With the influence of Western worship music, Filipino church leaders have been trying to balance the popular hits coming from the US-dominated worship music industry with local music and worship songs in their native tongue.
“We’ve had weeks when a team lined up a bunch of songs by Hillsong and Planetshakers,” said Arnel Cadeliña, leader of the Faith in Jesus (FIJ) City Church in Manila. “If we don’t make a decision to do local songs, we would be overwhelmed [by the global options and influence].”
Indeed, the Philippines is second only to the US in Hillsong Worship’s global audience (17%), and forms the primary audience of the Australian group Planetshakers (33%).
In Manila, the majority of Filipino churches that use contemporary music sing a blend of English and Tagalog on Sunday mornings. Sometimes, congregations sing a single song in both languages (with the verses in Tagalog and the chorus in English, for example) and hear preaching in a blend of the two languages.
However, worship leaders can rarely find official worship song translations in Tagalog, though, so some local musicians are working to develop their own repertoire.
Gloryfall, a collective of worship leaders around Manila, has been working on translations of popular worship songs since the pandemic. They have received approval from original recording artists to produce translations of over 30 hit songs, including ‘King of Kings’ and ‘Who You Say I Am’ from Hillsong.
“We’ve gotten a lot of feedback from local Christians who say that it’s been really meaningful to have these songs in Tagalog,” said drummer Harald Huyssen.
Chester Elmeda, Gloryfall’s keyboardist, said: “Singing the last chorus of a song in Tagalog rallies the congregation. I always look forward to the end of ‘King of Kings,’ when everyone starts singing in my language. That’s the power of your own native tongue.”
Gloryfall records its own music and runs a studio for other local musicians to use. The group has seen a growing enthusiasm for grassroots music in Tagalog.
“It’s easier for Filipinos to access the doctrine and theology in our native tongue,” said Rye Pecardal, the group’s bassist.
The growth of the Philippine market for worship music has caught the attention of the global music industry. In 2021, Sony Music Philippines launched a new Christian label, Waterwalk Records. Gloryfall was one of the first bands to join.
We hope and pray that the grassroots music in Tagalog will continue to grow and thrive thanks to Gloryfall’s efforts!
