# Villar Records

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**Villar Records** is a Filipino record label owned by Mareco, Inc. which also owns the Mabuhay Records label. It was launched in 1950[1] by the late Manuel P. Villar who was known as the "Father of Philippine Recording" for pioneering the recording of original Pilipino music or [OPM](/source/Original_Pilipino_Music). He was also the first president of the Record Industry Association of the Philippines (RIAP).[2]

Mareco, Inc. bought original compositions from various Filipino artists and commercially produced recordings of numerous folk songs, *[Kundiman](/source/Kundiman)*, *balitaw* and other traditional music from different regions of the Philippines, keeping indigenous music alive in the 1950s and 1960s in the face of American and British imports.[3] It also produced ethnic sounds of the [Ilocos](/source/Ilocos), [Cebu](/source/Cebu), [Iloilo](/source/Iloilo), [Cordillera](/source/Cordillera), [Tausug](/source/Taus%C5%ABg_people) and [Maranao](/source/Maranao) tribes. All these indigenous music recordings were marketed under the labels Mabuhay Records and Villar Records. The company was first to produce a recording of the [Philippine National Anthem](/source/Philippine_National_Anthem).

It has released prolific amounts of recordings from certain of its artists, to the point where it was noted internationally in *Billboard*. Villar released 18 albums of organ music in a single year from artist [Relly Coloma](https://tl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relly_Coloma), who surpassed the record held by the [Mabuhay Singers](/source/Mabuhay_Singers).[4] Coloma released 50 albums by early 1971, all on Villar.[5]

Mareco, Inc. is currently managed by Luis P. Villar from its offices in Tirad Pass, Sta. Mesa Heights, Quezon City, Philippines (the studios of radio station [105.1 Crossover](/source/DWBM-FM) — now as 105.1 Brigada News FM, which is owned by the [Mareco Broadcasting Network, Inc.](/source/Mareco_Broadcasting_Network,_Inc.) is also located here). The company's extensive collection of music recordings is globally distributed through Villar Records International from offices in [Manila](/source/Manila), Philippines and [Los Angeles](/source/Los_Angeles), United States.

## Artists

- [Sylvia La Torre](/source/Sylvia_La_Torre)
- [Ruben Tagalog](/source/Ruben_Tagalog)
- [Diomedes Maturan](/source/Diomedes_Maturan)
- [Bobby Gonzales](https://tl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Gonzalez)
- [Ric Manrique Jr.](/source/Ric_Manrique_Jr.)
- Leo Valdez
- Pedro Concepcion[6]
- [Pilita Corrales](/source/Pilita_Corrales)
- Sampaguita
- [Nora Aunor](/source/Nora_Aunor)
- Nora Hermosa Pacres
- [Carmen Camacho](/source/Carmen_Camacho_(singer))
- Raye Lucero[7]
- [Mabuhay Singers](/source/Mabuhay_Singers)
- [Cely Bautista](https://tl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cely_Bautista)
- [Hotdog](/source/Hotdog_(band))
- [Relly Coloma](https://tl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relly_Coloma)
- Roland Valentino
- Carmelita Alburo
- Flor Ocampo

## References

1. Letts, Richard (2003). [*The Effects of Globalisation on Music in Five Contrasting Countries: Australia, Germany, Nigeria, the Philippines and Uruguay*](http://www.mca.org.au/fileadmin/user_upload/PDFs/mmresfinal.pdf). [Music Council of Australia](/source/Music_Council_of_Australia). Retrieved October 24, 2010.

1. Yson, Danny. ["The Recording Industry at a Glance".](http://www.pari.com.ph/articles_industry.html) *PARI.com.ph.* Accessed August 8, 2016. Contains excerpts from the book *The Recording of Pilipino Music*.

1. Rodell, Paul A. (2002). [*Culture and customs of the Philippines*](https://archive.org/details/culturecustomsof00rod_75f/page/184). [Greenwood Publishing Group](/source/Greenwood_Publishing_Group). pp. [184–185](https://archive.org/details/culturecustomsof00rod_75f/page/184). ISBN 978-0-313-30415-6.

1. Salazar, Oskar.["18th Album for Coloma"](https://books.google.com/books?id=dCkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA77). *Billboard Magazine*. June 6, 1970. Retrieved from Google Books. p. 77.

1. ["Villar Prepares Strong Push on Coloma Album"](https://books.google.com/books?id=8QgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA78). *Billboard Magazine*. January 16, 1971. Retrieved from Google Books. p. 78.

1. ["Pedro Concepcion Philippine Memories LP Album"](https://www.ebay.com/itm/PEDRO-CONCEPCION-Guitarist-Philippine-Memories-FOLK-OPM-LP-Vinyl-Record/205591512510) (in en-PH), *[eBay](/source/EBay)*, 1959, retrieved 2025-10-24

1. ["Raye Lucero Ilocano Songs LP Album (Mono Version)"](https://www.ebay.com/itm/Philippines-RAYE-LUCERO-Ilocano-Songs-OPM-LP-Vinyl-Record/377080492119) (in en-PH), *[eBay](/source/EBay)*, 1964, retrieved 2026-04-07

## External links

- [Official website](http://www.villarmusic.com/)
- [Affiliates of Villar Records](https://web.archive.org/web/20100327222609/http://pinoytunes.net/singleAffiliate.do?affiliateId=5)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Villar Records](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villar_Records) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villar_Records?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.