Face to face with ‘The Last Juan’ standing: Mike Hanopol on Pepe Smith, Juan dela Cruz band—and performing at Malacañang

Urban myths, stuff of legend—aren’t we all fascinated with them despite their questionable origins? These days, everybody’s accusing everybody of using mind-bending “bad medicine” and we’re messed up as a nation, hinting that our supposed leaders were among the laki sa layaw teenagers of the 1970s.  

Instead of focusing on the negative, why not expound on one of the most iconic songs ever written in the history of Original Pilipino Music (OPM), the rock ballad that music writers and historians consider the hymn that started it all, Himig Natin?

Last year, in our February tribute story in The Diarist.ph on the late Juan dela Cruz vocalist and drummer Pepe Smith (1947-2019), we wrote how he composed Himig Natin while under the influence of LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), specifically a type of acid called Pink Elephants he loaded up on in a women’s restroom before going onstage with lead guitarist Wally Gonzalez (1949-2021) and bassist Mike Hanopol. 

The concert, also titled Himig Natin, was on Dec. 5, 1972, or a little less than four months after the declaration of Martial Law, meant to showcase Filipino rock music. Smith thought of naming his song after the said legendary music event, and come to think of it, December 5 marks the 53rd anniversary of the founding of Pinoy Rock. 

But it seems only a few remember. 

Himig Natin became a hit and gave birth to Pinoy Rock because Smith, Hanopol, and Gonzalez were encouraged to write more original songs in Filipino at a time when doing that meant baduy, bakya, so masa. The trend then were cover songs by American and British musicians, or writing original compositions in English with those influences. 

The story of how Smith came up with Himig Natin before going onstage is factual, as he recounted in later interviews, with only minor details changing—he would cite different names of the cid, from Pink Elephants to Green Barrels or Orange Sunshine, depending on what he remembered. But how Smith composed Himig Natin in so short a time also has some mythical flavor. 

In an interview in a talk show about rock musicians on Radio Republic PH, titled Rock Bato that was hosted by Basti Artadi sometime in 2016, Smith clarified that he started composing the music of Himig Natin while he was still in Japan. From 1970 to March 1972, he was playing drums for a psychedelic rock band called Speed, Glue & Shinki or SGS with two Japanese musicians, guitarist Shinki Chen and bassist Masayoshi Kabe. It was the ’70s, so Speed didn’t refer to fast cars or fighter jets and Glue was not a sticky substance used on paper and broken plastic. They were together for barely two years but were able to release two albums of original songs, mostly composed by Smith: Eve in 1971 and Tiger in 1972, via Atlantic Records in Japan. There was also a third album, a live recording of their 1971 gig, released in December 2021, titled Maahngamyauh.

From 1970 to March 1972, Pepe Smith was playing drums for a psychedelic rock band called Speed, Glue & Shinki, and were once asked to be one of the front acts for Pink Floyd

They were virtuosos with a wide following, and one time, they were asked to be one of the front acts for Pink Floyd. They caught the attention of Julian Copeland, British rocker and author, so that in his book, Japrocksampler: How the Post-war Japanese Blew Their Minds on Rock ‘n’ Roll, Copeland immortalized the trio as among the best pioneers of psychedelic rock in Japan.

Upon Smith’s invitation, Hanopol joined SGS in late 1971 when Kabe left the band due to “health reasons,” reportedly caused by too much indulgence in “glue” and the like. It is easy to assume now that Smith had shared with Hanopol, in Japan, the early version of the untitled song that would become Himig Natin. Or it could just be speculation. 

“It was Dodie Gonzalez, the older brother of Wally, who thought of producing a rock concert titled Himig Natin,” Smith told Artadi in Rock Bato. “We did it at Luneta Park. There were a couple of bands performing, D’Downbeats was there and a lot more. I was the one who thought of introducing a Tagalog song.”

