Freddie Aguilar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Freddie Aguilar
Aguilar in Tondo, Manila, Philippines, 1988
Background information
Birth name	Ferdinand Pascual Aguilar
Also known as	Ka Freddie, Abdul Farid, Baludoy
Born	(1953-02-05)February 5, 1953 Santo Tomas, Isabela, Philippines
Died	May 27, 2025(2025-05-27) (aged 72) Quezon City, Philippines
Genres	Folk, Manila sound, OPM
Occupation(s)	Musician, Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, bass guitar
Years active	1973–2025
Labels	Vicor Music/Sunshine, RCA

Ferdinand Pascual "Freddie" Aguilar ( February 5, 1953 – May 27, 2025) was a Filipino musician and singer-songwriter regarded as one of the pillars and icons of Original Pilipino Music (OPM). He was best known for his international hit, "Anak", which became the best-selling Philippine music record of all time, selling 33 million copies worldwide, and the only Filipino song translated into 51 languages and his rendition of "Bayan Ko", which became the anthem of the opposition against the regime of Ferdinand Marcos during the 1986 People Power Revolution. He was heavily associated with Pinoy rock.

Early life

Aguilar was born on February 5, 1953, in Santo Tomas, Isabela. He began composing his own songs at age 14. Aguilar studied Electrical Engineering at De Guzman Institute of Technology but did not finish the degree program. Instead he pursued music, became a street musician, and then a folk club and bar musician. At the age of 18, Aguilar parted ways with his family and quit college; he started performing on stage at age 20. After realizing and regretting his mistakes five years after quitting college, he composed the song "Anak."

Career

Aguilar first began performing in public in 1973, when he auditioned and was hired to play folk songs at ₱500 per gig at the Hobbit House in Ermita, Manila.

International acclaim

Aguilar's "Anak" not only broke the Philippine record charts in 1979, but it also hit the no. 1 spot in Japan and achieved considerable popularity in other countries as Angola, Japan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and parts of Western Europe. The song has become so famous that, by some counts, it has been recorded in as many as a hundred versions in 23 languages throughout the world. Billboard reported that the song was the number two world hit of the 1980s. According to Billboard, Aguilar was the second best-selling recording artist of 1981 in Europe. As of 2006, it was unsurpassed as the highest-selling record of Philippine music history.

Political activism

Even before Aguilar's rendition of "Bayan Ko," Aguilar created and performed songs targeted at social injustices. After his album Magdalena, Freddie Aguilar sang about the injustices suffered by the powerless, poverty, and the arrogance of superpowers in a song about the U.S. and Russia.

Five years after the composition of "Anak", Freddie Aguilar joined protests against the Marcos regime and began writing and performing songs that criticized the excesses of the government. Some of the songs that caused him to be banned from mainstream media include: "Kata-rungan" or "Justice" (speaking for the unjustly accused), "Pangako" ("Promise") (a leader's unfulfilled pledges to an abandoned people), and "Luzvi-minda" (an acronym for Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, calling on Filipinos to wake up to the reality of oppression). One of the songs he was most remembered for during that time was his interpretation of "Bayan Ko" ("My Country"), in which he added a verse to the original piece.

"Bayan Ko" (My Country)

In 1978, Aguilar first recorded "Bayan Ko" in a patriotic effort to, in his words, "jolt back those who were starting to forget who we really are." He also provided a rendition of the song as it was inspiring and gave him excitement and a surge of power. The song was originally composed in 1928 by Constancio de Guzman, with lyrics by poet Jose Corazon de Jesus, during a time of struggle for Philippine independence from US occupation. It emerged once again during the Marcos regime as the unofficial anthem of the emergent "people" of the "People Power", the new democratic nation opposed to authoritarianism that was widely credited with the deposing of Ferdinand Marcos. In 1983, the assassination of Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino triggered massive demonstrations against the Marcos dictatorship, and Aguilar's rendition of "Bayan Ko" was blared on the radio and speakers mounted on jeepneys throughout the streets of Manila and the provinces of the Philippines. At the funeral of Senator Aquino, Freddie Aguilar sang "Bayan Ko" and felt that Aquino was a man of action who even gave his life for the freedom of the Philippines. During the performance, Freddie Aguilar did not feel scared anymore and felt strong and confident. He then decided to join the cause as well. Aguilar, along with APO Hiking Society and other Pinoy pop musicians who took a stand against dictatorship, joined other protest singers in music and street performances as part of the anti-Marcos rallies.

