In 1919 the young Atang sang "Nabasag ang Banga" ("The Clay Pot Broke") in the stage play "Dalagang Bukid" ("Country Maiden") by Hermogenes Ilagan and Leon Ignacio. When Jose Nepomuceno, who historians of the Filipino film industry have called "Father of Philippine Movies", decided to make a big-screen version of the popular stage play as his first production venture, he tapped Atang. Since sound had not yet been incorporated into motion pictures in 1919, Nepomuceno had to resort to what must have been quite a novelty at the time--during screenings of the movie, Atang stood behind the screen to sing the theme song to the accompaniment of a three-man band consisting of a violinist, a trumpet player and a pianist. It paid off, however, and the movie became a hit.