“Ang yabang mo naman,” Artadi said, in good humor, which made Smith laugh. “Joke lang, you mean, because it’s the theme of the night,” he added.

“Eh ano magagawa ko, alangan naman si Wally, hindi naman kumakanta yun. He hates singing,” Smith said, laughing. 

“But yeah, you’re right, it’s the theme of the show, so why not sing it in Tagalog, di ba? But in Japan, I’d been strumming on my guitar, doodling with the music. I’d been humming the music, guttural, because there were no words yet,” Smith added.

“The chords, they were already in your head,” Artadi said. 

“Yeah, that’s right. The music, the chords were just there for a long time. I went back to Manila in March 1972, played with friends in Olongapo, and joined Juan dela Cruz (JDL) later on. Before performing, we were stationed near the Observatory (National Planetarium in Manila, now closed). I thought to myself, why not do it now? This was the first ever (Pinoy) rock concert, and I want everybody to remember this night,” Smith said.

He recounted how he tried to find a place to write because the other bands had started and there was a lot of noise. He went around the Observatory and found the women and men’s restrooms ideal, but both were padlocked.

“But the ladies’ room, I found out the padlock was broken so when I pushed the door, it opened. Oh, and right behind me, there was our good friend, (cameraman) Egay Navarro (1950-2014), and he was filming the moment. I hope he kept the film. Anyway, I was on acid and on the verge of…you know,” Smith said, laughing and trailing off.

“You had special enhancement…kasangkapan,” Basti quipped, laughing. 

“Program, yeah, right, I was on a special enhancement program,” Smith said, and the two laughed together.

“Anyway, so the padlock was broken. I went in. I had a flashlight on and wrote the lyrics in 20 to 30 minutes.”

The lyrics, it is believed, he wrote on the white side of a cigarette pack foil.

Artadi, seriously, asked, “Is there a story behind that song, or is it just one of those songs wherein you want people to have their own interpretations?” 

Smith said, “From what was happening in the Martial Law thing, nobody wanted that. I was trying to convey…like, if I were you, shrug it off and by just singing our own songs, we will prevail. Something like that. There’s no use fighting it with weapons and all that. How could I convey it and deliver it? It all just came out. My creative juice was working for me that night. Thank you, Lord.”

He added, “The message was there. Hey man, there’s no use copying or doing a cover song. We can do it on our own, we can, like, flatten the mountains or we can reach the sky with this song. Being original. Give yourself an identity, like being a true Filipino. Sing it in Tagalog, what else, di ba?  Even with blaring guitars and all that, which is very Western, right? But it’s Pinoy rock. Deliver it. Send it. Sealed and delivered like a bomb. 

“It’s only now I feel it. Because way back then, it was just another ordinary song for me. Like, I’d do another one and another.”

The following year, 1973, JDL or the lineup that had Smith, Hanopol, and Gonzalez, released the classic second album, naturally titled Himig Natin. Still, the recording company was just testing the market so the 10-track album carried only three original songs in Filipino. Besides the same-titled hit single, the other two were Mamasyal Sa Pilipinas and Rock & Roll sa Ulan. 

When Pinoy Rock exploded and unknowingly started OPM, they followed it up with the 1974 album, Maskara, which had more songs in Filipino: Nadapa Sa Arina, Nakatagong Mata, Beep, Beep, Pagod Sa Pahinga, Rak En Rol Sa Mundo, Balong Malalim, Palengke, and Naglalakbay.

According to reports, they disbanded again because of some petty misunderstanding with their manager and producer, Dodie. So, in 1975, they went to Olongapo City, the temporary home of US Navy servicemen, and formed another band called T. Tinio, meant to entertain the troops. Wally, being the younger brother of Dodie, didn’t join T. Tinio, which was composed of Smith, Hanopol, and the original JDL’s founding lead guitarist, Bo Razon. 

