Balladeer Nonoy Zuñiga was still in high school when he started singing professionally at only 15 years old. “I was a folk singer for three years when I started,” he shared. “Then, in college, I joined Family Birth Control band. We performed with them for five years, every night. Then, I started recording.”
Nonoy’s mom was the most influential in his music. But when it came to singing, it was Nonoy’s dad who inspired him.
There was always music in their Kamuning home, he recalled. “But my dad was always abroad, my mom was always in the house. We had music everyday in the house which I always heard. We had many records, three boxes.”
His songs have been re-imagined through the years—some turned into film or teleserye themes. “There was even a rap version of ‘Doon Lang’,” said Nonoy. “But I feel proud. There were different interpretations of ‘Never Say Goodbye,’ ‘Kumusta Ka,’ you Google the songs and there were many interpretations. I feel honored and proud.”
Nonoy will mark 50 years in a one-night concert, “Beyond Gold,” on September 5 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater (NPAT). His set list will include songs he has been singing or hearing since he was born (71 years ago on May 4, 1954) up to the present time.
Among his stellar guests are Kuh Ledesma and Lani Misalucha. Nonoy and Kuh go way back to the 1970s when they alternated sets at El Camarote Bar at Holiday Inn, performing with their respective bands—Family Birth Control for Nonoy, and Ensalada for Kuh. He later met Lani during his recording sessions in the ‘80s. “She was doing Natalie Cole and Mariah Carey covers back then,” Nonoy recalled.
Joining them are Nonoy’s fellow Hitmakers — Rey Valera and Marco Sison. “Dahil ‘yan sa matinding pangangailangan,” Nonoy joked. “But we’re really friends, so we’re always there for each other, supporting each other’s concerts.” Their camaraderie deepened when they started performing as The Hitmakers in 2003. “Before that, we just knew each other. We didn’t really hang out. But when The Hitmakers started, we began doing that.”
Nonoy has long dreamed of sharing the stage with Sharon Cuneta, with whom he recorded “Init sa Magdamag,” the theme of Laurice Guillen’s 1983 film. Yet, they’ve never performed it live together. He also dreams of getting Vilma Santos, with whom he did the 1982 film Never Ever Say Goodbye, and Regine Velasquez, who re-imagined Ryan Cayabyab’s “Araw Gabi,” originally recorded by Nonoy in 1985.
He will also sing “Basang Basa sa Ulan,” which he recorded in 1981 before Aegis made the tune popular. “I’ve been thinking about this concert for a long time,” added Nonoy. “Parang matanda na kasi dahil 50th year, not in showbiz, but in the singing profession.”
Although he completed medicine, he never practiced after getting busy with singing. “I really had to choose the time,” he said. “Maybe if you were in my place, you will also choose singing. You were at the crossroads of having US concerts where you would earn dollars or go to your clinic to treat patients,” Nonoy said. “But I still love to treat people especially when they’re sick.”
Now living part of the time abroad, Nonoy spends time with his five children from a previous marriage, which ended in 2015. When he’s not performing in Manila, he visits them overseas.
As he prepares to take the stage for “Beyond Gold,” Nonoy remains grateful to his fans and friends. “While they are here, I will also be around,” he said. “I always tell them, ‘I hope we can still last for a long time.’ We will see each other in more shows.”
