Santiago was born in Santa Maria, Bulacan, Philippines, to musically-minded peasant parents, Felipe Santiago and Maria Santiago.
The Kundiman came around to be an art song at the end of the nineteenth century and by the early part of the twentieth century, its musical structure was formalised by Filipino composers such as Francisco Santiago and Nicanor Abelardo (February 7, 1893-March 21, 1934); they sought poetry for their lyrics, blending verse and music in equal parts.
Its first dean Francisco Santiago, who hails from the town of Sta. Maria, Bulacan, Philippines, is referred to as The Father of Kundiman Art Song.
San Francisco | Santiago | San Francisco Giants | San Francisco 49ers | San Francisco Chronicle | San Francisco Museum of Modern Art | San Francisco Bay Area | San Francisco Bay | San Francisco Opera | Santiago de Chile | San Francisco Symphony | Santiago de Compostela | Francisco Goya | University of California, San Francisco | Santiago del Estero | Santiago de Cuba | San Francisco Ballet | University of San Francisco | The Streets of San Francisco | San Francisco State University | Santiago de los Caballeros | San Francisco International Airport | San Francisco Art Institute | Presidio of San Francisco | Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco | Santiago Calatrava | Francisco de Quevedo | University of Santiago de Compostela | 1906 San Francisco earthquake | São Francisco River |