Tagalog Song Used in Lee Min Ho’s Upcoming Movie

I have just watched the teaser trailer of Lee Min Ho’s new movie entitled, “Gangnam Blues”, and was intrigued upon hearing a familiar song from the Philippines being played at the beginning. The song, written by Filipino folk icon Freddie Aguilar, is not just any song, but it became so popular both locally and internationally that it was translated into 26 languages. It’s a song that we, as daughters and sons, can all relate to, because it talks about “us”, our parents and the sacrifices they have to make in raising us. It is said that Aguilar wrote the emotional song to express regret for disobeying his parents and to reconcile with his ailing father

Can you guess what the song is?

Yes, it’s “Anak“.

I can’t be certain if “Anak” is the movie’s theme song or if the lyrics of the song have something to do with the plot, but here’s the synopsis:

In the 1970s, during the height of political corruption, Gangnam, the southern part of Seoul is starting to be transformed into a developed area. Childhood friends Jong-dae and Yong-ki struggle to get by, until their shanty homes are demolished by local thugs. Desperate for cash, they get involved in violent political clashes, and are separated during one of the skirmishes. Three years later, Jong-dae lives as an honest man with former gang leader Kil-su. Meanwhile, Yong-ki has joined Seoul’s most powerful criminal organization, the Myeongdong-pa. As a gangster, Yong-ki is entangled in a high-stakes battle over land in Gangnam, all in the name of putting together secret presidential election funds that drive up the value of the city. As the gangs fight over the rights to various plots of land, Yong-ki is captured and interrogated by a rival gang.

I wonder why they didn’t use the Korean version of “Anak”. Many Koreans are familiar with the song. You can find it in most Korean videokes.