Wally Gonzales: The guitar legend returns

Who hasn’t heard of the Juan de la Cruz Band? Remember the song Himig Natin? Perhaps the most influential local rock group ever, the JDC became the progenitor of the Pinoy Rock revolution during the ’70s, blazing the trail for a generation of rock legends like Sampaguita, Resty Fabunan (of Maria Cafra fame) and the late great progressive drummer Edmund "Bosyo" Fortuno (of Anakbayan).

If there’s any one question that’s been bugging a lot of devout Juan de la Cruz Band fans all these years, it could very well be: "Where the h___ is Wally Gonzales?"

After all, former lead singer and drummer Joey "Pepe" Smith – a rock and roll legend in more ways than one – and former bass player Mike Hanopol (of ‘jeproks’ fame) have all had their share of the spotlight at one time or another.

Among the three, Wally has always been tagged as "the quiet Juan de la Cruz" devoid of the typically flamboyant lifestyle, manic fits and eccentric quirks of his bandmates. With the band’s breakup during the mid-’80s, Pepe eventually became the iconic godfather of Pinoy Rock, while Mike switched to guitar and became a household name himself via his hit Laki sa Layaw, Jeproks.

Not to be outdone, long, tall Wally further refined his bluesy wailings via a predominantly instrumental album which spawned his classic anthem, Wally’s Blues – a dark, brooding ballad oozing with Marshallesque distortion and Echoplex-laden riffs.

But that was about the last that the public heard of him.

From 1986 to 1998, a Wally Gonzales gig became as rare as an Elvis sighting – spawning a host of rumors and speculations.

It was only in 1998 when a short-haired and beefier Wally resurfaced – this time for the much-heralded JDC reunion concert at the World Trade Center. But just when his fans thought they’d hear more of their long-lost brother, he just as quickly faded out of the music scene.

The good news is, Wally Gonzales is back – and boy, is he in fighting form! When news of his first public performance at Kiko’s Bar spread through the grapevine late last month, throngs of his fans quickly stormed the place to pay allegiance to their guitar god.

Cradling a customized Carvin acoustic, Wally plucked the same searing, spine-tingling blues leads – leading his cohorts through the same nostalgic route he took over three decades ago. Even without the inherent sustain of his vintage Les Pauls and Marshalls, Wally’s playing was no less staggering.

Every so often, the maestro would rise up from his stool and go through the same "rock star contortions" of long ago – an occasional scowl matching every bend, raking his pick across the strings and flailing his guitar like a lethal weapon.

"Wally’s Blues!," shouted a rabid fan.

"Wally’s Blues! Sige na, pauwi na kami!," the same guy begged in jest, amid a roar of approval from the crowd.

With much aplomb, Wally obliged. But here’s the dilemma. Could a song – whose very essence relied on the violin-like sustain of his favored Gibson Melody Maker and the analog decay of an Echoplex – sound the same on a stock steel-string acoustic?

Surprisingly, Wally’s Blues – the acoustic version – presented a novel contrast with its more organic and bare-naked timbres. Towards the much-anticipated climax, Wally stood up once more as he wrung his strings with fury and abandon.

Now here’s the catch. Can you believe the guy when he says he didn’t touch his guitar for 10 years?

"From 1986 to 89, the rock bands vanished. Disco became the fad," he laments. "I just arrived from Singapore then. We had a gig there for two months. So, when I came back, nothing was happening. I was totally disappointed – with the record royalties, the industry, everything. I didn’t touch my guitar for 10 years. Wala talaga."

And what did he do during this hiatus? "My brother Dodie got me into his shipping company as treasurer. That was my bread and butter for 10 years. Times were hard, and I had a family to support," he continues.

All that time, there was very little communication between his JDC bandmates. "The only time Pepe or Mike would call me was when I had to sign some papers – legal stuff, rights ... when someone would use our songs."

Fortunately, common sense kept him from selling off his cherished gear: a vintage Gibson SG and Melody Maker which were his main axes before. "I knew that there would come a time when I’d play again," he muses.

"It was in 1995 when Dodie tried to convince me to play professionally again. We even went to Hong Kong to buy a lot of instruments and recording gear," the bluesman recalls. "And although we had our usual Sunday jams with my good friend Buddy Zamora, we never went beyond that – until last Sept. 26."

With the prodding of friends Jojo Villalba and Kiko’s Bar owner Chito Aseneta, Wally assembled a small group of formidable players: bass wunderkind Dondi Ledesma, jazz keyboardist Wowie Posadas on drums, Joonie Centeno on vocals and Armand Quimpo on second guitar.

The group, christened "Wally and Friends," has been attracting a lot of mainstream rockers and kids eager to reacquaint themselves with Pinoy Rock history. On a typical Thursday night, the band dishes out loosely-arranged renditions of ’70s rock classics – Clapton’s Crossroads, Sunshine of Your Love; the Allman Brothers’ In Memory of Elizabeth Reed; Hendrix’s Purple Haze; the Doors’ Light My Fire; Lynrd Skynrd’s Sweet Home Alabama; and of course, good ole vintage Juan dela Cruz staples like Balong Malalim, Kagatan, Mamasyal sa Pilipinas and Himig Natin.

With his comeback, are the prospects of a JDC reunion greater than ever? "Why not? I’m open to it," he winks. "In fact, we are planning to do it as soon as Mike comes back home."

Looking back, Wally cherishes his fondest memories of his JDC days. "We weren’t really after the money then," he confesses. "Sina Sampy, Resty, Bosyo... we just wanted to play. Wala nang ganung tugtugan ngayon."