Play it again, mga pare!

Thank goodness some things never change – the joy of laughter, good music, camaraderie and simply having a good time.

You can expect to experience all these from any one of seasoned artists Rico J. Puno, Hajji Alejandro, Nonoy Zuñiga, Rey Valera and Marco Sison, all prime movers of OPM (Original Pilipino Music). So if they can deliver the goods, individually, you can just imagine how much more fun it will be when all five of them join forces for one great concert.

This will be the first time these first-rate artists will perform as a group. And if having lunch with four of them (Nonoy Zuñiga was in the US for a show at the time of our interview) serves as any indication, expect their Aug. 2 Just Once concert (produced by Viva Concerts and Marylouise International Production, directed by Ding Bolanos, with costumes by Frederick Peralta and featuring a 24-man orchestra with Mel Villenas as musical director) at the Araneta Coliseum to be a riot, a walk down memory lane, and a night of spirited musical showmanship rolled into one. You can’t help but expect this show to be so, what with the way Rico, Hajji, Marco and yes, even the seemingly soft-spoken Rey, trade jokes and engage in repartee.

"Natitiis ko naman," Hajji jokes about working with the other four. "Dala ng pangangailangan na rin!" There are more of the same razzing and teasing throughout lunch and you discover that underneath all these is actually a genuine fondness for each other – and a longtime mutual admiration society.

Join in on lunch with the guys as they talk about themselves, each other, and why you just have to watch Just Once.

For the record, who among you is the handsomest and why?

Rico: Itinatanong mo pa? Ako yon! Pinaguusapan pa ba yon? Lahat ng katangian nila nasa akin!

Rey: Hands down, si Marco. Mas maraming lalaki ang may gusto diyan! (laughs)

Marco: Si Rey Valera! Kasi unique ang hitsura niya, e. May character, di ba?

Rey: Si Rico, kidding aside, kahit kamukha ni Carding (of the Reycards duo) yan, pinakama-appeal sa amin yan. Mayroong mga guwapo, pero walang appeal.

Hajji: Tapyasin ko muna si Rico J. para less ang choices! Sex appeal kasi ang pinaguusapan pag si Rico nandiyan.

So sino ang pinaka-guwapo? Guwapo kasi is in the eyes of the beholder. In the case of Rey, sa misis niya, siya ang pinakaguwapong tao sa balat ng lupa. In the case of Rico, tanging ina lang niya ang nagsasabi na guwapo siya. (laughs)

Si Marco naman, ipaglalaban ng ‘organisasyon’ yan! Sa Laguna, may nag-tayo nga na mga kababaihan na ang acronym is ASIM... Asosasyon at Samahan ng Mga I–– ni Marco! (laughs-)

How is it like working with one another? What did you discover about each that you didn’t know before?

Rey: Si Rico palaging may isisingit na mangangantiyaw. Laging may punchline yan. Hindi ko alam na mas mahalay siya sa expected ko! (laughs) He’s like that in front of the lights and behind. Ako, maharot lang sa show.

Si Hajji naman ang pinaka-stabilizer namin. Seryoso si Hajji, may leadership quality. Si Rico at Hajji, nung una kong nakasama, napansin ko na parang Reycards. Sabi ni Rico, ‘Sino ang Rey, sino ang Carding?’ Sabi ko, ‘Huwag mo nang itanong!

Kung si Rico ang kalat sa ideas, si Hajji ang nago- organize. Bagay na bagay silang dalawa.

Si Nonoy at si Marco naman, ngayon ko lang nakatrabaho. Si Marco hindi masyado nagkikikibo, okay lang kung may pinaguusapan. Si Nonoy ma-sikreto, parang may tinatago sa buhay (laughs). Mas tahimik pa sa akin yon. Hindi ko alam na ganoon siya katahimik at kabait! Hindi pa-humble; natural na mabait.

