<figure class="image-550">
<img src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-27/severino-reyes.webp" alt="Close-up portrait painting of Severino Reyes with a dignified expression wearing a formal dark suit, white collared shirt, and a black bow tie." />
<figcaption>
Portrait of Severino Reyes (1861–1942), the "Father of Tagalog Zarzuela" and the literary mind behind the iconic 
"Lola Basyang" stories.
</figcaption>
</figure>


A literary titan of the early 20th century, Reyes is best remembered today for his two distinct legacies: revolutionizing Filipino theater through the Zarzuela and capturing the imagination of generations as the storyteller "Lola Basyang".

<h2>
Early Life and Education
</h2>

Reyes was the fifth child of Rufino Reyes and Andrea Rivera. A bright intellect from a young age, he completed his early education under Catalino Sanchez before earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from the <a href="https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/2884/the-history-of-colegio-de-san-juan-de-letran" class="news_link">Colegio de San Juan de Letran</a>. He later studied at the <a href="https://kahimyang.com/articles/3223/a-historical-account-of-the-university-of-santo-tomas-a-chronicle-of-resilience-scholarship-and-national-identity" class="news_link">University of Santo Tomas</a> (UST), where he pursued Philosophy and Letters.


Reyes was a polyglot, fluent in Tagalog and Spanish, with a working knowledge of Latin, Greek, and Hebrew.


After completing his studies, Reyes initially worked as a clerk at the Tesoreria General de Hacienda. He took this government post primarily to avoid conscription into the Spanish colonial army, which was then fighting the Moros in Mindanao. He eventually left the civil service to establish a variety store on Azcarraga Street (now Recto Avenue), seeking a better livelihood for his growing family. He married his childhood friend, Maria Paz Puato, with whom he had 17 children.

<h2>
The Father of Tagalog Zarzuela
</h2>

Severino Reyes is credited with modernizing Filipino theater. At the turn of the 20th century, the dominant theatrical form was the Moro-moro (or Komedya), stylized depictions of conflicts between Christians and Muslims. Reyes viewed these as outdated and sought to replace them with the Zarzuela, a musical theater form that could reflect contemporary Filipino life and social issues.


In 1902, he founded the Gran Compañía de Zarzuela Tagala to stage his plays. To mark the transition, he staged a play titled R.I.P. (Requiescat in Pace), which symbolically "buried" the Moro-moro genre, drawing the ire of conservative actors but paving the way for the Golden Age of the Zarzuela.

Severino Reyes: Father of Tagalog Zarzuela & Lola Basyang

Who was the real Lola Basyang? Explore the biography of Severino Reyes, the literary genius behind the Philippines' most beloved fairy tales and zarzuelas.

February 11, 1861: Severino Reyes was born in Sta. Cruz, Manila