Jun Utleg’s Igorota

Note: Back by popular demand.

Mapapa-wow ka sa ganda ng kantang ito. I think it typifies the kind of songs we love in the Cordilleras — smooth, kind of quiet (or walang vocal theatricals), and meaningful.

Jun Utleg used to be a member of Binhi, the Baguio band known for that hauntingly beautiful song, “Ang Bata”. I remember hearing “Ang Bata” performed in one of Baguio’s bars, was haunted by it, and went back the following night to buy a copy of the band’s record. I can imagine myself doing that for this song, “Igorota”.

Fellow bloggers: Let’s help promote this song. I-blog na rin ninyo sa inyong blog hehe.

UPDATE from rainne68, a commenter in youtube:

Atlast the song is finally uploaded sa youtube. Most people from Kias know this song way back 1990’s because this song was introduced by Danny Tawanna who was the composer. Jun was so lucky that Danny gave him all his compositions to record. Danny is likewise lucky to have Jun record his songs.

For everybody’s info Danny suffered from a stroke and is now living in Nueva Vizcaya. Just don’t know if Jun pushed his plan of having Danny in his audience when he launched this album.

Our best wishes to Danny Tawanna. We hope he gets well.

NOTE: You can find the lyrics of the song here.

VIDEO CREDIT: Jun Utleg

41 thoughts on “Jun Utleg’s Igorota”

  1. wow, a very beautiful song indeed! thanks for telling us about it… i’ve never heard of this before now.

  2. reminds me of one of badjao’s songs in his new album. i might agree that people from the cordilleras do love songs with a similar melody and theme. i think i’ve heard of similar songs before.

    and i do agree that it’s beautiful. i wonder how his other song sounds like…

  3. Cool voice, admittedly, it’s my first time to hear about the singer and Binhi.Maybe I’ve heard or even saw them perform in the bars in Baguio back then but never really been aware of his/their identity. Bad me!

    BTW,I opened the video from your other site but it said “sorry this video no longer exists” so I got back here and open it again – fortunately, the video played well.

  4. nice song… are they playing that song in ayuyang? hehe
    ag pasyar ak man manen ijay

  5. kainis sira speaker ko, but ill definitely listen to this one.

    thank you again for you support.

  6. napakaganda ng lyrics, lalo pang pinaganda dahil sa napakaswabeng boses ng mang-aawit na si jun. agbig dagiti igorot

  7. nice song really, ive been listening to him for the past years doing some songs like “oh kalinga, piso, and some revival of the asin’s himig ng pag ibig, joey ayala’s walang hanggang paalam, santa filomena, buklod’s rosas ng digmaan and some of the original song of the binhi’s… i just hope he will translate his song ‘oh baguio’ to english hehehe!

  8. Hi Ganda,
    Actually this is also my first time to hear it 🙂

    Hi Arcibald,
    Thanks. If his other songs are like this and “Ang Bata” I just might become a Jun Utleg groupie or something like that 🙂

    Hi Jane,
    I actually learned of Binhi by accident too back in the 90s. Hope the continue to produce music.

    Youtube does that sometimes, I don’t know why. Thanks.

    Hi Sexymoi,
    Yata. Parang sa ayuyang yata kinuha yung video. But I might be wrong. Thanks.

    Hi Gina,
    Or maybe you’ll buy yourself a CD to support our local artists hehe 🙂

    Hi Anonymous and Gina,
    Agbiag tayo amin 🙂

    Hi karaniwang bata,
    Thanks. Maybe I should go and find those songs you mentioned like oh kalinga and oh baguio 🙂

    Apay haan ko met nga makita ti blog mo kabsat? Ag blog ka met ah tapno umad-ado tayo 🙂

  9. Hello Bill! Ang ganda naman ng song. Very touching. It brings me closer to home. Homesick tuloy ako. I will put it also in our blogs. Thanks ha?

