- According to Lucina Oblena, an author and native of the Philippine town of Cavinti, there is a protocol, set of ethics and specific music used in "harana." The young man and his group of serenaders must begin to sing outside the bedroom window of the woman being courted. If she is pleased with the "harana," she will invite them inside the home. The young woman will then be asked to join them in singing, or to present a song of her own.
- Based in Spanish influence, the first "harana" performances were provided by senior citizens wishing to show off their singing talents. Many "harana" chapters, or "haranistas," were formed in Philippine towns. Because it was an advantage in colonial Philippine times for a young man to be musically talented, he often sought these organizations to help him win a young woman's hand.
- The music of "harana" has both Spanish and American roots, according to author and classical guitarist Florante Aguilar. The rhythm was nearly always in habanera, a musical style from Havana, Cuba, cites Aguilar, as represented, for example, in the habanera aria from Bizet's "Carmen." Preferebaly played on a guitar, the tempo resembled a lilting tropical rhythm.
Among the songs found in research of "harana" include such translations as "Are You Asleep, My Love?" and "How Sad Is This Night." Much of the music makes its way into the performances of current Filipino singers. - "Harana," a 2009 documentary film by Benito Bautista, looks at the customs and music of "harana" through the explorations of classical guitarist Aguilar. Born in the Philippines but now living in the United States, Aguilar traveled back home for the film and talked with some of the last practitioners of what is a nearly dead art form. The film was co-produced by Aguilar and Fides Enriquez, an ethnographer and photographer. Director Bautista won a Best Cinematography Award at the New York Film Festival.
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