Yoyoy Villame

Yoyoy Villame

Yoyoy Villame (November 18, 1932 - May 18, 2007) born Roman Tesorio Villame, was a Filipino singer, composer, lyricist, and comedian. Villame was a native of Calape, Bohol and was the father of singer Hannah Villame. He died of cardiac arrest at the Las Piñas Medical Center in Metro Manila on May 18, 2007.

Early life

Roman Tesorio , youngest among ten children of a fisherman father and fishseller mother, Roman Tesorio started composing songs for the Boy Scouts in his elementary days. Dropping out after his second year in high school, Roman Tesorio enlisted to become a soldier-trainee of the Philippine Army. Being unhappy in his post in Pampanga, he asked for a discharge after the surrender of rebel leader Luis Taruc. Roman Tesorio would become a passenger jeepney driver plying the Baclaran-Pasay Taft-Santa Cruz-Dimasalang route. During the ten years of driving jeeps, he would compete in amateur nights held at Plaza Miranda in Quiapo but only to lose because of his strong Visayan accent.

In 1965, Roman Tesorio went back to Bohol to become a bus driver of the MB (Meneses-Butalid) Liner fleet, where he had a bus numbered 13 that plied the Tagbilaran-Ubay-Talibon route. At the bus company, Roman Tesorio formed with some fellow drivers the MBs Combo, a rondalla band where he sang and played the mandolin. Roman Tesorio was soon invited to parties and eventually as an entertainer in fiestas, baptism, weddings, funerals and special events.

The owner of the bus company took notice of Roman Tesorio ’s efforts and set up a music studio named Kinampay Records, after a local dish, just for him. Villame's first recording was in 1972 and entitled Magellan, a parody of historicism of Ferdinand Magellan's failed conquest of the Philippines. This became the top-selling record in the Visayas-Mindanao region. Comedian Chiquito recognized his potential and brought Roman Tesorio to Manila to be signed to Vicor Records, which re-issued most of the Kinampay catalogue. Touring Pampanga, Nueva Ecija and other parts of Luzon helped Villame establish his name in the country.

Roman Tesorio was the first to brand his music as "novelty" to distinguish himself from his contemporaries, who tried hard to sound like Perry Como or Frank Sinatra. It was the beginning of a long list of albums and recordings of his politically inspired songs in Cebuano, Tagalog and English.

Notable works

Roman Tesorio blended Filipino folk melodies, popular tunes and nursery rhymes for his music and then added witty lyrics that mixed Tagalog, Cebuano and English in a form of grammar that he concocted. He became a national figure in 1977 with his near anthemic “Mag-exercise Tayo,” which has been adopted by government agencies and public schools as the official music for their Monday morning exercise after the flag ceremony.

His most popular song was Butse Kik, a song written from made-up Chinese-sounding words which Roman Tesorio allegedly came up with by writing down the names of Chinese stores while waiting for a mechanic to fix his broken-down jeepney in Manila's Chinatown. The song would then be covered by a host of artists, Aiza Seguerra and The CompanY to name a few. The Chinese community in Cebu felt slighted by the song but dropped plans to bring Villame to court because not a single Chinese word was included the song .

Roman Tesorio wrote Philippine Geography, which lists 77 major islands, provinces, cities, municipalities, and towns in the Philippines from north to south. Roman Tesorio also established a love team with "Barok Labs Dabiana" and celebrated his fisherman father with "Piyesta ng Mga Isda". Hilarity was the common, as seen from his songs about cavemen ("Tarzan at Barok") or geography ("My Country, My Philippines"). His song "Take It, Take It (Pasko ng Fiasco)" took potshots at the Manila Film Festival scam in the 1990s.

Roman Tesorio made more than 25 albums and won several sales awards, among them a double platinum for his album "Tirana My Dear" and a platinum for "McArthur and Dagohoy" in 1991. He also won Best Novelty for "Piyesta ng mga Isda" in the 1993 Awit Awards. His long list of hits and his entertaining style of music earned him the title of "King of Philippine Novelty Songs".

