Tugtugan Pamorningan: The Philippine Music Scene (1990-1999)

The latter half of the 1980s brought a rambunctious wave of artistic expression that ushered in a giant movement in the Philippine music industry in the 1990s: the reinvention of Pinoy rock. There were other exciting developments such as the ethnic/ world music movement, side by side with the rise of Philippine music theater and the recognition of Filipino musical talent in the world musical theater stage. Susan Claire Agbayani not only gives us glimpses of those exciting times in the Philippine music industry, but also details the 1990s ethos in the varied collection of articles in this book.

— Ryan Cayabyab, National Artist for Music

Susan Claire Agbayani is the Martian chronicler sending a postcard home. Home is time. Last night, everyone partied hard at Oracafe, and all their brain and heart cells exploded and imploded in sync with the farthest Vedic stars. Tomorrow, everyone will have a hangover worse than death only to be reincarnated as the next spoken word poet slash pertormance artist slash multi-genre multi-instrumentalist. And todav is forever as that cheesv pavola-overdosed love song sang. All you need is a decade. And if you're lucky, you can press Repeat Playback till your forefinger bleeds.

— Khan De La Cruz, multi-award-winning filmmaker, composer, poet, and novelist

This memoir speaks and moves like a shared diary—shared not just among those who thrived in the decades the author lived through. or with those who went to the same gigs and dives and concerts. It should also resonate with those who weren't there generations who live. love. and plav ditterentiv but carrv the same musical DNA. As a music-lovina culture. wherever and whenever we are, we Filipinos all need to know that we are part of each other's journey.

— Sarge Lacuesta, novelist, essayist, editor-at-large, Esquire Philippines

Published in 2024 by University of the Philippines Press

295 pages / Paperback