Rico: Si Hajji, kalimutan mo na yung boses, very intelligent. He is very organized. Pag kasama ko yon, minsan hindi na ako nagtratrabaho, he does everything for us.

Dati kilabot si Hajji ng mga kolehiyala. Ngayon kinikilabutan na sa kanya! (laughs)

Pag na- reincarnate ako, gusto ko Marco Sison ang porma ko. Sa physique walang tatalo dito. Iba ang porma nito!

Pero kung sa genius sa music ang pag-uusapan, si Rey Valera.

Si Nonoy sa totoo lang ang pinakamagandang boses sa amin.

Marco: Hindi ko alam na si Rey pala ay may sense of humor. Mukha siyang nagpapatawa pero hindi. Poker face.

Si Hajji naman, ngayon ko lang na-discover na napakalakas din ng sense of humor. Yung pagiging organized ni Hajji, ginagawa niya yon for us instead of us na mangulit. Para siyang spokesperson. So tahimik na lang kami kasi he organizes everything for us.

Hajji: Si Rey napaka-grounded. Kahit magkamatayan na, hindi yan aalis sa bahay nila sa Meycauyan!

At si Rey tinitilian din ng mga babae!

Si Marco naman, may magnet sa mga babae... lalo na sa matatanda!

Nonoy naman has only good things to say about others. He’s a real gentleman. Siya yung opposite ni Rico sa pagiging decent at discreet (laughs).

Singers have come and gone but you’re still around. To what do you attribute your longevity?

Hajji: To my passion. I never considered my music as work. I’ve been playing for 30 years and am still enjoying it. I don’t have a big secret about that. Just love your work and put yourself in a position where it’s as if you’re just starting and you’re a work in progress so that you don’t stagnate. Like right now I’m trying to develop my skills in songwriting. I really want to grow in this business; if I can help it I want to sing for the rest of my life! When you’re passionate about your work, yung blessings, dumarating. I never considered myself from day one na pinakamagaling na singer. In fact, mas marami talagang mas magaling.

Another factor is that may nakikita ang tao sa iyo, e. There are so many good singers na ang gagaling pero for some reason or another, parang walang dating sa tao. Hindi mo rin masabi kung ano yon. I think that is a gift you should appreciate and be thankful for. And it is your responsibility to exploit that gift to the hilt and you can only do that by improving your craft.

Rey: Love of work. This means, yung iba umuwi na, ikaw hindi pa. Yung iba tulog na, ikaw gising pa. That means success is 99 percent hardwork. One per cent lang yung luck and talent.

Malapit din ako dun sa mga tinatawag na "maliliit," yung mga writers, mga nagtitimpla ng kape, cameramen. Napansin ko na sa pagdaan ng panahon, yung mga dating announcer, sila na yung mga station managers . Yung mga dating cameraman, sila na ang director. So kung gusto mong magpakilala uli sa bagong generation, matatanggap ka ng mga taong yon kasi noong sila ay "maliit" hindi mo sila pinagsungitan o binalewala. Yung mga taong na-meet mo paakyat, yun din ang mami-meet mo pababa.

Rico: Find a job you like and you will never work your whole life.

What’s the best part about being you?

Rico: I’m always the life of the party. I always love to be with people. In my small bar, Corics at Kingswood Tower, I have my business, political friends, celebrity friends. I get my jokes from them.

This is, I think, the most enjoyable time of my life. Anything that I want to think of or anything I want to do, they are put in place. I am very comfortable.

Hajji: I guess pareho kami ni Rico – yung relationship namin sa tao. That’s the best part I enjoy now.

The best part of me is when I say something, I do it. I can be a very faithful lover and loyal friend.

Rey: Sabi nga e, count your blessings. If you know where I came from, I can say, malayo na ang narating ko. Nanggaling ako sa talagang walang-wala at sa broken home. I moved from a state of mind na galit sa mundo to mahal ko ang mundo at mahal ko ang mga kababayan ko. It starts from loving yourself, then your family, then lalampas na roon.

