On November 22, at the Manila Peninsula in Makati City, Juan Dela Cruz Band was inducted into the inaugural Rolling Stone Philippines Hall of Fame. The band shaped what many listeners now understand as the foundation of Pinoy rock. They came up in the late 1970s as a five-piece group, consisting of Mike Hanopol (bass), Edmond Fortuno (drums), Bó Razon (guitar), Bing Labrador (keys), and Alex Cruz (saxophone). later reinventing themselves as a power trio consisting of Hanopol, Wally Gonzalez (guitar), and Pepe Smith (vocals/drums). with the attitude, spirit, and rebellion that spoke to the zeitgeist of their generation.
Through their tenure from the ‘70s and ‘80s, Juan Dela Cruz carried themselves with the attitude, spirit, and rebellion that spoke to the zeitgeist of their generation, becoming a blueprint for punk, new wave, and alternative rock communities that began to take shape in Manila.
Their debut album Up in Arms came out in 1971 The following year, then-President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. declared martial law in the Philippines, setting the engines for a dictatorship that would last for 14 years. Himig Natin, their sophomore album, followed in 1973. The trio created original Filipino music when radio and television faced censorship, and audiences primarily discovered the band in small pockets and college programs. Word quickly spread through communities that sought a sound that spoke without fear. That feeling shaped the identity of generations that came after them.
Razorback’s resident axeman Tirso Ripoll inducted Juan Dela Cruz (represented by Hanopol, or the “The Last Juan”), in the ceremony, citing that Pinoy rock wouldn’t be the same without the power trio of Smith, Gonzalez, and Hanopol.
“This band captured the restless energy of a generation,” Ripoll says. “Holding up a mirror for Filipinos to find themselves in every note and every key.”
The sons of Pepe and Wally — Beebop Smith and John Gonzalez —both went on stage to receive the honors for their fathers alongside Hanopol.
“Ngayong gabi gusto naming iparinig sainyo ang hindi niyo pa naririnig,” Hanopol says during his acceptance speech. “Ang ating magandang pananaw sa buong paligid ay kabutihan, lahat tayo ay namumula sa kabutihan.”
The reach of Juan Dela Cruz’s work can still be traced today. Young musicians continue to pick up instruments because of the charge they felt the first time they heard the opening riff of “Beep Beep” or the slow burn of “Balong Malalim.” Hanopol, Smith, Gonzalez, and all the members that came before them helped create a special place for Filipino rock music, which remains alive more than 50 years later. For many listeners, their legacy offers a sense of where the genre came from and how far it can still go.
Rolling Stone Philippines Hall of Fame
with Ploom
and Nordic Spirit
with NUSTAR Online
Official Beverage Partner Remy Martin, The Glenlivet
Official Giveaway Partner: Provizo Corporation, Wrangler
