Resty Fabunan

RESTY FABUNAN
PLACE OF BIRTH: BALANGA, BATAAN CURRENT RESIDENCE: OLONGAPO CITY 
BAND: MARIACAFRA
GENRE: PINOY ROCK/ROCK N ROLL
INFLUENCE: ERIC CLAPTON/JEFF BECK/JIMMY 
PAGE/JIMI HENDRIX

The Vietnam War was already underway when 

Resty found himself on Magsaysay Ave. in 1963, guitar case in hand.  Subic Naval Base was an important R and R stop for American troops, and numerous nightclubs sprouted along Magsaysay and Rizal Avenues just outside the base, featuring Filipino bands playing note-perfect versions of Beatles songs, radio hits by the likes of Trini Lopez, and country-and-western songs.

Eventually, Resty left to join a group of younger musicians in a Beatles cover band.  They caught the attention of the manager of Ocean’s 11, a joint on Magsaysay Ave., who dressed them in Sgt. Pepper outfits and advertised them as “The Beatles of Olongapo.”

Resty recruited his brother Jun to play bass, and added drummer Rolly Averilla to form a new power trio.  He rechristened his band the Cyclones – a nod to the more progressive direction his music was taking – and took up residency in D’Wave, one of the premier Olongapo clubs.

They soon became the band to see in Olongapo, as word spread about their wild, raucous sets in which Resty tossed off Cream and Hendrix numbers with aplomb.   One time, after an American fan spiked their drinks with some unknown chemical, the band launched into an epic, nonstop jam that lasted eight hours, from 5 p.m. to midnight.

The Cyclones were bona fide rock stars.   Appreciative fans showered them with gifts, which often took the form of greenbacks, recreational chemicals or new rock LPs.  They were surrounded by groupies.The Cyclones also brought the hard-edged Olongapo sound to Manila, where Resty met cohorts like Joey “Pepe” Smith of the Juan de la Cruz Band and the late Edmond Fortuno of Anakbayan. 

By 1973, however, people were searching for a new sound.  The Juan de la Cruz Band had released “Himig Natin,” giving birth to what would eventually be called Pinoy Rock.  Resty was approached by two radio DJs, Howlin’ Dave and Bob Magoo, who asked him if he had any original material that they could record and play on their show, “Pinoy Rock and Rhythm,” on DZRJ.

In short order, the band was signed on by  Vicor Records, but did not put out an album for the trio.  Tunes like KAPALARAN, TAYO'Y MAG ROCK N ROLL, COOL KA LANG PARE and BUHAY GAPO, were only produced as singles. “Yung 1st album sa Jem dun kasama ang, KUMUSTA MGA KAIBIGAN, HATSING, TALA SA UMAGA, EXODUS. At iba pa.” relays Resty.

Thus,  Maria Cafra is born. “We were handed P10,000 cash each as as soon as we arrived in Manila to record our first album,” relayed Rolly Averilla. “Lahat ng music ng Maria Cafra, si Resty ang may katha.”, reminisced Rolly.

By 1975-76, Maria Cafra  was at the peak of its success.  Unfortunately, Resty’s rock star status also made him more visible to the wrong elements.  One night, after playing his usual club set, he was met by a Constabulary Anti-Narcotics Unit. They allegedly found Resty was carrying around two kilos of weed, some amphetamines and a balisong (fan knife). He scoffs off at the charges brought up to him whenever he remembers it. The charges were dropped eventually.  But not after spending the next eight months behind bars in Camp Crame. He had eight months of pent-up frustration to express.  The result was “Ikalawang Yugto,” Maria Cafra’s second album on JEM records. A version of the traditional song “Sarungbanggi,” hinted at Resty’s bluesier side. ROCK N ROLL SA TWINA is also included in this album.

Maria Cafra  soldiered on, but Resty’s heart wasn’t in it.  It wasn’t just the music that had changed, however.  He had, too.  The endless grind of doing cover versions night after night, the Gapo musician’s bread and butter, had taken its toll.  He was burned out. He started a family, and was putting more and more of his energies into running the club he had started, the El Grande Mug Haus. 

He is surprisingly trim and energetic for 70, a fact he attributes to regular exercise at the gym and a largely vegetarian diet. Resty is as amazed as anyone at the return of Maria Cafra, after a hiatus of more than 20 years. “Napaka swerte ng mga bagong banda ngayon, dahil may internet na, may social media, kung meron sila gusto ipadinig sa tao, isang pindot lang OK na. Hindi tulad kung araw, aakyat pa kami ng ilan floors buhat namin yun gamit namin, gitara, drumset ni Rolly, mga bapols (speakers) na malalaki para lang madinig yun musika namin.” laments Resty.

He adds that, name recall is a hard find now in the local music scene, “Napakahirap gumawa ng pangalan ngayon sa larangan ng musika, kaya payo ko sa lahat ng gustong mag banda, alagaan nyo ang pangalan nyo.”

Jun Fabunan, Resty’s brother and Maria Cafra’s original bass player, died of a heart attack in 2002.  As strange as it may sound, he died on stage, jamming with a group of doctors. “Akala namin naiihi lang si Papa, kase hawak nya yun lower extremities nya, yun palace heart attack”, declares Dennis. It was Jun’s son Dennis, who had followed in his father’s footsteps and had been the bass player for many groups now, who was instrumental in luring Resty back from retirement. After a brief search for a bassman when Dennis opted to refine his musical prowess, and ventured elsewhere, enter Raul Clemente, a seasoned guitarist and bassist in the local music scene.

Today, Resty is eager to get back in the groove.  He can still outplay musicians a third his age, and he can still write songs.

BARNONE!