Enrico de Jesus Puno was
born in Manila on Feb. 13, 1953 to Felipe Puno Sr. and Corazon J. Puno. He
earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Philippine School of Business
Administration.
 But
Rico wanted to make it as a singer and he was soon making the rounds of folk
houses and small clubs in Metro Manila, entertaining the crowds with his
smooth voice. His big break came about in an unlikely way: in 1975, while
singing at the Palazzi, he met the American Motown group the Temptations
and sang a few songs with them. He impressed the group with his singing,
which in turn led to him being noticed by executives from Vicor Records.
Rico J's first record, "Love
Won't Let me Wait," introduced a novelty in Filipino pop music, the addition
of Tagalog lyrics in singing foreign songs. His first big hit, "The Way We
Were," featured a Tagalog introduction as well as the now-classic add-on,
"Alaala, ng tayo'y mag-sweetheart pa/ Namamasyal pa sa Luneta nang walang
pera."
In 1976 Rico J won the Aliw
Award for most Promising Entertainer. It did not take him long to live up
to that promise, for a mere two years later he was Aliw's Entertainer of
the Year. His "Rico in Concert" show at the Cultural Center of the Philippines
helped launch him as a major pop star. His Araneta concerts and his 1978
US tour broke records in audience attendance. With his fast-growing popularity
he became a sought-after product endorser; many probably still remember his
"Magbeer muna tayo!" San Miguel ads in the 1970s.
 Rico J's many hit songs
include "Kapalaran," "Buhat," "Macho Guwapito," "Lupa," "Damdamin," "May
Bukas Pa," "Ang Tao'y Marupok," and his great duet with Elsa Chan, "Magkasuyo
Buong Gabi." A favorite of the Carousel Pinoy webmaster is Rico J's version
of "You Don't Have to Be a Star (to Be in my Show)" to which he added the
line, "Kahit na pangit ka pa, baby, kailangan kita!"
Having such an impressive
array of hits under his belt would have been enough to insure that Rico J
would continue to be in demand as a live performer for many years to come.
But the Total Entertainer, as he has been dubbed, is more than a smooth-voiced
crooner; he is also a skilled comedian, almost as famous for his naughty
jokes as for his singing. Now, thirty years after he first hit it big, Rico
J. Puno is as popular as ever. The fans who were young during his heyday
in the '70s now go to see him sing all their old favorites, and to have a
good laugh at his naughty-but-hilarious jokes.
 As
busy as his showbiz career keeps him, Rico J still manages to find time for
other pursuits. He is in the trucking business and is also the owner of a
karaoke bar, Corix, at Vito Cruz Extension. Besides this, he has been a Makati
City Councilor since 1998. One of Councilor Puno's notable ordinances has
been the installation of surveillance cameras in all of Makati's 24-hour
convenience stores, to protect against robbers. Long before he ever held
an elected office, Rico's civic-mindedness was already apparent, as he would
provide scholarships to needy youth and help defray medical expenses for
the poor.
A couple of years ago Rico
J. did two Greatest Hits shows at the Music Museum, the first with Hajji
Alejandro and Nonoy Zuniga, and the second with Rey Valera and Marco Sison.
The shows were so successful that the producers decided to bring all five
artists together in one concert, at a bigger venue–the Araneta. "The
Greatest Hits–Just Once" turned out to be such a resounding success
that a repeat performance was held several weeks later. This time it was
"The Greatest Hits–Just Once More," but that title proved to be a misnomer,
for the five artists have since taken the show "on the road," to the delight
of Pinoy audiences around the world.
 During the three-hour show,
each artist gets to sing his big hits, then they do several numbers together.
Often they are joined by the audience singing along! There is also a lot
of good-natured teasing among the five, and of course plenty of Rico J's
trademark off-color humor. When they played Vancouver, British Columbia in
January of 2004, he lamented to the crowd, “Mahirap pala dito, malamig.
Dalawang araw pa lang ako, e, lumiit na yung sa akin. Pero okay lang, sinabihan
ako na babalik rin sa dati pag dating ng summer.”
The five Greatest Hitmakers,
or GH5 for short, have now appeared all over the US and Canada, as well as
Australia, and most recently in Hong Kong and Dubai. They have more US shows
lined up for 2005, with Honolulu being the first stop.
In addition to his GH5 shows,
Rico continues to appear in solo shows and with other artists.
One recent interesting pairing was the ever-naughty
Rico together with the "saintly" Basil Valdez at the Araneta in October 2004.
Rico toned down his jokes for the occasion, saying "Ayoko ng green. Baka
mag-walkout si Basil!" The audience thoroughly enjoyed their performances,
despite the fact that there was an earthquake about halfway through the show!
In a December 2004 Bohol
show, he was joined, as he often is, by his oldest daughter Tosca. She had
not really dreamed of being a singer, but as a child her parents would force
her to sing at parties and she eventually grew to like it. Now singing has
become her passion, but she also does some acting as a member of a Manila
theater group.
For the latest info on Rico
J. Puno's US and Canada shows, check our Carousel Pinoy
Events page.
Previous Caroustars: NOVEMBER
2004:
PIOLO
PASCUAL • OCTOBER 2004:
GARY
V • SEPTEMBER 2004:
AIZA
SEGUERRA • AUGUST 2004:
LANI
MISALUCHA • JULY 2004:
ANDREW
E • JUNE 2004:
LEA
SALONGA • MAY 2004:
JOEY
ALBERT • APRIL 2004:
VINA
MORALES • MARCH 2004:
RICA PERALEJO
• FEBRUARY 2004:
RACHEL
ALEJANDRO • JANUARY 2004:
GENEVA
CRUZ
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