JDL had several changes of members, and since it was founded by Hanopol and some friends in the late 1960s, people would get confused who joined in a particular year. Then again, as veteran journalist Eric Caruncho, one of the most credible chroniclers of that decade’s music scene, explained many times in his articles in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, since it was the ’70s and many were experimenting with substances, it was common that these musicians forgot what actually happened, or at least, the exact details. Thus, the myths and urban legends. 

Since it was the ’70s and many were experimenting with substances, it was common that these musicians forgot what actually happened, or at least, the exact details 

After Himig Natin, JDL had several best-of albums released later on, including live recordings, until 1981’s release of Kahit Anong Mangyari, which had new original songs. It was a time when disco music and the synth-flavored British New Wave dominated the charts, so the title of this album and the eponymously named carrier-single emphasized that whatever happened or was happening in the music scene, it’s still Pinoy Rock for them.

OPM had grown since the 1972 Luneta concert, as more original songs in Filipino were recorded by other musicians. They were not baduy anymore. Kahit Anong Mangyari became JDL’s all Tagalog-song album consisting of No Touch, Panahon, Titser’s Enemi No 1., Magkombo, Lampas, Divisoria, Project, Ensayo, Inday, and Todo Mo Na.

With JDL’s success in the early ’70s, the gates were opened and the ripple effect to other local musicians was deeply felt. In 1974, Hotdog released its first album, Unang Kagat, which gave birth to what we now call the Manila Sound genre. In 1975, Apo Hiking Society came up with its debut album, Collector’s Item. The same year, Cinderella band (Ang Boyfriend Kong Baduy, T.L. Ako Sa Yo) also released its self-titled debut album. In 1978, Boyfriends, often called the Bee Gees of the Philippines, had their first studio album, Dahil Mahal Kita. The same year, VST & Company released their self-titled debut album, VST.

Now, Hanopol, as he playfully calls himself, is “The Last Juan” (from “the last one”) since Smith and Gonzalez have passed away. He even sells T-shirts, “The Last Juan” printed on them, using the original bull’s head design of Juan dela Cruz. Having secured the rights to the JDL discography, he entrusted Tanghalang Una Obra to use 22 of his countless compositions in the recent successful limited two-weekend run of Jeproks the Musical at the GSIS Theater in Pasay City. 

It was directed by Frannie Zamora, with libretto and book by the award-winning Nick Pichay, with musical direction and arrangement by Joed Balsamo, and Hanopol’s nephew, acclaimed composer and bassist Francis Hanopol de Veyra. 

Pichay, Balsamo, and Zamora, in an earlier interview with this writer, said they had to explain to Hanopol that what they’ve come up with is not a biographical adaptation. 

“We told him, ‘Mike, hindi ito kwento mo. This is just a loose adaptation of the stories you shared with us, and we created a story based on those stories,” said Balsamo. 

Zamora estimated only around 10 percent of JDL’s story is in the musical, as recounted by Hanopol.

“Halimbawa, may kinuwento sya na ganito ang characters. Yung sadness, rebelliousness, yun kinuha ko, pero yung specific na kumain sila ng kare-kare, hindi, syempre,” Pichay said, laughing. 

He added Mico, the main character, is somehow patterned after Hanopol in his growing-up years, but the rest, or 90 percent of the plot, was created by his fertile, poetic mind. 

A multi-awarded poet, Pichay has written landmark musicals such as Lapu-Lapu and Bilog. Balsamo,has been musical director and composer of Tanghalang Pilipino’s award-winning original musicals, such as Mabining Mandirigma, and with Noel Cabangon as co-composer of TP’s most-staged original production, Sandosenang Sapatos. He was also musical arranger of Ballet Philippines’ Awitin Mo at Isasayaw Ko, which featured the songs of VST and Company, and TP’s Ang Pinagdaanang Buhay nina Evelio Javier at Edgar Jopson, a rock musical using the songs of The Dawn.

