IT was in the late ‘60s, at the height of the Vietnam War, when Resty Fabunan found his calling wielding an electric guitar.
At the time, the Subic Naval Base was a regular stop for American troops serving in the war. Offering solace from the carnage are the numerous nightclubs in nearby Olongapo City.
Apart from young Filipinas eager to sell their soul for the mighty dollar, thriving in this bars are bands playing note-perfect versions of songs by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, among others.
It was in this psychedelic haze that Resty and his guitar first made great waves, specifically at a club called Ocean’s 11 where he and the rest of his bandmates were known as “The Beatles of Olongapo.”
It worked, too. Only that Resty got tired of the con early, leaving both band and bar to strike on his own.
Inspired by the electric performances of Jimi Hendrix, he would emerge as leader of a power trio dubbed The Cyclones, which also featured his brother Jun on bass and Rolly Averilla on drums.
The band will grab hold of everyone’s attention taking up residency in D’Wave, one of Olongapo’s premier clubs.
They were soon the talk of the town, inspiring awe among audiences with their wild, raucous sets that include Resty burning his guitar ala Hendrix as seen at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival.
Not long, Resty thought it apt to bring their sound to Manila where Pinoy Rock, as heralded by Juan dela Cruz, was already blazing a trail.
The band was initially picked up by local imprint Vicor Records which released several of their singles including “Tayo’y Mag Rock N’ Roll,” “Cool Ka Lang, Pare” and “Buhay ‘Gapo.”
A full-length album followed under Jem Records, which included other Resty-penned epics like “Kumusta Mga Kaibigan,” and “Exodus.”
By this time, The Cyclones have renamed themselves Maria Cafra, as Pinoy-sounding band names were already the in thing then.
Their luck ran out however, in 1975 with Resty being caught allegedly carrying two kilos of weed, amphetamines, and a fan knife.
Resty spent eight months behind bars before the charges were eventually dropped.
He quickly picked up where he left off, writing songs for Maria Cafra’s comeback album “Ikalawang Yugto.”
But the scene was slowly changing with folk acts like Freddie Aguilar claiming a bigger slice of the pop pie alongside Manila Sound purveyors Hotdog.
Resty didn’t burn out though, opting to slowly fade away, putting more attention in running his own club, the El Grande Mug Haus, and for years.
Now at 70, Resty is back what he does best, reforming Maria Cafra with Raul Clemente replacing brother Jun who died of heart attack in 2002.
Looking at today’s acts, he said, “Napakaswerte ng mga bagong banda ngayon dahil may internet na, may social media, kung meron sila gusto ipadinig sa tao, isang pindot lang okay na. Hindi tulad nung araw, aakyat pa kami ng ilang floors buhat namin ‘yung gamit namin, gitara, drumset, mga speakers…mahirap.” (RONNIE R. REYES)
