Nonoy Z back in a night of ’70s music

NONOY Zuñiga: “I just want to relive and enjoy the past.”

When he looks back on the 1970s, Nonoy Zuñiga fondly remembers his stint with the 11-member disco group Family Birth Control Band.

From 1975 to 1980, the gang delighted partygoers across the city with hip-swaying beats.

“The music was soulful and funky, and we made people happy. We used to perform in hotels and clubs—like Manila Hotel, Westin Philippine Plaza, Holiday Inn and Bayside. We played six times a week. Those were the days!” Nonoy told the Inquirer in a recent interview.

The band consisted of Ed Evidente, Aida Evidente, Gigi Sanchez, Jess Balmaceda,  Nilo Villanueva, Dexter Ansay, Edwin Valente, Marissa Martin, and Toots Almazan.

But in a terrible stroke of misfortune, Nonoy lost his right leg in October 1980. A bomb exploded in a comfort room at Westin while he was changing before a show in the hotel’s Siete Pecados bar. He had to quit the band.

“We had choreography but I could no longer dance. I felt left out,” he related.

The OPM balladeer proceeded to achieve success as a solo artist, receiving awards for such hit songs as “Doon Lang,” “Kumusta Ka” and “Never Say Goodbye.” Still, he missed the sheer enjoyment of performing onstage with a band.

To this day, Nonoy yearns to play with his old friends, and jam to the music of Earth, Wind and Fire, Kool and the Gang, Commodores, The Stylistics, Village People and Bee Gees.

Reunion show

That’s why Nonoy is holding a reunion show with the Family Birth Control Band on Oct. 30 at the RJ Bistro, Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati City. He hopes to relive the magic even just for a night.

Why did it take over 30 years for this reunion to happen?

We get together from time to time to jam, but this is our first reunion show. It was supposed to happen five years ago, but we couldn’t synch our schedules. Some of them are now based in the US. We decided to push through this year even if Ed, Aida, Gigi and Marissa couldn’t make it.

What are some of your most memorable moments with the band?

It was the Martial Law era and strange, scary things happened at times. During an out-of-town gig, a drunken politico pointed a gun at us and ordered us to stop, because we couldn’t do a song he requested.

Once, in a club, we received a note asking us to perform “Release Me.” But we were a disco band; we didn’t do Engelbert Humperdinck! Later, we received another note with the same message, but this time in bold letters, with the name of… a colonel! We scrambled backstage, and pieced together the lyrics and chords. I was nervous because I knew only one verse. But we did it, and the colonel stood up, applauded us, and even gave a generous tip! It was both scary and hilarious.

Would you say you were a trouble magnet then?

Ha-ha-ha! Yes, I did somehow find myself in  these situations. Once, I was playing a set in a folk house when the owner got into a gunfight with another guy. I had to dodge—and I was only 15!

Did those experiences help you in any way as a performer?

Of course. They challenged me to perform better and provided good training for my solo career. I learned to handle anything, including rowdy crowds.

What are you looking forward to in this reunion show?

I just want to relive and enjoy the past. Apart from the music, I want to see friends and followers from way back. I hope they’re still alive! Ha-ha-ha!

How was your first rehearsal—a bit of rustiness there?

Not really, because the band never really stopped playing even after I left. We all know ’70s music by heart. It’s second nature to us. Re-memorizing the lyrics is the challenge.

Will you be wearing ’70s costumes?

Oh, no! I’d look silly in them now! But we’re encouraging those who will come to be in ’70s and ’80s outfits.