A few years later, Aguilar campaigned for the presidential candidacy of Corazon Aquino in the national election that would lead to the 1986 revolt.

Aguilar mentioned in an interview with ABS-CBN News that the lyrics of the song combines the love the Filipinos have for their country, commemorate the Aquino family, and commitment to the country. Even in this modern time, Filipinos will identify "Bayan Ko" as the nation's protest anthem.

Later life

On January 18, 2008, Aguilar received the Asia Star Award from the Asia Model Award Festival in South Korea.

Aguilar still lived in the Philippines, and continued to perform. He moved to his own place dubbed "Ka Freddie's". He always had a strong following in the Philippines and among many Filipinos living overseas.

Aguilar advocated for the creation of a new department called the "Department of Culture and Arts." During the campaign and the Inauguration of president Rodrigo Duterte, Aguilar performed “Para sa Tunay na Pagbabago”, which was one of Duterte's campaign jingles to the tune of Ipaglalaban Ko. Aguilar was President Duterte's favorite singer.

Aguilar ran for senator in 2019. Though running as an independent candidate, his candidacy was endorsed by President Duterte. However, he lost, placing 30th out of 12 seats up for election.

Artistry

Aguilar is a key figure of Pinoy rock. He has cited British and American folk-rock stars like Cat Stevens and James Taylor as musical influences. His works emphasize themes of Filipino heritage, nationalist feelings, and tried to constitute a musical exploration of the Filipino ethos.

Personal life and death

Aguilar with his sister Marlene, circa 2002

In 1978, he married Josephine Queipo and with her had 4 children: Maegan, Jonan, Isabella, and Jeriko.

On October 17, 2013, Aguilar openly admitted that he was in a relationship with Jovi Gatdula Albao (Muslim name Sittie Mariam), with plans to marry and even have children, as his partner insisted that she was willing to have a baby.

On November 22, 2013, Aguilar, under Islamic rites, married his partner in Buluan, Maguindanao. Aguilar had converted to Islam six months prior to these reports. His Muslim name was Abdul Farid.

On January 3, 2018, Aguilar's residence in North Fairview, Quezon City, was destroyed by a fire, which was reported to have started in his music room. The fire destroyed most of Aguilar's valuables estimated at ₱15 million, including his art collection, awards, musical instruments, records, and other personal memorabilia. Aguilar was at "Ka Freddie's", his bar & restaurant along Tomas Morato Avenue, during the fire. His wife, son Jonan, and mother-in-law were all inside his residence during the fire, but were able to escape unharmed with the help of their neighbors.

Aguilar died on May 27, 2025, at the age of 72 at the Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City.

Discography

Year	Title	Record label
1978	Anak	Vicor Music/Sunshine
1979	Freddie Aguilar	PDU
1980	Diyosa	Ugat Tunog ng Lahi/Vicor Music
1980	Freddie Aguilar (US release)	RCA Records
1983	Magdalena	G. Records International
1987	Freddie Aguilar – Anak – Double "Best Of" Album	Panarecord International
1987	EDSA	Ivory Music
1988	Sariling Atin	Alpha Music
1989	Hala Bira	Alpha Music
1990	Heart of Asia	OctoArts International
1991	Kumusta Ka	AMP
1991	Freddie Aguilar	AMP
1992	Pagbabalik Himig	Vicor Music
1993	Minamahal Kita	Alpha Music
1994	Anak (CD re-issue)	Vicor Music
1994	Diwa Ng Pasko	Alpha Music
1995	Fifteen Years of Freddie Aguilar (AMP release)	Aguilar Music
1995	The Best of Freddie Aguilar	Alpha Music
1997	Freddie Aguilar Live! Global Tour (Vols. 1, 2, 3)	Aguilar Music / Vicor Music

Singles

In chronological order:

Filmography

Films

• Tadhana (1978); as a composer

Music videos

• Anak (1980 original by Tops Of The Pops TV Variety Program In The Netherlands, new live version recorded by MYX Live in 2005)
• Sa Ngalan Ng Ama (1980)
• Magdalena (1984)

Awards

See also

In Spanish: Freddie Aguilar para niños

• Philippine folk music
• People Power Revolution