Star Spangled Banner in Tagalog

O say can you hear, the U.S. national anthem in Tagalog?

Joey Ayala wrote a Tagalog song sung to the tune of the Star Spangled Banner.

Wrote, sang, performed, and even recorded in a podcast of the San Francisco Chronicles.

The translation, however, was not true to the original lyrics of the U.S. national anthem. Naturally, some people are upset. It is, afterall, their country's anthem. Why would someone use that tune with a non-English language?

When asked if he first got permission, Joey Ayala retorted with Nagpaalam ba silang lumusob sa Pilipinas? (Did America ask permission before they invaded the Philippines?)

Since Joey Ayala uses that nationalistic angle, I wonder if he secretly feels that he probably did something that will enrage more than just a few people. Or that he probably crossed the line.

Afterall, didn't Filipinos get angry when a chocolate biscuit in Spain was called Filipino? And what happens if people, perhaps in the tradition of those two Chinese boys come up with a music video of Chinese lyrics sung to the tune of the Lupang Hinirang?

Perhaps they'll rationalize their creation with: "Why, did Joey Ayala ask permission?"

[ First posted on 05/26/2006 by Manuel Viloria ]