
Aruy! Naku! Kenkoy!
