Julián Reyes Felipe (: January 28, 1861 – October 2, 1944) was a Filipino composer of the music of the Philippine national anthem, formerly known as ''"Marcha Nacional Filipina"'', now known as "

Lupang Hinirang "" ("Chosen Land"), originally titled in Spanish as "" ("Philippine National March"), and commonly and informally known by its incipit "" ("Beloved Country"), is the national anthem of the Philippines. Its music was composed in 1898 by Juliá ...

Early life

Julián Felipe was born in Cavite Nuevo (the present-day

Cavite City Cavite City, officially the City of Cavite ( fil, Lungsod ng Kabite, Spanish and cbk, Ciudad de Cavite), is a 4th class component city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 100,674 people. The city was th ...

) on January 28, 1861 to Justo Felipe and Victoria Reyes. He studied at a public school in Cavite and

Binondo Binondo () is a district in Manila and is referred to as the city's Chinatown. Its influence extends beyond to the places of Quiapo, Santa Cruz, San Nicolas and Tondo. It is the oldest Chinatown in the world, established in 1594 by the ...

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital city, capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is Cities of the Philippines#Independent cities, highly urbanize ...

for his primary education. At an early age, he showed his talent in music. He also learned how to play the piano and the organ. Later, he was hired by Fr. Pedro Catalan, a

Recollect The Recollects (french: Récollets) were a French reform branch of the Friars Minor, a Franciscan order. Denoted by their gray habits and pointed hoods, the Recollects took vows of poverty and devoted their lives to prayer, penance, and spirit ...

priest who instructed him in playing the piano, as an organist at San Pedro Apostol Parish Church in Cavite Nuevo. As an organist, Felipe was given the chance to hone his gift. Soon after, he was composing songs. He also became a music teacher at La Sagrada Familia, a girls' school. Among his early popular compositions were "Aurorita", "Moteti el Santesisimo", "Sintos y Floras Rogodones", "Amorita Danza", "Cintas y Flores", and "Reina de Cavite", the latter written in honor of Our Lady of Porta Vaga. In recognition of his contributions in the field of music, he was given awards and accolade and a membership to the prestigious Santa Cecilia Musical Society in 1895.

Involvement in the Philippine Revolution

When the revolution broke out, Felipe joined his fellow Caviteños who fought against the Spaniards during the Philippine Revolution. He was arrested and jailed at Fort San Felipe in Cavite, alongside the Thirteen Martyrs of Cavite. The martyrs were executed on September 12, 1896, but Felipe was found innocent and was subsequently released on June 2, 1897. After he was freed, he rejoined Aguinaldo's troops. He composed various nationalistic songs that inspired his compatriots to continue fighting against the Spaniards.

National Anthem

Emilio Aguinaldo asked Felipe to provide a stirring composition to be played in the historic proclamation of the Philippine independence. His composition ''Marcha Nacional Filipina'' was first played as

incidental music Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, or some other presentation form that is not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead ...

on June 12, 1898 in Aguinaldo's home in

Kawit Kawit, officially the Municipality of Kawit ( tgl, Bayan ng Kawit), is a first-class municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 107,535. It is one of the notable places that had ...

. It was adopted as the Philippine national anthem on September 5, 1938 by the Commonwealth Government. A dedicated music teacher and composer, he was later appointed by then-President Aguinaldo as Director of the National Band of the

First Philippine Republic The Philippine Republic ( es, República Filipina), now officially known as the First Philippine Republic, also referred to by historians as the Malolos Republic, was established in Malolos, Bulacan during the Philippine Revolution agains ...

in 1899. On the same year, he was imprisoned by the Americans at Fort Santiago in

Intramuros Intramuros (Latin for "inside the walls") is the historic walled area within the city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. It is administered by the Intramuros Administration with the help of the city government of Manila. Present-day I ...

Later life

After the

Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War or Filipino–American War ( es, Guerra filipina-estadounidense, tl, Digmaang Pilipino–Amerikano), previously referred to as the Philippine Insurrection or the Tagalog Insurgency by the United States, was an arm ...

, Felipe was also elected as councilor of Cavite. He also served as bandmaster of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

in May 1904. His other works include “Hail to the Chief”, “Douglas MacArthur March”, "Philippines, My Philippines" and "Un Recuerdo," which is dedicated to the Thirteen Martyrs of Cavite. He also taught piano lessons from 1902 to 1942.

Death

Julian died on October 2, 1944, in Sampaloc,

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. He was interred in Barangay San Roque, Cavite City.

Legacy

A bust of Felipe can be found in Cavite City, located near San Sebastian College – Recoletos de Cavite. A public elementary school in Cavite City and an auditorium at De La Salle University–Dasmariñas are also named after him. In 1994, Republic Act No. 7805 declared January 28 of every year as a non-working holiday in Cavite City, known as the "Julian Felipe Day."

In popular culture

* Portrayed by

Lou Veloso Luciano "Lou" Mariñas Veloso (born January 7, 1948) is a Filipino actor, comedian, director and politician. He is known for his supporting roles in over 30 comedy films, which include ''Mga Kwento ni Lola Basyang'' (1985), ''Pulis Patola'' (1993 ...

in the 2012 film, '' El Presidente''.

References

External links

Historia de la Marcha Nacional Filipino
Full text document written by Julián Felipe on the history of the Philippine National Anthem. {{DEFAULTSORT:Felipe, Julian 1861 births 1944 deaths Filipino composers Filipino educators National anthem writers People from Cavite City Musicians from Cavite People of the Philippine Revolution