Aguilar first began performing in public in 1973, when he auditioned and was hired to play folk songs at per gig at the Hobbit House in
Ermita,
Manila.
International acclaim Aguilar's "
Anak" not only broke the Philippine record charts in 1979, but it also hit the no. 1 spot in Japan and achieved considerable popularity in other countries as Angola, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and parts of Western Europe.
Billboard reported that the song was the number two world hit of the 1980s. According to
Billboard, Aguilar was the second best-selling recording artist of 1981 in Europe. As of 2006, it was unsurpassed as the highest-selling record in Philippine music history.
Political activism Even before Aguilar's rendition of "Bayan Ko," Aguilar created and performed songs targeted at social injustices. His album
Magdalena included the title track about a girl forced into prostitution due to poverty, and "Mindanao", about the
Christian-Muslim clashes in
that island. After the album, Aguilar also sang about the injustices suffered by the powerless, poverty, and the arrogance of
superpowers in a song titled "U.S.A., Russia" Some of the songs that caused him to be banned from mainstream media include: "Kata-rungan" () speaking for the unjustly accused, "Pangako" () a leader's unfulfilled pledges to an abandoned people, and "Luzviminda", a portmanteau for the country's three major island groups—
Luzon,
Visayas, and
Mindanao—calling on Filipinos to wake up to the reality of oppression. One of the songs he was most remembered for during that time was his interpretation of "
Bayan Ko" (), in which he added a verse to the original piece.
"Bayan Ko" (My Country) In 1978, Aguilar first recorded "Bayan Ko" in a patriotic effort to, in his words, "jolt back those who were starting to forget who we really are." The song was originally composed in 1928 by Constancio de Guzman, with lyrics by poet
Jose Corazon de Jesus, during a time of struggle for Philippine independence from US occupation. It emerged once again during the Marcos regime as the unofficial anthem of the emergent "people" of the "People Power", the new democratic nation opposed to authoritarianism that was widely credited with the deposing of
Ferdinand Marcos. During the performance, Freddie Aguilar did not feel scared anymore and felt strong and confident. Aguilar still lived in the Philippines, and continued to perform. He moved to his own place dubbed "Ka Freddie's". He always had a strong following in the Philippines and among many
Filipinos living overseas. Aguilar advocated for the creation of a new department called the "Department of Culture and Arts." During the
campaign and subsequent
inauguration of President
Rodrigo Duterte, Aguilar performed "Para sa Tunay na Pagbabago", which was one of Duterte's campaign jingles to the tune of "Ipaglalaban Ko". Aguilar was President Duterte's favorite singer. Aguilar ran for
senator in
2019. Though running as an independent candidate, his candidacy was endorsed by President Duterte. However, he lost, placing 30th out of 12 seats up for election. In his later years, Aguilar served as National Executive Vice President of the
Partido Federal ng Pilipinas. == Artistry ==