Biography Contributions Awards

Early Life Appeared in several films like: Awards She Received were:
Born in Pandacan, Manila on Dugong Silangan (1930)
1902, she was orphaned at an early age. She Ay Kalisud (1938)
Panitik ng Kababaihan (1950)
grew up under the care of an elder sister who Batong Buhay (1950)
was married to a zarzuela composer where she Ang Buhay at Pagibig ni Dr. Jose Rizal (1956)
Kababaihan ng Lahi (1975)
was constantly exposed to the zarzuela.
Diwa ng Lahi (1974)
At the age of 7, she was already
Popularized the songs:
starring in Spanish zarzuelas such as Mascota,
Presidential Medal of Merit
Sueño de un Vals, and Marina Bituing Marikit
At 14 she played Angelita in Madaling Araw (1966)
“Dalagang Bukid”, a zarzuela in 1917 and Mutya ng Pasig
popularized the song “Nabasag ang Banga”. Anak Dalita Sagisag ng Lungsod ng Maynila
The show was made into a movie in 1919, the
first Tagalog full length feature movie. She was Wrote skits in Spanish, English (1964)
so popular in her role as a simple maid turned and Tagalog, including:
flirt in “Ang Kiri” that it was immortalized in Reyna ng Kundiman at Mutya
the film “Mahiwagang Binibini”. Hele-Hele
Kabayanihan ng Dulang Tagalog (1963)
American Occupation Milagros ng Birhen
Queen of the Kundiman and
During the American
occupation of the Philippines, Atang de la Wrote short stories in Tagalog Prima Donna of Filipino
Rama fought for the dominance of the such as:
kundiman, an important Philippine folk song, Theater (1968)
and the sarsuela, which is a musical play that Doon sa Dakong Timog
focused on contemporary Filipino issues such Sa Malayang Lupain Tandang Sora Trophy (1977)
as usury, cockfighting, and colonial mentality. Nakukubling Tala
Walang Kupas Awards(1982)
Japanese Occupation Wrote Four Operetta, namely:
Ateneo de Manila University
During the Japanese Bulaklak sa Kabundukan
occupation, she did her patriotic duty by Aking Ina Tanglaw ng Lahi (1982)
carrying secret messages, often hidden in her Anak ni Eva
hairdo, back and forth to the Filipino guerillas. Puri at Buhay
 Generations of Filipino Atang de la Rama Also
artists and audiences consider made an effort to bring the
Atang de la Rama’s vocal and kundiman and sarsuela to the
acting talents as responsible for indigenous peoples of the
much of the success of original Philippines such as the Igorots, the
Filipino sarsuelas like Dalagang Aetas, and the Mangyans. She was
Bukid, and dramas like Veronidia. also at the forefront of introducing
Filipino culture to foreign
She has also
audiences. At the height of her
been a theatrical Hailed as career, she sang kundimans and
producer, writer
Queen other Filipino songs in concerts in
and talent
such cities as Hawaii, San
manager. She
of the Francisco, Los Angeles, New York
was the producer
and the writer of Kundiman
City, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Honorata
Tokyo.
plays such as
Anak ni Eva and and of
“Atang”
On May 8, 1987, “for
Bulaklak
Kabundukan.
ng
Sarsuela her sincere devotion to original De La
Filipino theater and music, her
Atang in 1979 outstanding artistry as singer, and Rama
believed that art as sarsuela actress-playwright-
should be for everyone; not only producer, her tireless efforts to National Artist for
did she perform in major Manila bring her art to all sectors of Theater and Music
theaters such as the Teatro Filipino society and to the world,”
Libertad and the Teatro Zorilla, President Corazon C. Aquino
but also in cockpits and open proclaimed Atang de la Ramaa
plazas in Luzon, the Visayas, and National Artist of the Philippines
Mindanao. for Theater and Music