Roman Tesorio began making movies in the early 1970s with the help of Chiquito, his first on-screen appearance was in "Isla Limasawa," where "Magellan" was used as theme song. In 2004, Roman Tesorio played a Visayan troubadour in the critically acclaimed movie, Babae sa Breakwater (Woman of the Breakwater). In doing over 50 movies, Villame is most noted for his role in the 1974 suspense thriller Biktima. His song "My Country, My Philippines" was played in the opening scene of the movie "Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros," while his songs also landed in the soundtrack for the movie "Pepot Artista".

Roman Tesorio would move to Las Piñas City, where he became a city councilor for ten years. He then ran for vice-mayor in 1995 but lost.

Death

Roman Tesorio died of cardiac arrest some five hours after being rushed to the Las Piñas Medical Center complaining of chest pains on May 18, 2007. He is survived by his wife Tessie and six children, one of whom is singer Hannah Villame.

Song Title List

• ABC and the Music
• ABC Rock
• Adlaw Gabi-I
• Ako'y Babalik
• Alimukoy
• Ano Ba 'Yan
• Aral Sa Pasko
• Awit Na Kanta
• Ay! Ay! Boholana
• Ay Loling
• Ay Ay Ay I Love You
• Ayaw Na (uses the music of Harry Belafonte's Man Smart, Woman Smarter)
• Balikbayan
• Ballroom Dancing
• Baranggay Tinapay
• Barok Goes to Hong Kong
• Barsi
• Bayang Mahal
• Bayle-sa Tibuok Kalibutan
• Bolare (uses the music of Domenico Modugno's Volare)
• Bombero
• Bombero Rock
• Boy Scout Na Ko
• Brunei Beauty
• Bukonut Woman
• Bulkan Pinatubo
• Bungalow
• Bus Driver Boogie
• Buti Pa Magtanan
• Butse Kik
• Cha Cha Han
• Cora
• Crush Ko Sya
• Da Da Da (Tsismis)
• Da Da Da (Tsismis) - Tagalog version
• Dagohoy
• Dagohoy ug Lapu-lapu Rock (w/ Max Surban)
• Diklamasyon (Magellan vs. Lapu-Lapu)
• Duha
• Edad 16
• Eklipse
• Eleven Indians
• Estorias Filipinas
• Estoryang Kataw-anan (w/ Max Surban)
• Exercise Boogie
• Flower Dance
• Garbo Sa Kabisayaan
• Gi-indiyan
• Granada (parody of Agustin Lara's Granada)
• Gugmang Dinalian
• Gusot Na Rin
• Hain Ka Na
• Hala Charing
• Halad Tawo
• Hangtud Kanus-A
• Happy Birthday
• Happy Happy Songs
• Hayop na Combo
• Hernando's Hideaway
• Hey! (uses the tune of Julio Iglesias's Hey)
• Hikalimti Na Lang
• Huwag Yan (uses the music of Harry Belafonte's Man Smart, Woman Smarter)
• Huweteng
• I Have Two Hands
• I Know
• I Shall Return
• I'll Never Love Again
• I'm Sorry
• Ikaw
• Ikaw Ang Bulok
• Inabanga Bohol
• Intriga
• Ipinanganak Sa Kuweba
• Islahanon
• Kahayang sa Ngitngit
• Kahit Sira
• Kaming Mga Bol-anon
• Kaming Mga Waiter
• Kan-on Pa
• Karoling-Karoling
• Kay Gikagid (Body Language)
• Kilum Kilum
• Kinilaw
• Komedi Histori
• Kondansoy (Inum Tuba Laloy)
• Kudeta ni Bonifacio
• Kuratong Baleleng
• Las Piñas
• Leonora
• Likas Yaman
• Lilibee
• Limahung
• Live-In
• Lorena
• Lucilla
• Lu-oy
• Lu-oy Tawon
• Lusay
• Mag-exercise Tayo
• Mag-Flower Dance Kita
• Magellan - Yoyoy Villame
• Magellan Ug Lapu-lapu
• Magkasinabot
• Magkusad Na Ta Pe
• Magsugal Ta (w/ Max Surban)
• Manangguite
• Mangingilad
• Manok Ni San Tilmo
• Mentras Lariang
• Meri Krismas
• Metro Manila Rock
• Mr. Robotbot
• My Country, Philippines
• Naala-ala Mo Ba Giliw
• Nasaan Ka Darling
• Nasalisihan
• Naunsa Ka
• Noong Ako'y Bata
• Oh! My Sweet
• Oh, Palad Ko
• Pagkalalim Diay
• Pagkamingaw
• Pagtugtog Ng Kombo (uses the tune of Glenn Miller's In the Mood)
• Painitan (from the song of Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini)
• Pangako Ng Isang Boy Scout
• Pasensiya Mga Batig Nawong
• Paskong Masaya
• Pastilan Anak
• Pepita Bungangera
• Philippine Geography
• Pinangga Ako
• Piyesta Ng Mga Isda
• Piyesta sa Bohol
• Poor Boy
• Puppy Love
• Rapido Rock
• Repetim-Repetim
• Ring-Ting-A-Ling Dingdong
• Round Bohol Rock
• Rudolph D'Red Nose Ranger
• Sabi Barok Lab Ko Dabiana
• Sabit Sabit Sa Christmas Tree
• Sana Kung Maari Pa
• Selosa
• Sikat na Pangit
• Sion Tion
• Sugilanon sa Unang Mga Bol-anon
• Take-It Take-It
• Tarzan At Barok
• Tatay Ko
• Tekya
• Terrorist Story
• The Bible
• The Teacher and Pupils
• Threat Bomb (uses the tune of Tom Jones' Sex Bomb)
• Tili-Ling Tili-Ling
• Trapik
• Tsuper Ng Jeepney
• Tunay Na Diwa Ng Pasko
• Tunay Na Pag-ibig
• Tweedle Tweedle Dam
• Umuwi Sa Husband (uses the tune of Rafael Hernández Marín's Capullito de Aleli)
• Unang Panonood Ng Sine
• Unsa Pay Akong Mahimo
• Visayang Tigas
• Welcome
• Wilma
• Wise (Lies)
• Yuta Sa Saad