Marco: I am living comfortably and am surrounded by people I love and friends who have accepted me as I am.

What would be some good reasons to watch your concert?

Rey: Bukod doon sa kalokohan, ano...

Marco: Yung galing natin, di ba? (laughs)

Rey: It’s more of a reunion...

Marco: Reminiscing...

Rey: Reunion in the sense na everyone of us has been away for a long time, busy sa kanya-kanyang pagpapayaman sa buhay, kaya nga yung mga tiket nga namin ang unang naubos yung mga mamahalin, e.

Marco: Mayayaman na kasi ang mga fans namin.

Rey: Sa amin nga sa Meycauayan, ang biruan is hindi yung kung may tiket ka na ba? Ang tanungan e anong klaseng tiket ang nabili mo?

Batangueño, Tagalog, Bisaya, whatever, alam no nagkikita-kita lang tayo as a people sa culture ng kanta. So culturally, ito na yon na part sila. As Rico said, watching the concert is like taking part of history and being a part of that culture.

Hajji: During the ’70s and ’80s, yun yung glory days of OPM (Original Pilipino Music). Tandang tanda ko noon na talagang mas napapansin ang mga Pilipino songs at Pilipino artists. So yung mga kasabay namin noon, or even those 10 years younger, are interested to watch us and see kung anong hitsura na namin, nagbago ba kami, naging DOM ba kami....

Napakasaya ng grupong ito. I always look forward not only to the show but everytime we get together to promote. We enjoy each other’s company kasi puro sira rin ang mga ulo nila!

We also will have surprise guests. I can’t tell you who pero masu-surprise talaga kayo.

Rico: We are probably an A-Team in this group, a Dream Team. This concert is like going back to the l970’s kasi yun naman ang talagang naging umpisa ng industriya.

If there is one thing that the new artists should learn from us, it is camaraderie. Sa amin, walang nagpapa-star. Walang billing problem although obviously ako naman ang pinakamagaling diyan! (laughs)

And if there’s one thing this group has in common, it is sincerity.

What do you think about the public’s reaction to your upcoming concert? Because the tickets are almost sold-out as early as now.

Rico: Ubos na lahat yung pinakamahal na tickets. Ang hindi na lang yung sa may ibabaw. Yan naman kasi on the day itself normally napupuno.

Marco: Honestly, hindi ako surprised kasi nandoon na lahat ng ingredients for you to watch a really good show.

Hajji: Modesty aside, I’m not surprised at the reaction because expected ko na rin yan kasi yung mga nanonood sa amin nung araw ... kasi when you reach 45, dalawa lang naman yan – either you are made or not. So karamihan ng mga ito, made na. Yun ang mga fans namin mula noong araw pa. They won’t settle for less than the front row.

How does it feel to be a legend?

Rey: Ang dating nun parang may agiw! (guffaws) Kapag pala nasa age ka na ganito at tumagal ka nang ganyan, ang tawag na pala is "institution." May word of mouth at kung ano-anong mga story about you.

How does it feel? Honored, sometimes medyo nahihiya ka because you don’t deserve it. Feeling mo inilagay ka sa isang pedestal na hindi ka naman dapat doon.

Marco: Masarap! (laughs) Lalo na kung living legend. Pag na-reach mo kasi yung ganong klaseng stature, ibig sabihin e may effect ng yung stature mo sa industriya na kinalalagyan niyo. That’s very positive, actually. It’s very flattering.

Hajji: Sometimes naiisip mo na do I deserve that? But when it comes to your work, hindi naman ikaw ang nagde-decide niyan, yung mga tao, e. If they feel that you deserve that tag, then you accept it and be grateful and try to live up to it. When I hear my songs being revived by younger singers, it’s a big pat on my shoulder that tells me I have done something really good.

Rico: Being a legend to me is very simple. It means you’re respected by people from all walks of life. In any field – writing, directing – and they say you’re a legend, it means, ‘I respect you.’