Pichay’s daring portrayal of the chaotic ’70s, Zamora’s equally brave direction, and the live band accompaniment led by Balsamo on first keyboard and De Veyra on bass made Jeproks the Musical an experience worth coming back for, not only for the music but its insights on what’s happening now. 

Also set in the ’70s, the story revolves around the journey of a rock trio called Sikatuna, composed of Mico (played by David Ezra), Willi (Jeffrey Hidalgo), and Paulo (Nino Alejandro). As struggling musicians, they try their luck as OFWs in Japan. After a series of misadventures, they return to Manila and form Sikatuna. Through their music, they try to endure the travails of living under Martial Law.

Mico is the central figure in the story. He is being guided by a fairy angel-acid queen-like character named Liwayway, the erstwhile Diwata ng Rock and Roll, played convincingly by Geneva Cruz. There’s also his Tatay Paking (Jett Pangan), a pastor with a dubious past. Mico’s girlfriend Paz (Sheila Ferrer) is an activist who opens his eyes to the stark realities of life on the streets. Through Sikatuna’s music, Mico struggles to make sense of it all.

Zamora told The Diarist.ph they were open to having a third-weekend extension, but the availability of some actors and musicians became a big factor. “We’re targeting a rerun in April this year. We just need to fix the schedules of the actors,” he said. 

Jeproks won in all the categories it was nominated in at the 38th Aliw Awards, held Dec. 15, 2025, at the Fiesta Pavilion of the Manila Hotel.  It brought home the “Best Musical Play” and “Best Ensemble in a Musical or Play” trophies. Zamora won “Best Director for a Musical”. The “Best Lead Actor in a Musical” award went to David Ezra, beating six other nominees. The “Best Featured Actor in a Musical” award went to rocker-actor, The Dawn vocalist Jett Pangan while Geneva Cruz won in the “Best Featured Actress in a Musical” category.  For “Best Musical Director/Arranger for a Musical” award, Jeproks’ Joed Balsamo was co-winner with Vince Lim for Delia D.

It has been a historic run, since Hanopol was there at the GSIS Theater for almost all the shows. He was always seen seated in the merch booth, so approachable, entertaining requests for selfies and autographs. The second time we saw the musical, Hanopol appeared at curtain call and made an impromptu speech, which The Diarist.ph caught on video. 

Zamora said the Juan dela Cruz band was among the regular performers at Malacañang Palace whenever there was a party—“Gusto sila ng presidente, the old Marcos Sr.”

Because of that, there were also barroom and barbershop tales that the trio were given special treatment if caught violating traffic and curfew rules during Martial Law. They were reportedly given special curfew passes, and they could wear long hair, which was prohibited back then.  

Smith, in the same interview with Artadi, said he was good in hiding so he was able to keep his long hair that reached down to his buttocks. He stayed mostly at home if there was no gig. “I usually entertained myself watching the roofs of houses and buildings outside, glowing with different colors.”

Going back, another urban myth was the short-lived T. Tinio band. There’s one story recounted by rocker Dong Abay on how Hanopol and Smith were almost shot by a traffic policeman because of a “misunderstanding” regarding the band’s name. 

There were barroom and barbershop tales that the trio—Smith, Hanopol, and Gonzalez—were given special treatment if caught violating traffic and curfew rules during Martial Law

We can go on and on, recounting the other myths associated with JDL, but why not confirm with the main man, who, at 79, is still performing in bars, and whose mind still sharp? On the second and final weekend run of Jeproks, The Diarist.ph caught up with Mike Hanopol at the merch corner during the show’s intermission.

Excerpts from our conversation:

Just to be clear about it, how many years nag-exist ang T. Tinio band?

Only one year. We were in Pampanga, andun mga piloto, mga Kano. Tumutugtog kami. Nagkaron kami ng manager, ang pangalan nya, Teodoro Tinio. Kaya T. Tino ang naging pangalan ng banda. 

What were the songs you were playing then, Juan dela Cruz materials or cover songs? 

