\"Alila\" is a prewar recording by \"Dely Atay-atayan\" (Adela Fernando in real life) and her husband \"Andoy Balun-balunan\" (Alejandro Villegas). Audio from a vintage 78 RPM shellac phonograph record published by Columbia Records.
The song begins with a comic repartee between Dely Atay-atayan and Andoy Balun-balunan followed by a Tagalog Kundiman finale sung by Atay-atayan that may be interpreted as a metaphor for the colonial condition (the Philippines was a U.S. territory from 1898 to 1941):
ALILA
Ang buhay ng alila kahit binubusabos
Minsan-minsan dinadalaw ng ginhawa ng loob
Gaya ng bayan natin kahit na nakagapos
Sa Araw ng mga Bayani nagpupuring lubos.
Gaya niyaring aking abang kalagayan
Sa lahat ng sandali ay inuutusan
Ngunit kung sumapit ang ganitong araw
Ang mga hirap ko ay malulunasan!
=========== =========
DELY ATAY-ATAYAN
(1914- 2004)
Dely Atay-Atayan (March 17, 1914 -- August 30, 2004), born Adelaida Fernando, was a Filipina comedian and singer. Her career in entertainment spanned seven decades, beginning in bodabil and ending in television.
Atay-Atayan was born in Tondo, Manila. One of her younger brothers, Ading Fernando, would grow up to be a prominent television comedian and director.
Atay-Atayan had completed her second year in high school when she broke into showbusiness as a kundiman singer at the Palace Theater in Manila. From 1930 to 1934, she toured with a bodabil troupe, billing herself as \"The Queen of Laughs\".She made her film debut in 1940 with Lakambini, where she played opposite her husband, comedian Andoy Balunbalunan. After Balunbalunan's death, she married Catalino Ong.
From 1940 until 1994, Atay-Atayan appeared in over 300 films. She was also a popular comedian on radio, starring in programs such as Tangtarang-Tang. She formed a comedic quartet with Pugak, Lopito and Doro de los Ojos, calling themselves \"Ancient Fox\".
Her most famous later role was as Doña Delilah, the wealthy, imperious and disapproving mother-in-law of John Puruntong (Dolphy) in the RPN sitcom John En Marsha, which was created by her brother Ading and ran for seventeen years. Her portrayal proved as the definitive \"mother-in-law\" archetype in Filipino popular culture. Her famous tag-line, uttered without fail in every episode to John Puruntong, was a scathing admonition: \"Kaya ikaw John, magsumikap ka!\". She also played as Vic Sotto's mother from the town of Tiaong, Quezon in also a popular sitcom Iskul Bukol. Famous for her term of endearment \"Bunsooyy!\" whenever addressing Vic. The root word \"bunso\" is Tagalog for youngest child.
Atay-Atayan retired in the mid-1990s. She had been bedridden for two years prior to her death in 2004.
SOURCE:
Cultural Center of the Philippines Encyclopedia of Philippine Art. VIII pp. 204--205.
