"Waray-Waray" is a 1953 Filipino folk-pop song associated with the ethnolinguistic identity of the Waray people of Eastern Visayas in the Philippines. The song was written by lyricist and National Artist Levi Celerio and composer Juan Silos Jr., and became widely known through performances by singer Sylvia La Torre during the 1950s. It later became one of the most recognizable novelty and regional songs in Philippine popular music, with subsequent renditions by local artists including Elizabeth Ramsey and international singer Eartha Kitt.
Because the song became a massive cultural phenomenon, it was adapted into a 1954 hit film of the same name, Waray-Waray, directed by F.H. Constantino and produced by LVN Pictures, starring the iconic Filipino love team of Nida Blanca and Nestor De Villa.
Background Prior to 1953, the song already existed as a traditional regional folk melody of Samar and Leyte, comprising the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. The composer of the song is unknown. The Filipino version known today was composed by Juan Lorenzo Silos Jr. with lyrics by National Artist of the Philippines for Music Levi Celerio.
The song is noted for its energetic rhythm and lyrics portraying the perceived bravery, resilience, and assertiveness stereotypically associated with Waray-speaking Filipinos. Sung in a mixture of Tagalog and Waray, “Waray-Waray” contributed significantly to the popularization of the term “Waray-Waray” in mainstream Filipino culture.
Rather than being purely written in the native Waray language, the song was deliberately written in Tagalog to appeal to a nationwide audience. The lyrics specifically address the distinct cultural identity of Waray women. In Philippine pop culture, people from the Eastern Visayas region are historically stereotyped as fearless, tough, and fiercely combative. Celerio incorporated these tropes into the lyrics, turning them into a source of pride and empowerment.
The lines boast of women who do not back down from a fight or run away from danger:
"Waray-waray, hindi tatakas" ("Waray-waray will never flee") "Sa bakbakan, dili mag-urong" ("In fistfights, I don't back out")
Release
Original 1954 Version The original rendition was recorded by Sylvia La Torre in 1954 under Villar Records through the album "Waray-Waray" with the song as the title track. Backed by a fast-paced, upbeat musical tempo featuring traditional Filipino string instruments, La Torre’s distinct operatic soprano vocal style gave the comedic and aggressive lyrics a lighthearted, catchy contrast. The single was a massive commercial success, cementing La Torre's status as a versatile radio and recording star who could seamlessly pivot from solemn kundiman ballads to fast-tempo novelty acts. Her interpretation helped popularize the song nationally through radio broadcasts and live stage performances.
Eartha Kitt Cover (1965) The song achieved global prominence when American cabaret icon Eartha Kitt incorporated it into her repertoire. Kitt traveled to the Philippines for a series of concerts in the 1960s, where she learned the song phonetically. She officially recorded a live version, which was released in her 1965 live album, Eartha Kitt Live at the Plaza. According to contemporary accounts and historical reviews, Kitt took a particular liking to the track because of its strong, unapologetically feminist theme, which resonated with her own public persona as an empowered and wild diva.
Lea Salonga Covers Disney legend and Tony Award-winning Filipino singer-actress Lea Salonga later interpreted the song "Waray-Waray" and it appeared in two studio albums and one live recording album namely: Songs from Home (2004), The Journey So Far: Recorded Live at Café Carlyle''' (2011), and Bahaghari (Lea Salonga Sings Traditional Songs of the Philippines) (2017). She also occasionally includes the song in her concerts.
