What is “harana,” and why have you recorded an entire album of these songs?
In the days of my ancestors, when a man fancied a woman, he would go to her house at night with a guitar and serenade her beneath her window, singing songs of romance and passion that sometimes bordered on desperation. If she liked what she heard, the windows would open and he would be invited in to meet the family — and a couple was born. I love these classic harana songs. They’re unashamedly sentimental, and gorgeous! By recording an album of harana, I’m hoping to revive this beautiful tradition of the Philippines, and to inspire women — not just men — to initiate the romantic connection.