We played Pinoy Rock music because it’s been existing since the early ’70s. 

There was this story recounted by Dong Abay that happened during Martial Law, on how you and Pepe and others you were with were apprehended by a cop near Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in New Manila. The car you were in reportedly hit another car parked in front of the church. This was the time you and Pepe formed the T. Tinio band. You drove all the way from Matabungkay Beach daw, as Dong recounted. What really happened?

(Laughter) Ah really, Dong said that? I was the one who told him that. Actually, what happened was, I was the one driving the car. Kasama namin ni Pepe, mga apo ni Quezon (some of President Manuel L. Quezon’s grandchildren were with us in the car).

What? Really? Was Ricky Avanceña there?

Yes, Ricky was there, and another brother whose name I can’t remember. They used to live there, near the church. 

(At this point, Ricky’s name came up, not because he was recently in the news as the most vocal among the grandchildren when the Jerrold Tarog movie, Quezon, ran in theaters, but also because we’ve known him as a blues musician playing in bars in Quezon City. We remember he wrote a touching story about President Benigno Aquino III, his classmate at Ateneo, which he posted on Facebook and which was later published in the Inquirer, a few days before President Noynoy Aquino stepped down from office in June 2016.)

It was them and Pepe who were with me. Wally wasn’t there because ever since, hindi sya sumasama sa mga ganyan ka-heavy na “happenings.” Pero tumitira naman sya ng (a heavy drug). (Laughter). 

Anyway, it was a Sunday and of course, people went to hear Mass. That time, a lot of churchgoers were going out of Mt. Carmel Church. I hit another car. And there was a hagad (police trooper) nearby who saw what happened. At the time, there were so many cops on Metro Manila streets. When this hagad approached the car, he was surprised, rather, looked disgusted when he saw us inside the car.

He told us, “Ang hahaba ng buhok nyo, ah! Banda ba kayo?” 

We said yes, of course. Then he asked, “What’s the name of your band?”

(Laughter). So, not thinking beforehand of the consequences, we told him, “T. Tinio!” (More laughter).

Galit na galit yung pulis. Bumunot ng baril, parang babarilin na kami. 

(FYI: The pronunciation of the band’s name, loosely translated into English, is “your dick” or “you’re nothing but a dick”—the same as telling someone to f-ck off.)

He thought we were bullshitting him. So we tried to pacify him and explained the origin of the name of our band, that it was after the name of our manager, Teodoro Tinio. “Sir, yun talaga pangalan ng band namin.” He was convinced and let us go. 

Is it true that among the privileged few during Martial Law, you and members of Juan dela Cruz were each given curfew passes because you played frequently at Malacañang parties? Favorite daw kayo ni President Marcos Sr. and of course, ni BBM, who was a teenager then.

Ah, yes. Every weekend, we were regulars there. Parati kaming sinasabihan, “O, pinapatawag kayo ni Madam.” We were always invited to perform.

You mean, then First Lady Imelda Marcos?

Yes, because she took care of the entertainment activities in the palace. Si Presidente Marcos Sr., he didn’t meddle. Basta sa mga entertainment, si Imelda.   

‘Every weekend, we were regulars in Malacañang,’ said Hanopol. ‘Parati kaming sinasabihan, “O, pinapatawag kayo ni Madam.” We were always invited to perform’

So, the special curfew passes for the band were real?

Yes, because it was Martial Law and if you’re out on the streets at night, huhulihin ka. We were the only ones who could travel at night. Kami lang ang sasakyan na nasa kalye. We would just show the authorities our passes. “Ah, Juan dela Cruz!” The cops would recognize us. They knew us. Even if any one of us in the band was driving around at night on our own, “Ah, si Pepe!” “Ah, si Mike Hanopol!” The cops would just let us drive away.  