List of recordings of Waray-Waray “Waray-Waray” later gained wider international recognition through performances and cover versions by both Filipino and foreign artists. Among the most notable international interpreters was American entertainer Eartha Kitt, who incorporated the song into her live repertoire during performances in the United States in the early 1960s. YearArtistAlbumNotesRef.1954Sylvia La Torre Waray-Waray (album) as a single Label: Villar Records – MLS 5161 Format: Vinyl, LP, Reissue Country: Philippines Genre: Folk, World, & Country Track 1 - Waray-Waray - 3:031960Michiko HamamuraMichiko Hamamura And The Bright Rhythm Boys Of Tokyo Track 1 - "Waray-Waray" - 03:08 Diamond Record 1 January 1961 Hong Kong1961Joe LocoIn The Philippines Genre: Jazz, Latin, Folk, World, & Country Style: Philippine Classical, Latin Jazz Year: 19611964The Fabulous EchoesSingle Label: Diamond (7) – DIAMOND 218, Diamond (7) – D.218 X 45 Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM Country: Hong Kong Released: 1974 Genre: Rock1965Eartha KittEartha Kitt – In Person At The Plaza (1965) GNP Crescendo / Stereo Musical Director: David Saxon GNPS 2008 Track 3 - Waray Waray (Philippine Islands Song)1973Mabuhay SingersBahal Nga Tuba Track 7 - Waray-Waray Label: Villar Records – MLS-5362 Format: Vinyl, LP, Stereo Country: Philippines Released: 1973 Genre: Folk, World, & Country1974Mabuhay Brass BandPhilippine Music Track 8 Villar Records1980Imelda PapinMel Track 5 - Waray-Waray Label: Sunshine – TSP-5303 Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo Country: Philippines Released: Sep 10, 1980 Genre: Pop Style: Ballad, Vocal1984AsinMga Awitin Ng Bayan Kong Pilipinas Genre: Rock, Folk, World, & Country Style: Folk Rock Year: 1984 Label: Ivory Records1993Freddie AguilarMinamahal Kita Label: Alpha Records (3) – ARCD-93-8019 Format: CD Country: Philippines Released: 1993 Genre: Rock Track 8 - Waray-Waray1999Relly ColomaAn Evening of Philippine Music Track 11 Villar Records No release date, but registered by Villar Records in 19992004Lea SalongaSongs from Home (2004) Label: Musiko Records – MRCD 232, Musiko Records – 82876 64180 2 6 Format: CD, VCD Country: Philippines Released: 2004 Genre: Pop Track 6 - Waray-Waray medley with Galawgaw2006Eartha KittEartha Kitt – Live From The Café Carlyle (2006) Label: DRG Records – 91499 Format: CD, Album Country: US Released: 2006 Genre: Jazz, Pop Style: Easy Listening Track 7 - Waray-Waray2011Lea SalongaThe Journey So Far: Recorded Live at Café Carlyle' (2011) Ivory Music 10 February 2012 Track 12 - Waray-Waray2014Mabuhay SingersBugie Wugie Track 3 - Waray-Waray - 02:54 Villar Records 3 June 20142017Lea SalongaBahaghari (Lea Salonga Sings Traditional Songs of the Philippines) (2017) Label: Global Language Project (GLP) Music – GLP1701 Format: CD, Digital Country: US Released: 2017 Genre: Folk, World, & Country Style: Philippine Classical Track 15 - Waray-Waray2020Nonoy Zuñiga featuring SISASingle Single 2:00 ADC Music Publishing 11 December 20202020RJ JacintoKundiRock Track 10 - Waray Waray - 3:44 RJ Productions Inc. 18 December 2020
Performances Filipino singer-comedienne Elizabeth Ramsey regularly performed “Waray-Waray” as part of her stage repertoire, and the song became strongly associated with her career. Multiple entertainment and biographical sources identify “Waray-Waray” as one of her trademark songs. However, reliable documentation of an official commercial studio recording by Ramsey is limited. Most verifiable surviving records only point to live television performances and concert renditions.
Reception Cultural Center of the Philippines considers the song as one of Juan Silos’ most popular novelty works.
In pop culture The song was heavily broadcast on radio and became an undisputed national hit by mid-1954. This rapid rise to fame is what prompted LVN Pictures to rush the film adaptation into theaters later that same year. The 1954 hit film of the same name, "Waray-Waray" starred Nida Blanca together with her then favorite leading man Nestor de Villa. Nida played a tomboyish girl, a Waray ‘tamed’ by the dashing Nestor. The Waray-Waray movie and the Waray-Waray song are deeply intertwined because the song and its theme inspired the movie, rather than the film inspiring the creation of the song.
The success of both the song and the movie cemented the term "Waray-Waray" (and eventually just "Waray") in the mainstream. It even crossed international borders when legendary American jazz singer Eartha Kitt recorded a high-energy cover of the song in the early 1960s after being charmed by its feminist, "we can fight any battle" themes.
In 2015, Filipino comedienne Melai Cantiveros won the Week 9 challenge on the first season of Philippine television reality competition show Your Face Sounds Familiar, after her Waray-Waray'' performance while impersonating Elizabeth Ramsey.
References
External links Waray-Waray in Discogs.