The birth of the Manila

This is a story that the late Dennis Garcia enjoyed telling. It is about how Manila Sound came about. Sometime late in 1974, budding entertainment mogul Vic del Rosario Jr., and Garcia, songwriter, bassist and leader of the then hot band Hotdog, met for dinner at the old Swiss Inn restaurant located in front of Sulo in Makati.

Garcia said he came for the food, which was very good. Del Rosario had something else in mind. Hotdog was then signed to the A&W label of Villar Recording and had a massive hit with its debut album Unang Kagat. Thanks to two Hotdog songs in the LP, Pers Lab and Ikaw ang Miss Universe ng Buhay Ko, a Filipino act was outselling the foreign releases. Del Rosario wanted Hotdog to leave Villar and sign up with his Vicor Recording.

Garcia wrote the lyrics to both songs. Pers Lab was a teenage lament about first love co-written with Mon Torralba, which mixed English and slangy Tagalog lyrics. It featured Hotdog girl singer and true-blue Assumptionista Ella del Rosario. Ikaw ang Miss Universe ng Buhay Ko with melody by his late brother Rene was a paean to all those women who will never make it to the Miss Universe contest.

In between the push and pull of convincing and refusing, the dinner talk between two dedicated music men, often veered towards the exciting changes happening in the music industry. They could feel the big shake-up coming and they were determined to be at the forefront. Garcia with his Hotdog and Del Rosario with his Vicor. To start with the future, Boss Vic wanted an umbrella term that would encompass everything to do with the new music.

Garcia, who had been working as a copywriter in an advertising agency since he was 16 years old, thought of the way Berry Gordy sold Motown as the Sound of Young America. The recently-emerged pop music of the Philippines needed a handle. So, he thought and he thought and he thought in between bites of the juicy steak. Then all of a sudden, he looked up and intently declared, “The Manila Sound.” It was perfect.

Del Rosario failed to convince Garcia to switch labels at that time. But the value of the term Manila Sound was not lost on him. He knew he had a winner. The next day at the Vicor office, he proudly declared that he had found the tagline for his soon-to-be launched pop label. And it came from the famous Dennis Garcia himself. Say welcome to Sunshine, the Manila Sound.

Sunshine was launched with the concert, Sunshine in Baguio in the summer of 1975. The stars that would embody the label’s hip image came to perform in the two-night event. The Circus Band, the Electros, the Ambivalent Crowd, the then named trio Apolinario Hiking Society and folk singer Alice Zerrudo.

Sunshine became home to many music stars. Cinderella, Rico J. Puno, Bluejeans, Anthony Castelo, Didith Reyes, Judas, Yolly Samson, A.M.B. Junior, Tito Mina, Pabs Dadivas, VST&Co, a young possible pop idol named Marvic Sotto, a 12-year-old would-be Megastar named Sharon Cuneta and many others.

The Manila Sound, however, became home to more. While originally used to refer only to artists under the Sunshine label, it was not long after that the media was referring to all music that sounded young, innovative, had a Western flavor but still very Filipino as the Manila Sound.

So there was Pinoy Rock, Juan de la Cruz Band, Sampaguita; Pinoy Jazz, Bong Penera and the Batucada; Pinoy Folk, Freddie Aguilar, Asin; disco, VST&Co., Hagibis; the ballads from Rico J. Puno and Anthony Castelo; and the wistful love songs for which Hotdog created the blueprint from Cinderella, Bluejeans and many others. Although still not under Sunshine, the list included Hotdog. In fact, Garcia was rightly lauded as the Manila Sound pioneer.

A few years later, Hotdog did leave Villar and moved to Vicor. The band’s first album was Inspiration (Everybody Needs One). The song line-up included a new composition by Dennis and Rene that they titled Manila. It was inspired by Pinoys who went to work or reside overseas but never got over missing Manila.

Give or take 40 years later, Manila would send thousands dancing to its beat the opening of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games held at the Philippine Arena. Of course, Manila is considered a Manila Sound song.