Random notes from and about RJ

On becoming RJ: Ramon Jacinto was born to a family in the banking and steel industries but his parents never stood in the way of his music.

“I can’t say we were a musical family although my father played the piano very well. I guess I got the music from him. We were encouraged to do what we wanted.

“My mother paid P15,000 for my studio which I built by our swimming pool when I was 15 years old. It was the first multi-track recording studio in the Philippines. The next year, I built my radio station DZRJ.

“All that my parents asked for was that I graduate from college.” Which he did. RJ has a degree in Economics and graduated with honors from the Ateneo University. He continues to divide his time between business and music.

“I work at the office every day. I also visit my recording studio every day. That is where I relax.”

The Inspiration: The man who inspired RJ to take up the guitar was the famous Pablo Virtuoso who was then known as the cross-eyed musical genius. Although he was popular as an actor and comedian, he actually acquired the name Virtuoso because of the way he played the guitar.

“I had weak lungs as a kid and was sick in bed. But there was a party at home and they brought me down to watch Virtuoso who was going to perform. I couldn’t believe my eyes watching him play. I couldn’t forget his long nails on the strings. From that time on, I was hooked on the guitar.”

Although he had a few guitar lessons, RJ learned to create music on his own. “Combo music was unknown so we, all the other kids in a garage band who wanted to play music learned and made do with what we had. My first bass was the drum ng gasoline. We also had no teachers for combo music. I would listen to the recordings of the Ventures again and again, learning how to play every line.”

The efforts paid off. RJ wrote his first composition titled Weightless when he was 15 years old. “I had a hit on my first try. I started to earn money. It was Tito Ty who produced it on the Rajah label.” He has not stopped recording since.

RJ and the Riots, one of his early albums was recently reissued on black vinyl by Guerssen Records in Spain 60 years after it was first released.

The RJ legacy: RJ’s love and mastery of the guitar has resulted in his fronting the longest living guitar band in the country which continues to perform and record to this day. It was also what gave birth to RJ Guitars, a place where Filipinos have access to the best of locally manufactured guitars and imports from Japan and the United States and to Bistro RJ, the place to go to for great live music in Manila. And this is not to mention the fact that the RJ music empire has provided and continues to provide employment and business opportunities to many.

Does he dream of becoming a national artist of the Philippines for music? “I don’t,” he says. “I have been told I should be and that I should put in my name for the nominations and collect signatures, and all that. But what for, I am sure they will never give that award to somebody who plays rock and roll.”

RJ was born on June 3, 1945. That means that he is turning 80 years old this year. Wow 80! Yes, 80. But in his case, slim, dapper and still rocking, the old saying, “Age is just number,” truly holds true. He is planning a big celebration with lots of his kind of sounds.

By the way, here is great news for those who once danced to RJ music and would like to relive the romantic interlude. Get a copy of Romancing RJ which has cuts like Smile, It’s Impossible, Let Me Try Again, Someday, I’ll Remember You, Things We Did Last Summer and other memorable tunes.