    Note: I like your original blog format. Paki-gitna daw ang content dahil gilid na gilid na sabi ng friend ko.

  10. the song is really wonderful..
    whenever they play this song, i really leave what am doing just to listen to the song..
    i am really proud to be an igorota…

    pkipost nmn ung lyrics and guitar tabs ng igorota..
    plzzz…
    thankz…

  11. congrats jun. see & hear you sing that song when i’m back in baguio. malapit na, 2 years na lang he he he ! mailiwak syak lang sa ti igorot ditoy russia.

    marizelski,moscow russia

  12. I love this song..
    i firts heard this in ayuyang bar in baguio when mr jun played the song.
    it reminds me of tadian my provnce and the beautiful of igorots

  13. yeah i love this song.. i’ve heard it in ayuyang bar when mr Jun played hte song..

  14. i have been searching for the song “ang bata” since i was in highschool. I first heard it during a school program at girls’ high. does anyone know the complete lyrics and chords of this wonderful song?

  15. hello ka2bsat..i really love the song ang bata. my problem is nobody seem to know this song..is it only popular in our place? cordillera i mean..

    while searching for the chords and lyrics of this song i stumbled upon a blog where in she posted a song very similar to “ang bata”..

    the song title is NENA. I will attach the link to this blog

    http://zianne_thraex10.blogs.friendster.com/my_blog/

    they could have copied it or maybe it’s the same song.

    have a good day

    fellow igorot

  16. @ always left hanging: Ang Bata is on Jun Utleg’s latest CD. You can buy a copy from Ayuyang Bar in Baguio City.

    The song Nena looks very similar to Ang Bata, but I believe there are several more verses on Ang Bata that are not on Nena.

  17. to all na nkakaalam ng lyrics ng igorota post nio nman mga guys… kay jun utleg…idol…. matago tago takon losan…

  18. Hmmm.. I didn’t know Binhi was a Baguio band. I heard of “Ang Bata” in college, and it was a favorite song of activists, but I thought it was a Tagalog band who sang it. Tsk, tsk…

    More power to Jun Utleg! Hope he composes more songs…

  19. @Layad, according to the liner notes in Utleg’s latest CD, “Ang Bata” was written by Ferdie Dimaano, who doesn’t appear to be a member (or former member) of Binhi. The band formed in 1991 and is based in Baguio according to their 2001 album.

  20. @Wil… Ferdie Dimaano was an engineering student in BCF (now University of Cordillera, i think) making and directing plays. During that time he was also active in composing such songs like "Sa aking Paglalakad" and "Ang Bata" (Sang by Ferdie and Rina) which won first in one of the music contest in UP Baguio. I lost contact with "direk" in the late 1980's.

  21. ganda ng kanta mo tito sana minsan maka jam din kita. engr. sam utleg tuguegarao city

  22. ganda ng kanta mo tito sana minsan maka jam din kita. engr. sam utleg tuguegarao city

  23. Love and 100% agree with the “igorota” song…
    With that cool voice! wow!! yes, makes me want to go home and look for that Ayuyang bar… where is that?
    Next time I visit Baguio, needed to hear manong Jun sing that song for me..hehehe!!!

  24. Astig yung flute!Taz yung melody of the song ang smooth, it reminds me when im in ccpg.

  25. How did I missed this for so long? The two translations presented by Danny Tawanna and one “anonymous” poster back in January 20, 2009 were both good except on the “refrain” part line 3: Danny said “queen of my heart”, and “anon” interpreted it “beat of my heart”. My personal take was “wheel of my heart”. Regardless, it’s one great song all Igorots should be proud of. Cheers Bill, Ganda, Cheryl, Wil, Lovely, and the rest of one time posters here.

  26. It’s “beat of my heart”, and even TB3 said so. Listened to it a few times on a headset, and it’s clear, the word is “beat”. Cheers!

  27. … wow talaga ang kanta na yan para sa mga Igorots sapagkat tayong mga igorots have unique beauty…..hehehe

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