(It’s not a stretch, how Juan dela Cruz became among the favorite bands of the Marcoses, because in the early ’70s, they were the rock group that played with the Manila Symphony Orchestra under conductor Redentor Romero for the Manila staging of Jesus Christ Superstar at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Their sound was different at the time, not heavy on guitars, because they had a keyboardist named Bing Labrador and saxophone-flute player Alex Cruz. They belonged to the original members that had Mike Hanopol, Edmond Fortuno on drums, and Bo Razon on lead guitar. In December 1971, they also played with the CCP Philharmonic Orchestra. Later on, Fortuno, Labrador, and Cruz formed Anak Bayan, which, in 1972, was chosen to play with MSO in the staging of The Who’s rock opera Tommy, also at CCP.)

How about “Bosyo” Fortuno? He was also playing drums for Juan dela Cruz. Between Pepe and Bosyo, who are you most comfortable with on stage?

Pareho lang. Same. When Pepe and I arrived from Japan after finishing our contract with Speed, Glue & Shinki, Wally already thought of continuing Juan dela Cruz, and Bosyo was their drummer. But since Pepe also played drums, there would be two of them. So, Bosyo told us, he might as well form another band and let Pepe play with us. That’s how Bosyo started Anak Bayan.

The original lead guitarist of Juan dela Cruz was Bo Razon. Ang galing nun mag-gitara, drums pati percussion. When he left, saka pa lang pumasok si Wally. That’s also how the three of us—Pepe, Wally, and I—revived Juan dela Cruz and the concert Himig Natin happened. The rest is history.

Going back, before the Juan dela Cruz years, I read somewhere that when you and Pepe were in Japan, you were invited by him to become a member of Speed, Glue & Shinki. True?

Yes, only Pepe and I, because Wally went home to Manila already. Our contract was finished but Pepe and I chose to stay because mahilig kami magliwaliw. Si Wally, he was a homebody. We called him a homeboy. We used to play together in a band, also in Japan, called Zero History, the three of us. Pero tamang tama, Pepe had Speed, Glue & Shinki with Shinki Chen and bassist Masayoshi Kabe. Eventually, Kabe had to leave the band. So, I was asked to pinch-hit as bassist. 

We had three albums, I think. We just enjoyed jamming in the studio. The highlight of our gigs was playing as one of the front act bands for Pink Floyd. Those types of gigs, they were the ones we always waited to play for rather than recording in the studio…. yung kasama ang Pink Floyd, ang tindi non. Grabe yun. 

Pepe said in an interview that he started composing Himig Natin while you guys were still in Japan. Were there instances, moments in the studio, wherein Pepe would play the early versions of Himig Natin and consult you about it?

I wasn’t aware of that. I didn’t know he already had a tune for what would become Himig Natin. What I remember was, he let us hear the music of the song hours before going on stage at the Luneta concert (Dec. 5, 1972), but there was no title and no lyrics yet. Our promoter and producer Dodie Gonzalez told him, ‘Piyaps (Pepe’s other nickname), baka naman pwede mong lagyan ng lyrics at title. (Laughter) He used the title of the concert. That’s the story. 

Ok, so when he performed that song onstage for the first time that night, you and Wally already accompanied him, I mean, you two knew the chords?

Ah, no. I didn’t. It was all him. He just informed us beforehand that he had a new song. He performed it solo on stage. 

So, it was only later when you performed it in other shows that you included bass and Wally’s riffs and hooks. Case closed. Ok, so, how about Laki Sa Layaw, which you composed for your album, Awiting Pilipino, as a solo artist, after JDL had another hiatus?

Yes, right. It was 1977. The original word in the title was bastos, not jeproks. It was Laki Sa Layaw, Bastos. We changed that because bastos sounds harsh. Actually, for me bastos was okay (laughter). But we also changed that because the word jeproks was usong-uso, the reverse of the word “project” in Diliman. The term came from UP (University of the Philippines). The whole Diliman area, covered ng project yun. 

