Villar Music
Welcome to our new website for VillarMusic.com.
Phone: 626 263-0258
Email: info@villarmusic.com
Don Manolo Villar is a perfect combination of a man of great creative ability and business wizardry. He proved to be good both as co-founder and executive of the durable company known as L.R. Villar Recording Company established in 1950.
Through Villar Records he saw his dream as a creative man fulfilled. Without doubt, he ranks as one of the country’s pioneers in the recording business.
But Don Manolo’s multi-faceted talent have always remained hidden from the public’s view except to those who know him well. He was highly instrumental in giving the necessary breaks to a number of struggling local talents like Leopoldo Silos, Ruben Tagalog, Sylvia la Torre, Pilita Corarales, Cely Bautista, Mabuhay Singers and still many others. Most of the lyrics of the compositions these local artists recorded were written by him. Of the more than 80 numbers he had written the most popular are “Di Ba’t Ako’y Tao Ring May Damdamin”, “Diyos Lamang ang Nakakaalam”, “Mahiwaga”, “Walang Kapantay”, and many more.
Aside from being hailed as the “maker of music artists”, Don Manolo holds the reputation of being the owner of a collection of “priceless compositions – 1.200 in all – which he intends to leave to his heirs.
From a modest beginning, Villar Records took the risk of championing the cause of Filipino Music. Perhaps it was his strong sense of nationalism which prodded him to invest his money in local talents at the time when Filipinos were listening and dancing mostly to western music. Don Manoling boosted the career of Filipino singers by turning them into recording artists. Eventually he earned the title as the Father of Philippine Recording. He has gathered numerous awards and citations for this pioneering efforts in promoting and propagating Philippine music. For his efforts Don Manoling became the first president of the Philippine Recording Industry Association (PRIA).
All told, Don Manolo’s musical career has become very much a part of and a significant contribution in the enhancement and promotion of Filipino music which the Philippine Music Industry has always acknowledged and there honorably recognizes. A recipient of the First Cecil Awards Don Manolo Villar was chosen as one of the distinguished men of the Philippine Music Industry to be inducted in the roll of honor of the HALL OF FAME for music.