Batawa

This song called “Batawa” could be one of the most favorite Igorot song as far as the Kankanaey locals are concerned. If I remember it right, I was still in high school when I heard this song being aired on the local radios as well as sang in local bars. I also heard it being sang wildly in canteens where the old folks are having their drinking spree.

Although its melody is an adaptation of an old English song its lyrics was beautifully written in an almost unadulterated Kankana-ey dialect – no mixtures of Ilocano and Tagalog terms as compared to most modern Igorot songs composed by younger generations these days.

Batawa was performed by Juanito Cadangen during his youthful days. Okay so here’s an “MTV”  or a video of it which I found at YouTube while searching for Igorot songs.

Here’s the lyrics.

BATAWA
Nu masdem san batawa
Kaman wada ka ay mail-ila
Amed nu masdem
Ay adi kan dumateng
Sik’ay eyak nenemnemen

Man pospusipus san nemnem ko
Problemak ken sik-a ay palalo
Engka ed kanan
Ay maidak sin nemnem mo
Pulos maid ubpay ti seg-ang mo

Chorus:

Nu kuma nu inbagbagam
Ay man-an-anap ka si baknang
Ta adiyak nailawan ay nangibagbaga
San layad ko ken sik-a ay(et) tit-iwa

Maseng-ang kuma si Kabunyan
Ta esa ak ay ususdungam
Tanu wada kasin
Di laydek ay balasang
Ya adin kapogpugsat din tulagan

[Chorus]

Nanna-ay et anggay di dawat ko
Ta sapay kuma ken diyos apo
Ta sungbatan na
Nan esang ay dawat ko
Ay anak di baknang di kagasat mo!

[Chorus]

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