No discussion of 80s "bombam" entertainment is complete without the music. The bomba film genre had a symbiotic relationship with disco. The soundtrack of a typical bomba film featured:
In 1983, the assassination of Benigno Aquino Jr. triggered a capital flight that sank the Philippine economy into its worst recession since World War II. Unemployment reached 20% by 1985; underemployment—the kouncut (under-cut) worker—hovered near 50%. The kouncutpinoy was the man selling cigarettes on jeepney routes, the jeepney driver himself working 18-hour shifts, the tenant farmer evicted by militarization. His asawa (wife) had to stretch utong (cassava) into three meals, send children to scavenge in dumpsites, and often take on labandera (laundry) or tindera (vendor) work. The term mokalaguyo —likely a corrupted form of makalaguyo (to be ensnared or entangled) or makalaguyo in Cebuano meaning “to be confused”—captures the spouse’s emotional state: trapped between loyalty to a failing husband and the need to survive.
However, the magic happened when creative DJs got a hold of it. They took the audio clip and gave it the —adding heavy bass, synthesizers, and that nostalgic "Manila Sound" beat that makes you want to dance while crying.
: The 80s was the golden era of Original Pilipino Music (OPM). Artists like APO Hiking Society, The Eraserheads, and solo artists such as Lea Salonga and Jose Mari Chan were at the forefront of the music scene. Their songs often touched on themes of love, social issues, and the aspirations of the youth.