About the song:

“Flor de Manila", also known as “Sampaguita”, is of the Habanera genre (also known as Contradanza or Danza) composed by Dolores Paterno. It was popular during the end of the 19th century and the early period of the American Commonwealth. It has since been considered a Philippine romantic classic. The lyrics were translated from the original Spanish written by Pedro Paterno into Tagalog by the Filipino National Artist Levi Celerio.

An arrangement of the song by Rosendo E. Santos, Jr. was also included in the repertoire of the Harvard Glee Club, during their tour of the Philippines in 1961. It is sung by the Graduating Students of Centro Escolar University during their Annual Sampaguita Interlude as their closing number.

This song was also performed by the Hispano-Filipino scholar Guillermo Gómez y Rivera in the LP entitled Nostalgia filipina, where his vocal interpretation is accompanied by a rondalla. The version in this video is this aforementioned recording.

About the composer:

Dolores Paterno y Ignacio (anglicized as Dolores Ignacio Paterno or Dolores Paterno-Ignacio) was born on March 10, 1854 in Santa Cruz, Manila, Philippines. She was one of the thirteen children of Maximo Molo Agustin Paterno and Carmina de Vera Ignacio.

Dolores Paterno came from the wealthy interrelated mestizo de sangley families of Paterno, Molo, and Agustin. She was the sister of Dr. Pedro Alejandro Paterno, a Filipino politician, poet, and novelist. Her sisters and stepsisters, Agueda, Jacoba, Paz, Concepcion, and Adelaida, were celebrated painters and jewelers whose works were exhibited at the Exposición Regional de Filipinas in Manila in 1895 and at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904. She was also related to the Asuncion brothers, among them Justiniano Asuncion who painted her portrait in 1870.

Musically inclined at a young age, she was sent by her parents to the Santa Isabel College, Manila, an all-girls Catholic school managed by the Daughters of Charity. She devoted much of her time to learning the piano. In 1879, at the age of 25 she composed her only known work, "La Flor de Manila" ('The Flower of Manila'), inspired by the sampaguita flower. The lyrics were by her brother Pedro Paterno, based on a poem of the same title written by their mother.

She died at the age of 27 on July 3, 1881.

(https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolor...)

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SOURCES

Audio recording:    • La flor de Manila / Sampaguita  

Images:

“Flag of Spain (1785-1873, 1875-1931)”. Retrieved from https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/...

“Coat of Arms of Spain under the House of Bourbon”. Retrieved from https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/...

“Jasminum sambac” uploaded by Ysabelle Saguin via Pinterest. Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/69095076...

“Dolores Paterno y Ignacio (oil on canvas, 1870)” uploaded by Justiniano Asuncion via Facebook. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/JustinianoAs...