One Friday evening, my father rang me up and, hearing rock and roll in the background, wondered where I was. I told him I was at the RJ Bar on Jupiter Street and invited him to come over. To my surprise, he did. He found me on the dance floor dancing with gusto to the tune of Elvis Presley’s Hound Dog.
In the course of the evening, I noticed that he was so mesmerized by RJ’s music. He stayed on till RJ’s performance was over, which was way past midnight.
Take note, my father is in his eighties. For him to stay past midnight to listen to a genre of music that is not in his era is something out of the ordinary.
But there is nothing ordinary about RJ, a consummate artist who has pursued his passion for music all his life and enjoys every magical minute of it. He has transcended different generations with his music. From the very young to the not so young to the young at heart, all three generations enjoy his music, not just for their listening pleasure but for dancing as well.
He takes pleasure in entertaining his audience with songs chosen from the hit charts of the past four decades: the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. Who can resist dancing to his La Bamba, Johnny B. Goode, La Vida Loca, I Saw Her Standing There, I Will Survive, songs from the Beatles, the Bee Gees and Elvis, and many more danceable tunes. RJ has unveiled the secret of most people: they are all dance fanatics at heart! He found the perfect recipe of choosing songs that he loves to sing and that are danceable as well. When I have the urge to dance the night away, the only place I go to is RJ’s Bar. My friends and I call it our “school.” It’s our place to unwind and dance our stress away for two hours on Friday evenings.
Last Oct. 29 at the Mandarin Oriental, RJ had an “Evening of ’50s Music.” He invited Carmen Pateña, whom he called the ’50s Diva (she started singing in 1958), the Tiongco Brothers, and my 14-year-old nephew Stephan Chan as his special guests.
It was the first time for my young nephew to sing in front of a paying audience in a formal venue such as the Captain’s Bar. As a backgrounder, RJ heard him sing at one of our family parties. Having the ear to spot talent when he hears it, RJ said he was impressed with the smooth quality of Stephan’s voice. My family and family friends were thrilled beyond words to hear this young teener sing melodies from our parents’ era: Beyond the Sea, Love Me Tender, Love, and Besame Mucho are songs he never heard before but sang to near perfection. When he sang Love Me Tender, he accompanied himself on guitar in true Elvis fashion.
Carmen Pateña was a revelation. It was the first time I saw her perform and RJ introduced her as the Shirley Bassey of the Philippines. She has the range, the style, and the flair of Shirley Bassey.
Pateña left the Philippines 26 years ago and settled in New York City. She got married to Dr. Adolfo Ayuyao and lives a charmed life with him and their son. Singing was always in her blood and marriage did not stop her from pursuing her singing career. She went to different countries to perform as a singer. In 1985, she opened the doors for other Filipino entertainers in the USA when she got a contract to sing at the prestigious Tropicana Hotel in Atlantic City. The Tropicana ballroom had 1,700 seats filled to capacity to watch her. According to Tropicana management, she broke the record of Wayne Newton in ticket sales. She is here to help her brother, who is a pastor for Pandacan Methodist Church, raise funds to build his church. For the concert, she wore a sexy clinging gown that showed off her good proportions. She was so proud to introduce her talented couturier, Albert Figueras, during our interview. Albert Figueras is a couturier for most Filipinos who reside in New York City and coincidentally was coming to Manila at the same time as Ms. Pateña, who has a few more concerts in Manila before she goes back to the USA.
RJ’s last guests were the trio who sound like a quartet because their voices are so melodiously blended, the Tiongco Brothers. This trio can really entertain. They are witty, funny, and can sing with voices so synergistically blended. They brought the house down with their medley of Platters songs and their version of Love is a Many Splendored Thing.
The real star of the show performed the last number, RJ himself. He performed with abandon, and the audience danced in their seats. His Rock the Boat rocked the house and put everyone in a dancing and clapping mood.
During one of my talks with RJ, he told me that he learned how to play the guitar at age 12. At 15, he started his own band. Since then, he has never stopped perfecting his art as the vocalist and guitar player of his band.
His wife, Frannie Aguinaldo Jacinto, has always been supportive of his music. She is constantly there during his concerts, and makes sure that everyone is having a great time. She claims it is a very healthy hobby and cannot imagine RJ doing anything else.
I sometimes envy people who focus on one hobby all their life and are passionate about their art. It only means that they enjoy their art so much that they can’t think of doing anything else. They do not shift to another endeavor. They stay there until their last breath. Their art becomes second nature to them and it’s like their second skin. They breathe it, smell it, live it, and love it. It is their mark, and they excel at nothing else.
For Ramon Jacinto, music is his art and his passion. He excels at his art. When he is in his sound studio, he is like a fish in water. Next to family and kin, it his big love. But judging from his performances, his art loves him back. One cannot live without the other. RJ is his music and his music is he! This is why RJ and his music have endured the test of time. Nothing can put down excellence. It lives till the end of time.