‘The original word in the title was ‘bastos,’ not ‘jeproks.’ It was ‘Laki Sa Layaw, Bastos.’ We changed that because ‘bastos’ sounds harsh. Actually, for me ‘bastos’ was okay’

(For JDL, Hanopol composed Project, a song that also tells of the easy-going lifestyle of teenagers in these villages in the homestead government program that dates back to the Commonwealth, named Project 1 to Project 8. According to the Quezon City government website, these pre-World War II housing areas covered several barangays; Project 4 has 13 barangays, while Project 2, where the Hanopols used to live, has three barangays.)

I was the one who composed Project. It wasn’t with the other Juan dela Cruz members. Sa akin lang talaga yun. What happened was, sina Pepe and Wally, they couldn’t be found before  recording the album. Wally was in Olongapo City. Pepe was in Bacolod. Ang layo nya. Buti nga nahanap ko sa Bacolod. Pinuntahan ko pa. 

What was he doing in Bacolod?

Nothing. He was just having a good time with some die-hard fans. He was happy there. There was one stubbornly die-hard (male) fan who didn’t want him to leave. “Basta, dyan ka lang, huwag kang aalis,” sabi sa kanya. So what we did was, we plotted an escape (laughter). One night, I grabbed him and whisked him to Iloilo. Pero hinabol kami hanggang sa Iloilo. That guy, ang tapang, parang mamamatay tao. (Laughter)

How many Juan dela Cruz albums do you remember that you were part of? 

I think four. There was Himig Natin, the black colored album. There was a white album release. There were live recordings. There was Kahit Anong Mangyari in 1981. I can’t remember the other titles. There had been “best-of albums” over the years.

All in all, how many songs have you written for the band?

So many, I lost count. Like for Kahit Anong Mangyari, halos lahat ako yun. Hindi lang pala halos, ako lang yun. Some people in the recording company even teased me to name the album Mike Hanopol, not Juan dela Cruz. (Laughter). No, I told them no, because it’s for Juan dela Cruz. 

How about the ones you did as solo artist?

Ay naku, ang dami. I lost count. If you asked me all the songs I wrote since Juan dela Cruz years up to now, I couldn’t give you the exact number. 

(Hanopol’s sixth and last studio album as solo artist titled Lagablab was released in 2003. It features collaborations with the late master rapper Francis Magalona, Myra Ruaro of Put3ska, Hannah Romawac of Session Road, and Aia De Leon, formerly of Imago. In September 2025, it was remastered and re-issued on vinyl by Backspacer Records.)

How about those you wrote for Hagibis?

I wrote both music and lyrics in all the songs they recorded. Many were surprised, wondering how I was able to compose songs like that. The sound was very different from Juan dela Cruz’s and those I wrote as a solo artist. Ang layo.

But I played all the guitar parts, the others were session musicians, like drummer Jun Regalado. Magaling yun. There’s another bass player, rhythm guitar player, also a piano player, whose names I can’t recall. Yun lang mga kelangan. Buo na naman. Pati musical arrangement, that was all me also. 

(Hagibis was an all-male group patterned after The Village People; none of the members played musical instruments, but just sang and danced in costume for the audience.)

What do you think of Jeproks The Musical?

I like it a lot. Ikaw ba, ano sa tingin mo? I love what they came up with. But those are just my lyrics and music. The story, the musical is created by Frannie and Nick, it’s their work. And they did a good job.  

And up to now, di ba nag-gi-gig pa rin kayo sa mga bars? 

Yes, tuloy tuloy lang. I have an FB page, follow mo yun for schedules. 

(In a recent Facebook post, with a baby classical guitar, Hanopol performs Himig Natin as tribute to Smith, his voice cracking as if about to cry. In the caption, he thanked Smith for the song that gave birth to Pinoy Rock. He also mentioned that on Christmas day, Smith would celebrate his 78th birthday, while Gonzalez’s 76th birthday is on Dec. 27. He wrote, “Salamat, Pepe! Miss ko kayo ni Wally.”)