Filmography

• Babae sa Breakwater (2004)
• Pepot Artista (2004)
• Sis (2001)
• Milyonaryong mini (1996)
• Tunay na magkaibigan, walang iwanan... peksman (1994)
• Once Upon A Time In Manila (1994)
• Andrew Ford Medina: Huwag kang gamol (1991)
• Wooly Booly 2: Ang titser kong alien (1990)
• Bikining itim (1990)
• Teacher's Enemy No. 1 (1990)
• Tootsie Wootsie (1990)
• Wooly Booly: Ang classmate kong alien (1989)
• Barok Goes to Hong Kong (1984) .... Barok
• Dabiana and Barok
• Batul of Mactan (1974)
• Biktima (1974)
• Eh, kasi bisaya (1972)
• Isla Limasawa (1972)

LP ALBUMS=

• Tigmo
• Gi-indiyan
• Tirana, My Dear
• Mac-Arthur And Dagohoy
• YOYOY (1977)
• Yoyoy is Barok (1978)
• Kudeta ni Bonifacio
• Balikbayang Santa-Claus
• From Saudi With Love

Television

• Doon Po Sa Amin (RPN 9)
• Milyonaryong Mini (w/Max Surban) (ABS-CBN Regional)

References

• Page about Yoyoy Villame at the Online Registry of Filipino Musical Artists

External links

• Yoyoy Villame at IMDb
• Obituary