Pio Abelgas Kabahar[1] (October 11, 1892 – March 7, 1977[2]), also known as Piux A. Kabahar, was a Cebuano composer, playwright, journalist, and director. He was best known as a playwright, he was the director of the first Cebuano moving picture, Bertoldo ug Balodoy.
Piux Kabahar | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 11, 1892 San Nicolas, Cebu City |
| Died | March 7, 1977 (aged 84) Cebu City |
| Occupation |
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| Language | Cebuano |
| Nationality | Filipino |
| Genre |
|
Early life
editPio Kabahar was born to the couple Justo Kabahar and Margarita Abelgas[3] in San Nicolas, Cebu[4] on October 11, 1892. He was influenced by his father who was a musician, and he played violin for the Mauricia Gahuman's dancing hall, as well as other musical instruments such as the mandolin, guitar, cello, banjo, bandurria, kubing, and percussions. When he had saved enough, he paid for his studies at the Cebu Provincial High School.[3]
Career
editHe first taught at Recoleto Central School for four years[3] and then became a writer. His time saw the emergence of the press that regularly published works of the local artist, whose styles were imitations of American novels and influenced by the translations of European fiction. Kabahar's works in stage drama exhibited similar shift, added with social criticism and entertainment as evident in the works of other playwrights such as Buenaventura Rodriguez and Florentino Borromeo.[5]
Stage plays
editLater, he became a playwright, particularly of zarzuelas. The music of his zarzuelas were his own composition as well as the compositions of Manuel Velez, Jose Estella, and Pidong Villaflor. In addition, he also directed his plays and the works of his contemporaries including Buenaventura Rodriguez, Jacinto Alcor, and Fernando Alfon. He also wrote the Rosas Pandan.[6][7]
In 1935, he co-founded Cebu Musical Dramatic Art Studio together with Fernando Alfon and Vicente Castillo. The organization's aim was to develop the arts in Cebu.[3]
Kabahar's stages plays were influenced by Rodriguez,[8] with the distinction that Kabahar wrote comedy while Rodriguez wrote reflective drama.[9] Gugma sa Inahan (Mother's Love) was considered the best among his works that featured themes of national independence and criticism on the effects of colonization.[8]
Director
editKabahar was the writer and director of the first Cebuano moving picture, Bertoldo ug Balodoy in 1939[3][10] and Rosas Pandan.[4]
Journalism
editAside from writing and directing, he also edited Cebuano section of the periodicals La Revolucion, La Solidaridad, El Espectador, and The Advertiser. He was editor in chief of the following publications: Ang Bandila, Ang Buhat, Ang Sidlakan, and The Freeman, as well as publisher of the newspapers Ang Katarungan, Juan dela Cruz, El Espectador, Nasud, The Freeman, and Ang Tigmantala.[3]
His column in The Freeman entitled Katawa (Laughter) was a popular humorous section of the periodical in the late 1920s, which formed part of the Bertoldo ug Balodoy that he would create years later.[11]
Cebu municipal board
editKabahar also served as secretary to the Municipal Board of Cebu[12] and became member of the council from 1932 until 1962.[3]
Later years
editHe was awarded Rizal Pro Patria Award on June 19, 1961. He died on March 7, 1977, a largely forgotten man.[13]
Historical commemoration
edit- A street in Guadalupe, Cebu City was named in his honor.[14]
Works
editZarzuelas
edit- Nagun-uba sa Lan- git (1917)
- Ang Ismirismis (1919)
- Hm! (1919)
- Alaut(1919)
- Fe, Esperanza, Caridad (1920)
- Fifi (1929)
- Gugma sa Inahan (1933)
- Mr ug Mrs (1940)
Plays
edit- Limbong ni Tintay (1916)
- Miss Dolying (1920)
- Kasingkasing (1921)
- Aling Pulana (1923)
- Santo Papa (1931)
- Sinakit (1933)
- Tulo Ka Adlaw sa Langit (1933)
Films
edit- Bertoldo ug Balodoy (1939)
- Rosas Pandan
Further reading
edit- Studies in pre-war Sugbuanon theatre: the first series, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Development, University of the Philippines (2001).[15]
- Ramas, Wilhelmina. Sugbuanon Theatre from Sotto to Rodriguez and Kabahar: An Introduction to Pre-war Sugbuanon Drama, University of California (2008)[16]
References
edit- ^ "Kabahar, Pio".
- ^ Montgomery, Denise L. (August 11, 2011). Ottemiller's Index to Plays in Collections: An Author and Title Index to Plays Appearing in Collections Published since 1900. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810877214.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Kabahar, Pio". CulturEd: Philippine Cultural Education Online. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
- ^ a b Mojares, Resil B. (1975). Cebuano Literature: A Survey and Bio-Bibliography with Finding List. Cebu City: University of San Carlos. pp. 147–148.
- ^ Alburo, Erlinda K. (April 14, 2015). "Cebuano Literature in the Philippines". ncca.gov.ph. National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
- ^ "The truth about Rosas Pandan". The Philippine Star. January 8, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2019 – via PressReader.
- ^ Kabahar, Piux A. (1955). "Rosas Pangdan" (dula nga may tolo ka akto, hinonihan) (in Tagalog). Pio A. Kabahar.
- ^ a b Ang, Gertrudes R. (1973). "Three Cebuano Playwrights: Case Studies in Emergent Nationalism". Philippine Quarterly of Culture and Society. 1 (2): 80–85. ISSN 0115-0243. JSTOR 29791058.
- ^ Palafox, Filemon; Ramas, Wilhelmina Q. (1987). Philippine Drama: Twelve Plays in Six Philippine Languages. NSTA-Assisted UPS Integrated Research Program "A", University of the Philippines. ISBN 9789711043025.
- ^ DEOCAMPO, NICK (September 19, 2017). Early Cinema in Asia. Indiana University Press. ISBN 9780253034441.
- ^ "The Freeman: The Early Years (Some Unknown Facts) (Conclusion)". philstar.com. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
- ^ "The salaries and expenses of the Cebu City Government in 1945 | The Freeman". philstar.com. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
- ^ Montgomery, Denise L. (August 11, 2011). Ottemiller's Index to Plays in Collections: An Author and Title Index to Plays Appearing in Collections Published since 1900. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810877214.
- ^ Oaminal, Clarence Paul (February 14, 2018). "Rufino B. Noel, The FREEMAN editor". The Freeman. Retrieved May 25, 2019 – via PressReader.
- ^ "Filipinas Heritage Library | Biblio". www.filipinaslibrary.org.ph. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
- ^ Ramas, Wilhelmina Q. (1982). Sugbuanon Theatre from Sotto to Rodriguez and Kabahar: An Introduction to Pre-war Sugbuanon Drama. Asian Center.