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Filipino artistic expression + Christian faith + KBP requirement
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musically-gifted individuals = PAPURI!
The 1970’s marked the period of westernization of Philippine
music and Christianity with the proliferation of international
singing groups, English hymns and Gospel songs.
To curb the looming foreign takeover of the Philippine music
scene, the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) issued
a directive to all radio networks to air Original Pilipino music
beginning in 1977. Far East Broadcasting Company initially
complied with the KBP ruling by playing Filipino adaptations of
Gospel songs. But because of the scarcity of materials, it was
quickly axed. Evidently, something more Filipino was needed.
Enter FEBC’s Hymnody Project in 1978. With American missionary
Dr. Gordon England at the helm, it began developing music that
was truly Christian and uniquely Filipino. Together with 15
young men and women involved in the music ministry, Dr. England
started the first all-Filipino original Christian music project.
Sixteen songs were selected. Some were already known and widely
used in churches while some were freshly written.
While meditating on the first chapter of Ephesians, Mr. Efren
Pallorina, then 702 DZAS station manager, was able to coin the
name PAPURI!, the Tagalog word for praise, for the
project. He also developed the concept of three C’s of putting
the project together as a bundle—producing a cassette
album, publishing a chordbook and mounting a live
concert.
The first PAPURI! concert was held at the jampacked
Philamlife Theater on UN Avenue, Manila on October 26, 1979.
From then on, PAPURI! was positioned as FEBC’s music arm
and a handmaid of the Church on the air and in public.
Over the years, the original three Cs of PAPURI!—cassette,
chordbook, concert—have expanded to include another C,
church promotions, whose purpose is to introduce and
encourage the use of original Pilipino music in their worship,
fellowship and evangelism programs.
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Contact Us
Dan Andrew Cura
Executive Director
Larrie Ilagan
Project Coordinator
62 Karuhatan Road, 1441 Valenzuela City
FEBC Compound
Phone:(632) 292-1152 local 119
Email:
papuri@febc.org.ph
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PAPURI! takes pride in its very unique song writing
process. So unique that a term was even coined for
it—“barilan.” “Barilan,” the creative and
collaborative song writing process, can be credited
for helping many PAPURI! composers come up with
their musical masterpieces. During song writing, the
composers throw in their ideas and contribute a line
to the song (in a dugtungan fashion) for
others to critique openly. The process can be quite
intimidating but the results are definitely
rewarding.
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Did you know that
PAPURI! 3, which was launched in 1981 at the Folk
Arts Theater, holds the record for having the
biggest PAPURI! concert cast? It involved three (3)
choirs of sixteen singers each, one (1) ensemble,
seven (7) soloists, duets and trios and a 15-man
orchestra.
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Cathy Amaca was the
first PAPURI! artist to record a song sitting down.
This was for the song “Kung” (Papuri!14). She
sat down during the recording as she was due to give
birth anytime then. In fact, just a few days after
the final take ay nanganak na sya. At kung gaano
kataas ang high Ab note niya sa recording
ay ganun din kalakas ang pag-iyak ng pangalawang
anak nila ni Rene na ipinanganak noong
September 4, 1993.
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