The “Palengke” of Manila’s Musicians: A Hidden Chapter in the City’s Cultural Life

" Palengke ng mga Musiko" - Located in the busy section of Rizal Avenue (Avenida Rizal) corner Raon St. (now Gonzalo Puyat St.) 

It is one of the most colorful episodes in Manila’s music scene, and yet it remains largely undiscussed—hidden, perhaps, due to the informal nature of how it came to be. In a time before technology could be employed to book artists for performances, there existed a place aptly referred to as the palengke—a Tagalog term derived from the Mexican Spanish palengke, meaning marketplace. However, in this particular “market,” one did not purchase goods. Instead, it served as a one-stop venue where one could hire musicians for various engagements. In essence, it was a place where one “bought” talent. The story of Manila’s palengke is arguably one of the most unique narratives in the city’s cultural history.

The palengke no longer exists. It was once located on the second floor of a building at the corner of Rizal Avenue and Raon Street (now Gonzalo Puyat Avenue). Who went there, and who lingered in its halls? These were musicians without a current engagement—those actively seeking work, whether for local gigs, overseas contracts, or recording sessions. It was also a hub for nombradors—small-time impresarios—who would come to recruit artists for their clientele.

One informant, a bass player now residing in the United States, recalled:

Sa kanto ng Avenida Rizal at Raon. May billaran sa second floor. Every Monday ang mga nombrahan doon.. Hindi ko na alam ang pangalan kasi pag liko mo ng Raon at Avenida, kanto yon, akyat ka na sa hagdan. 

Aba, doon ako nakaka kuha ng harang noon! Masaya doon. Merong maliit na restaurant sa dulo ng billaran, pwede ka order nr beer at pansit, pero mostly laro lang talaga.1979 June doon ko nakuha yong byahe ko sa Japan first time.Doon na yata nagsimula ang “japayuki” term. Sa lalaki naman ang tawag ay “kurakot.

“At the corner of Avenida Rizal and Raon, there was a billiard hall on the second floor. Every Monday, the nombrahan took place there. I can’t recall the name of the place anymore, but when you turn from Raon to Avenida, it’s right at the corner, and you immediately see the stairs.

Ah, that’s where I used to get my harang! It was a fun place. At the far end of the billiard hall, there was a small eatery where you could order beer and pancit, but most of the time it was really just for playing. In June 1979, that’s where I got my first trip to Japan. That might have been when the term japayuki started. For men, the term used was kurakot.”

Another musician, a saxophonist, gave a similar recollection:

"Yun ang meeting place at nombrahan ng iba’t ibang musician—brass, woodwinds, strings, male at female vocalists, variety, at sa recording at teatro. Tirso Cruz at Carding Cruz ‘yung high-profile noon. Diyan din ako kinuha sa orchestra nung araw—20 pesos, malaki na ‘yon noong 1973–74. Mga 17 o 18 years old lang ako noon. 

 Galing ako Rizal Park Concert Band, member ako noon. Binuo ‘ni Imelda (Marcos) ‘yon—62 pieces kami noon, parang symphonic concert band: tympani, bassoon, oboe, alto clarinet, bass clarinet. Classical at movie themes ang mga piyesa, puro original galing Amerika. Sa show, may dalawang sistema: basahan, at meron din tawag noon na “teng,” “taengahan,” o “sa dahon.” Pero panalo kung marunong ka bumasa ng nota noong araw, kasi sa show hindi puwede ‘yung ouido."

“That was the meeting place and nombrahan of different kinds of musicians—brass, woodwinds, strings, male and female vocalists, variety performers, and those in recording and theater. Tirso Cruz and Carding Cruz were the high-profile names back then. That’s also where I got hired for the orchestra in those days—20 pesos, which was already a big amount in 1973–74. I was only about 17 or 18 years old then.

I came from the Rizal Park Concert Band, where I was a member. Imelda had formed that group—it was 62 pieces, like a symphonic concert band: tympani, bassoon, oboe, alto clarinet, bass clarinet. The pieces were classical and movie themes, all original arrangements from the US.

In the shows, there were two systems: basahan (sight-reading), and another one they called teng, tengahan, (ouido or playing by ear). But you really had the edge if you could read musical notation in those days, because in shows, playing purely by ear wasn’t allowed.”

 There is still a narrative suggesting that the palengke remained active well into the late 1980s and early 1990s. However, with the advent of modern communication technology—and eventually the internet—the way musicians were booked began to change. This shift in systems and practices promptly brought an end to the old method of hiring at that establishment. Today, few people, even among artists, remember that once-bustling hub.

These accounts provide a rare glimpse into a now-vanished institution—an informal yet highly functional labor market for musicians that played a vital role in sustaining the performance culture of Manila during the 1970s. The palengke was more than a meeting point; it was a living network of talent, opportunity, and negotiation, all conducted within the smoky, convivial atmosphere of a second-floor restaurant and billiard hall.

FOOTNOTES

1. Palengke – from Mexican Spanish palengque (marketplace) which could mean a public market or enclosed place for trade. In Philippine context, it generally means a wet market, but in this usage, it is a metaphorical “market” for musicians.

2. Nombrador – from Spanish nombrar (“to name” or “to appoint”), referring to small-scale talent recruiters or impresarios who “name” or assign musicians to gigs.

3. Nombrahan – refers to the informal practice of booking musicians for parties, private events, weddings , parties and other performances.

4. Harang – literally “to block” or “to intercept.” In Filipino musician slang, it refers to securing a gig or engagement, often by leaving or foregoing a regular commitment in favor of a shorter engagement that offers higher pay.

5.Japayuki – colloquial term that emerged in the late 1970s to describe Filipino women working in entertainment in Japan, often as singers, dancers, or hostesses. Its usage later broadened, sometimes pejoratively, to refer to migrant entertainers in general.

6.Kurakot – in general Tagalog, “corrupt” or “thief”; in this context, slang for male entertainers or band members recruited for overseas gigs, sometimes implying opportunistic behavior.

7. Basahan – literally “to read”; in the musical sense, refers to sight-reading a score, playing a piece directly from written notation without prior rehearsal.

8. Tengahan / Ouido – informal musician jargon. From Spanish term "oido" meaning playing by ear