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Saturday, September 20, 2003
Five OPM greats in an F4-crazy world
By Troy Ciar
To borrow the phrase coined by Rico J. Puno during this assembly, they’re the “Viagra of the `70s.”
Their durability owes to the fact that their songs are Original Pilipino Music (OPM)’s crême a la crême of the ‘70s and ‘80s which continue to endure even in this so-called “F4 crazy” generation.
Rico was in his usual element, throwing a volley of jokes at every encounter, paying particular attention to Hadji Alejandro, his biggest rival, both fame-wise and in catching girls’ attention, during their heydays.
Si Hadji ang pinaka-magaling mag-Ingles sa amin. Pero ako ang pinakasikat,” hinted Rico, to the enjoyment of the media people who gathered for the presscon at the Bay Grille Restaurant on the eve of their successful “Greatest Hits Concert.. Just Once” held at the Waterfront Hotel-Lahug last week.
When asked how they handle “inviting” fans who try to lure them into some “hanky-panky,” Hadji snapped back: “Si Rico ang mas malibog (lecherous) sa amin. But we never sold our souls to him,” he laughed.
But Hadji pointed out that he and Rico are very good friends, despite the competition. He recounted his very first team-up with Rico at the then Magellan Hotel along Gorordo ave., which lorded over Cebu’s bar scene in the ‘70s, before it was razed by a fire.
Hadji who is turning 49 on Dec. 26 is almost two years younger than Rico, who marked his 50th year on Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day. The youngest among the five is Marco Sison at 45, who remains as youthful as he was in 1981, when he made his biggest break in the recording scene via Make Believe.
Marco said he pampers himself through regular workouts and having treatments done at facial care centers. And so does Nonoy Zuniga, a surgeon by profession, who has been using artificial legs since 1980, after his legs got hit in a bomb explosion during one of his shows at the Siete Picados bar. Nonoy recently celebrated his 46th birthday on Sept. 3.
Rey Valera, popularly known for his timeless lovesongs, also jammed with the press by revealing his hair secret. He said he has been using “Mane and Tail” horse shampoo for some time now, which has helped him recover his lost hair.
“In fact, many showbiz celebrities in Manila are also using this shampoo. The hitch is, your hair becomes rough and your crotch grows longer, too!”
And from there, there was no more stopping them from exchanging naughty, green and even personal jokes, which were often punctuated with ripples of laughter from the audience.
Rico’s new synthetic hair, which covers his receding hairline, also became the butt of jokes.
“These are hair extensions from my pubic hair,” he jested.
They wrapped up the presscon by giving in to the audience’s requests. They performed samples of their own songs, which proved to be disastrous. Instead of singing solo, they opted to sing simultaneously, at the top of their lungs, complete with body language, which finally brought the house down in pandemonium!
(September 20, 2003 issue)
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