And why it resonates deeply with us right now.

It’s July 27th of 2020 and day 133 under quarantine. The new normal is here but no form of normalcy will ever truly fit the peculiar situation Filipinos have found themselves unwillingly plunged into now.

 

From locally stranded individuals left to fend for themselves in crowded gymnasiums to high-ranking government officials spotted lollygagging at a waterpark amid the global pandemic, the Philippines is, unfortunately, the rightful owner of the title “The Worst Place to Be In During the Pandemic.”

 

It’s a true clownery of a mess here and as of July 18, 2020, no thanks to the swift passage of the Anti-Terrorism Act into law, we’re not even legally allowed to rally about it or rally against the government at all.

But with the shutdown of mass media giant ABS-CBN Corporation, the outcry for press freedom as well as the clamor for actual public service has only been amplified.

Do you hear the people sing?

The song was popularized after it debuted as broadway-hit Les Miserables finale song. “Do you hear the people sing?” was originally the accompanying music to the final scene in which a rebellion arises and the people take over the streets.


Unbeknownst to its composers, Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil, Jean-Marc Natel and Herbert Kretzmer, the song would outlive its name as a musical finale number and take its rebellious air to the real-world streets where it served to amplify the voices of the people with countries such as Turkey making it their own for the Gezi Protests in 2013 and recently, the people of Hong Kong for the Extradition Riots in 2019.

Di niyo ba naririnig?

Although the Filipino adaptation of the protest anthem was only the second to take to the streets, it definitely has been one of the most impactful of renditions. First being heard in the 45th commemoration of the declaration of Martial Law in the Philippines by dictator Ferdinand Marcos in September 2017.

 

Just yesterday, Voyage Studios, creator of great films Sunday Beauty Queen and Liway, released an immaculate rendition of the protest anthem performed by ABS-CBN artists and theater greats alike.

What started as a passive anthem for an event that took place many years ago in 2017, now has filled with rage fuelled by the fires of people’s burning hunger for justice, basic human rights, and press freedom.
 

 

Filipino translation and musical arrangement by Vincent A. de Jesus, and additional lyrics by Rody Vera and Joel Saracho, this heart-rending localization of a protest song expresses our deep-seated frustration, exhaustion, sadness, and utter disappointment for how this current administration has handled or mishandled not just the COVID-19 pandemic response, but the fate of the entire nation since its unfortunate election in 2016.

Let’s take a look at the lyrics bearing in mind that the people’s strength will always be in their numbers.

DI NIYO BA NARIRINIG?

Tinig ng bayan na galit

Himig ito ng Pilipinong 

Di muli palulupig

Dudurugin ang dilim

Ang araw ay mag-aalab

At mga pusong nagtimpi

Ay magliliyab

Ikaw ba’y makikibaka

At hindi maduduwag

Na gisingin ang mga panatikong bingi’t bulag

Kasinungalingan labanan hanggang mabuwag

Di niyo ba naririnig?

Tinig ng bayan na galit

Himig ito ng Pilipinong 

Di muli palulupig

Dudurugin ang dilim

Ang araw ay mag-aalab

At mga pusong nagtimpi

Ay magliliyab

Ikaw ba ay dadaing na lang

Kimi’t magmumukmok

Habang nagpapakasasa

Ang mga trapong bulok

Gisingin ang puso

Galitin hanggang pumutok

Di niyo ba naririnig?

Tinig ng bayan na galit

Himig ito ng Pilipinong 

Di muli palulupig

Dudurugin ang dilim

Ang araw ay mag-aalab

At mga pusong nagtimpi

Ay magliliyab!

Magliliyab!

What do you think about this tagalized version of ‘Do You Hear The People Sing’?

Let your voice be heard and let us know your thoughts and opinions by sharing them through the comments below! Or just simply hit us up on our Facebook or Twitter accounts @udouph.