Revealing the woman behind two iconic songs and the mystery beyond her name
Paraluman is a name that translates to a very beautiful woman. It is a word recognised by the Filipino community that describes someone who simply has goddess-like features: perfect and surreal. At one point in time, a beau has used the name to sweetly define her lady, a friend specifically referred to the name in comparison to the girl he’s enamoured with, and the most known of it all—local musicians have immortalised the name in their songs. But who is Paraluman, exactly?
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Paraluman is the screen name of an award-winning Filipina-German actress and star of Sampaguita Pictures, Sigrid Sophia Agatha de Torres von Giese. She made a name in Philippine cinema after her debut movie Flores de Mayo in 1940, where she first went by the screen name Mina de Gracía. Her extraordinary beauty rechristened her as Paraluman by Fernando Poe, Sr., followed by her Paraluman film in 1941. Von Giese was nominated four times in the FAMAS awards, twice as best actress in Bobby and Anino ni Bathala in 1959, and twice as best supporting actress for Lilet in 1972 and Mister Mo, Lover Boy Ko in 1976.
Von Giese definitely made her mark in the industry not just as a celebrity, but as a model and epitome of beauty: perfect bone structure, svelte figure, long brown hair, hypnotic eyes, an impenetrable gaze and an expressive face capable of registering any emotion; listed in her biodata. She was coined as the Philippines’ acknowledgement of Greta Garbo, a Swedish-American actress remembered for her sombre persona and subtle display of tragedy in her films.
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Von Giese passed away in 2009 at age 85 and although her prime days were long over before that, her screen name’s legacy still holds a significance of timeless beauty to date. Paraluman is a favourite word for Filipino poets to cleverly use in portraying a flawlessly alluring woman since the 19th century, but even in recent years, artists still sought the name as their muse. Especially for the music world. Paraluman resounds from the lyrics of "Binibini" by The Rainmakers in the '70s, in "Ang Huling El Bimbo" mentioned by Eraserheads in the '90s, the title of Adie Garcia’s song released just last year, and a Filipino rock band named after the classic diva; Paraluman Music.
