REMEMBERING HONORIO

REMEMBERING HONORIO

Honorio and I shared a love for music and electronics a long time ago while we were still in Asingan. Both of us were studying in Manila, but during summer breaks we hang around in in the old hometown waiting for school to resume.I spent a part of the summer holidays ( April to June ) taping music with the use of the old fashioned Akai Open reel tape recorders.

His dad worked abroad at that time in the field of electronics. I would go to his house in Cabincolan and would spend hours transfering music in open reel tapes ( the forerunner of audio cassettes and CDs ). He had this professional Akai open reel player/recorder which could accomodate 12" reels. He fed the signal to a powerful stereo player which used large speakers. At that time, Dolby Surround sound was unheard of yet.

Sometimes, he would also visit me . He was a pleasant, easy to get along with and he had this unforgettable smile. His knowledge for recording equipments was also extensive. One New Years eve in Asingan, we walked from his house to mine. He was carrying a portable tape recorder which used used 4 "D"battery cells and a 5" open reel tape. While we were walking, we had the record button on, so we were able to capture the sounds of exploding fire crackers along the road and other ambient sounds which broke the otherwise quiet atmosphere of Asingan during the '60s. Bamboo cannons ( called bung-bung ) could also be heard all around. These noise makers used calcium carbide ( carburo ) plus water and the sound could damage your ear drums if used too much of the chemical.

I never saw him anymore after our college days. The last time I saw him was during one balikbayan trip. We were both crowning guests during a dance at the Asingan auditorium. He came from New York and I from Toronto.

I kept wishing I could go and look him up in NY since Toronto is just about 45 mins away by plane. I guess its kinda late now.

Hey Honorio, have a pleasant journey and I will always remember you in my prayers!..

--vic