My Chamorrans
Johnny Sablan’s 1970 album, My Chamorrans, marked a rise in popularity and desire for Chamorro music. At the time, Chamorros (the Indigenous peoples of the Mariana Islands) on the island of Guam were widely consuming music in English, and most of the popular music on the island was imported from the U.S. My Chamorrans consists of 11 songs, many traditional songs rearranged and re-lyricized by Sablan. The album cover and layout were designed by Art Benson, who was a songwriter and later the owner of Celestial Records.
The cover shows a black and white photo of a shirtless Johnny Sablan atop a latte stone among coconut trees. Latte stones were large stone pillars ancient Chamorros used to build their homes atop. Today, the latte stone serves as a representation of Chamorro pride and culture. I believe including a latte stone on the cover is a part of Sablan’s musical quest to invoke pride in Chamorro culture.
The backside notes of the album sleeve contain a letter from the governor of Guam at that time, Carlos G. Camacho, praising Sablan’s efforts to “preserve Chamorro heritage.” Each song title lists an English translation of the title and a description of each song. I would consider the English explanations of each song a nod to Chamorros, who wished to embrace the music but did not speak Chamorro. A 1920s ban on the Chamorro language while the island was under U.S. Naval Rule contributed to the significant shift in language and prioritized English as the primary language among Chamorros.
While Sablan’s music, and the music of many Chamorro artists from this period, may not have gained wide popularity stateside, his music has a long-lasting impact on Chamorro music today and the album design’s inclusion of cultural symbols and the use of Chamorro language cement this work as a significant part of Chamorro history.
Johnny Sablan - My Chamorrans, 1970. https://www.discogs.com/release/11783243-Johnny-Sablan-My-ChamorransLinks to an external site..
Discogs. “Hafa Adai Records.” Accessed November 6, 2023. https://www.discogs.com/label/884167-Hafa-Adai-Records.
Clement Jr, Michael. “Chamorro Country Songs: Cross-Cultural Translation in Post-World War II Chamorro Music.” Perfect Beat 16, no. 1–2 (2015): 29–49. doi:10.1558/prbt.v16i1-2.22321.
“Johnny Sablan - Guampedia,” August 29, 2011. https://www.guampedia.com/johnny-sablan/Links to an external site..
Clement Jr, Michael. “Chamorro Country Songs: Cross-Cultural Translation in Post-World War II Chamorro Music.” Perfect Beat 16, no. 1–2 (2015): 29–49. doi:10.1558/prbt.v16i1-2.22321.
Kanani Cortez
IG: @childishguambino
