Monday, May 17, 2010

'PAALAM TOTOY TENGA' FROM SENOR ROTTEN



A TRIBUTE TO ALFREDO RICONOSE (by senor rotten/phil.violators)




The last conversation I had with the man, was thru txt message. He was going back to his province Leyte and was already about to board his ship and he wanted to say goodbye and thanked me for the wonderful accommodation I had given him during our 25th Anniversary Gig at the legendary Sazy’s Club (formerly Mayricks)a year ago today. I told him “Bitin pa nga yun ‘Toy, Sana mag ka-jam pa tayo ng mahaba-haba next time na andito ka sa Manila” and he replied “Wag kang mag-alala Rotten, Magkikita pa tayo”…’MAGKIKITA PA TAYO’….’MAGKIKITA PA TAYO!”…those last few words keep reverberating in my mind as I am writing this…And my heart bleeds profusely as I attempt to put into words my final tribute and respect to the man everyone knows as ‘TOTOY TENGA” of Barrio Kusot.

Who is ‘Totoy Tenga’ in the eyes of Senor Rotten?.... During my early teenage punk years, when everyone in our neighborhood was crucifying us for the way we look, and the kind of music we were into. He was the only one who stood & defended us in our community. When we tried to organize an Underground Punkrock Concert in our neighborhood, everyone was against it, they thought it was stupid, even my relatives hated us for it, they said it would just be a haven for ‘drug addicts’ and other mischievous activities. ..“Ano yan concert ng mga Adik”?.etc.etc.

When we needed an ‘Adult person’ on our side, to get approval from the community, It was only TOTOY TENGA, who came to our rescue, backed us up, and supported the whole thing up to the very end. He became our local ‘HOWLIN DAVE’ that night, and bravely took the duty and responsibility of assuring the oldies that no violence or other untoward incident would happen as long as he’s in charge. We didn’t make a single cent out of it. But it was the most exciting thing that we ever did at that point in time,..

It was our big “Fuck You” to our detractors in the community. It was a historic event and a monumental task to pull off amongst ourselves. And we never could’ve done it without the guidance of a certain ‘TOTOY TENGA’…(That event was entitled : ‘SUPPORT THE UNDERGROUND’ and featured VEX, DDT, ‘ENGOL BUKOL’ of SEX MILITANTS among many others, this was pre-philvio times, when we were still just a tribe known as THE VIOLATORS of Paco, Manila)

Totoy Tenga’s musical knowledge is unbelievable, He was a child of the 70’s ‘NEW MOON CONCERT’ festival era, and an avid DZRJ pioneer. His concert experiences would amaze me no end. But more importantly he embraced PHIL.VIOLATORS music, beliefs & ideals with no hesitation whatsoever. He encourage us to pursue what we were doing when everyonelse hated us and couldn’t understand what we were about.

Ive always admired his wisdom in his choice of words. He was already ‘Malalim’ when everyonelse was still “Mababaw”. He didn’t try to look cool, he didn’t have to…he just were.AND He never treated me less of a person, always spoke to me as a co-equal adult, even though he was many years my senior.
TOTOY TENGA, is a legend in our town of Barrio Kusot. And when my father died I said to him “Toy, wala na si Roding Kulot’, nalagasan na naman ng isang alamat ang Kusot”. He replied “di bale, andyan pa kayong dalawang magkapatid’, mas malupit ang naiwan”... It automatically lifted my spirit, I was surprised by his remark. I replied “SALAMAT TOY’ ITS AN HONOR COMING FROM A TRUE LEGEND OF BARRIO KUSOT LIKE YOU”… in my hour of darkness, when I was feeling down & depressed, when I couldn’t comprehend why my father had to suffer & go out that way… I never expected that the only words that would ease my pain,..at that PARTICULAR POINT IN time..would come from a simple complement BY a man I call ‘TOTOY TENGA’.

I can never put into words how TOTOY TENGA influenced me as a Person and a Musician. PHIL.VIOLATORS is forever indebted to the man. HE WAS A GOOD PERSON, A GREAT MENTOR,.. BUT ABOVE ALL, HE WAS A TRUE FRIEND.

I WILL NEVER FORGET YOU 'TOTOY TENGA'
(a.k.a) ALFREDO RICONOSE

MUCH RESPECT,

From your friend

-Senor Rotten of Phil.Violators-
(May 17,2010)

CLICK TO WATCH TOTOY TENGA'S YOUTUBE TRIBUTE