"We Say Mabuhay" (sometimes called the "Mabuhay March") is the common name for "Mabuhay, My Philippines", a march used as the
honors music for the
president of the Philippines
The president of the Philippines (, sometimes referred to as ) is the head of state, head of government and chief executive of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-ch ...
. It was composed by Tirso Cruz, with lyrics by James King Steele.
History
Tirso Cruz penned the melody to "We Say Mabuhay", with lyrics by James King Steele, sometime during the 1930s.
Various dates have been attributed to the original composition of "We Say Mabuhay" ranging from 1931 to 1940.
According to ''
The Philippine Star
''The Philippine Star'' (self-styled ''The Philippine STAR'') is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines and the flagship brand of the Philstar Media Group. First published on July 28, 1986, by veteran journalists Betty Go-Belmonte, ...
'', however, it was first performed May 16, 1931 at the Manila Hotel.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, U.S. government broadcasters used the melody of the song for their radio program ''The Philippine Hour'', which was transmitted from relay stations in Australia and San Francisco to the Japanese-occupied archipelago.
The lyrics and music to the song were also printed in a 1945 issue of the
U.S. Army propaganda leaflet ''Free Philippines'', which was covertly distributed in the country.
In that version of the song, the original lyrics "under our blue sky" were substituted with "under the blue sky", a version that has remained as the one most commonly used in the Philippines since.
As the honors music for the President of the Philippines, "We Say Mabuhay" is traditionally performed at the
Philippine presidential inauguration following the oath of office of the incoming president, as well as at other times during the entrance or approach of a sitting President of the Philippines.
In keeping with the American custom, it is traditionally preceded by four
ruffles and flourishes
Ruffles and flourishes are preceding fanfare for honors music, ceremonial music for distinguished people.
By country Israel
In the Israeli Defense Forces, ruffles and flourishes are sounded as a guard of honor presents arms to signify the hono ...
by a military band, but in parades the formation on the parade ground just stands at attention and everyone stands as the song is played.
The word "Mabuhay", which forms part of the song's title and features prominently in its lyrics, is a
Tagalog greeting meaning "long live".
Lyrics:
:We say Mabuhay!
:We say Mabuhay!
:Under the blue skies,
:Where our friends sit by!
:A greeting of farewell!
:A toast that will wear well!
:We raise our voices and say Mabuhay!
Composer and lyricist
Tirso Cruz was a prominent Filipino bandmaster in the 1930s and 1940s who helped popularize
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
in the Philippines.
He is remembered for his longtime leadership of the Mabuhay Orchestra, the house band at the
Manila Hotel
The Manila Hotel is a 550-room, historic five-star hotel located along Manila Bay in Manila, Philippines. .
James King Steele was an American public relations executive who, during the 1930s, was retained to promote tourism to the Philippines and would later fill a similar role for Nevadans Unlimited, a tourism trade group in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
state of
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...
.
See also
* "
Hail to the Chief"
References
{{reflist, 2
External links
"We Say Mabuhay" is performed following Rodrigo Roa Duterte's inaugural oath of office in 2016"We Say Mabuhay" is performed in 2014 as Benigno Aquino III exits Malacañang Palace with Barack ObamaVocal performance of "We Say Mabuhay" by the Philippine Marine CorpsPhoto of Tirso Cruz with his band at the Manila Hotel in the 1930s
1931 compositions
English-language Filipino songs