Ferdinand Pascual Aguilar was born in February 5, 1953. His pinched brown face, chinky eyes, buri hat and guitar perpetually slung from one shoulder became familiar to folk music audiences.
In 1973, he married his girlfriend Josephine Quiepo. They have children and one of them is young singer Maegan Aguilar.
A native of Isabela, Freddie took up Electrical Engineering at De Guzman Institute of Technology but failed to finish his course due to his hectic schedule.
His song “Anak” has won an enduring place in the Filipino consciousness for its familial message and folk pop music. So famous was the song that various artists translated it in Japanese, Malay, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Spanish, Italian, English, French, German and Dutch. “Anak” won gold, platinum, and double platinum record awards in 1978.
His songs contain sociopolitical images and themes. Among them are “Bulag, Pipi at Bingi,” “Magdalena”, “Olongapo,” “Trabaho,” and “Estudyante Blues.” His ballads include “Ipaglalaban Ko,” Kamusta Ka?” “Minamahal Kita.” Freddie’s rendition of the Constancio de Guzman and Jose Corazon de Jesus original “Bayan Ko” was the theme song of anti-Marcos protesters. “Bayan Ko” won the Cecil Awards for Folk Vocal Performance of the Year.
International folk and country singers Kenny Loggins, Michael Mc Donald and James Taylor inspired Freddie’s musical themes.
In 2000, the song “Anak” inspired Star Cinema to produce a movie of the same title. The movie starred Vilma Santos and Claudine Barreto and became a blockbuster hit that year.
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