JOSE 'TOTO' GENTICA V


   MUSIC DIRECTOR / DIRECTOR/ PRODUCER / COMPOSER/  MUSIC ARRANGER

 

In Manila in 1976, he with his friends Jet Montelibano, and Jef Valdez put together a showband called Ensalada which eventually evolved into Music & Magic with Kuh Ledesma. With him as musical director and composer/arranger, the band became the much acclaimed entertainment act in the early 80’s.
 

In 1983, Toto formed Manila’s first new wave, punk band called ZZYZX with Mags Bonnin. Around this time he also was the musical director/arranger of R & B and pop artist Gary Valenciano, pop diva Kuh Ledesma and pop-rock artist Lou Bonnevie for their concerts and record albums.
 

In 1982 Toto debuted as a film music director with Peque Gallaga’s Oro Plata Mata, produced by the Experimental Cinema of the Philippines. This film garnered him the Urian’s best film music scoring. Other works on films include Chito Rono’s “Itanong Mo Sa Buwan”, “Baleleng”, & “Abandonada”  and Peque Gallaga’s “Shake, Rattle and Roll” II & III. Subsequently, he scored another Peque Gallaga Film under Neo Films “Gangland” which garnered him the STAR Awards for Best Theme Song. He also produced and composed the songs for the CD & album recording of Star Cinema Film “Puso Ng Pasko” with Jolina Magdangal and other Star Cinema Stars. He also scored Viva Films’ “Sa Huling Paghihintay” by Erik Matti.
 

In 1989 Toto set up his own recording studio SONATA. Sonata paved the way to his numerous international recording projects on animated films and videos released in Japan under Artmic Records, Polydor and Bandai Visuals Company (the outfit which produced the popular Power Rangers). A popular Japanese animated series TOTO scored was the A. D. POLICE wherein video fanatics not only in ASIA, Hongkong but also in L. A. and other parts of the U.S. savored his avant-garde soundtrack. Another popular anime series he scored was the “Gaiarth and Bubble Gum Crisis Series” under Toshiba/EMI and TOEMI Japan and  POLYDOR .
 

It is also in the 90’s when he ventured into commercial jingle compositions and productions for which he won several awards for his creativity. As a versatile composer,  he has done jingles for high end products such as Colgate Palmolive, San Miguel, Ajax, Coney Island, Purefoods, Dole Philippines, SSS, Gard Shampoo, -Magnolia, Ajinomoto, PLDT, Pilipinas Bank, Dunkin’ Donuts, Concepcion Industries, Hope Cigarettes, Philip Morris, Tender Care Soap, Mazda, Philips, Piltel, Camay, Sony, Panasonic, Nikon, FILA, Citibank, Nestea and many more.
He was also doing political jingles for high profile politicians.
 

In 1992, he created his own production outfit DIMITRI PRODUCTIONS (named after his son Dimitri) and began his career as a director for music festivals, concerts and events.  
 

In 1997 his lifelong dream of composing his first opera was fulfilled. “Lapu-Lapu”, the first ever neo-classic-ethno-rock opera about the First Filipino Freedom fighter who defeated the Portuguese explorer Fernando De Magallanes( Magellan ) was staged for ten (10) nights at the Main Theatre of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). It was the first ever Filipino multi-lingual original Opera (Visayan (a native Dialect),English, Spanish, Portuguese and Latin) staged. The music was a convergence of the classics, rock, broadway, world music and Asian ethno music in one musical epic. Other Collaborators were national artist Badong Bernal, director Behn Cervantes, international lights designer Naomi Matsumoto,librettist Henry Tejero and choreographer Denisa Reyes. The Opera was a rousing success and was released as a TV Special.
 

Thereafter, he then composed his first oratorio : “Santo Cristo Del Tesoro” for College of Santa Isabel  and composed a children’s original  musical “Magic Staff” ,staged at the Meralco Theatre.
 

In the new millennium, Toto branched his recording studio into a post video production outfit producing  and directing several AVPs and Infomercials. Notable works include The Philippine Environment Monitor Series (A project of the World Bank); “Rice Ducks To The Rescue (with the University of the Philippines; “Let’s Care for Our Air Infomercial (with DENR and Australian Government); “Let’s Care for The Ozone Layer”(with Partnership for Clean Air and DENR); The New Traffic Of Metro Manila (with MMDA and Indra) and other corporate AVPs. He also directed and edited some of his production into a TV Special.
 

In 2012, his production outfit branched itself into a foundation.  EARTHDAY JAM FOUNDATION, Inc. is a shoot up from the most significant and successful long running project he has co-conceptualized and directed  -- the musical marathon tribute “EARTHDAY JAM”.. It is now the most successful ,longest running environmental music event and will celebrated its 20th year in 2020.
 

To date ,JOSE 'TOTO' GENTICA V dabbles his role as a the Vice President and Creative Director of his Foundation doing environmental projects and as a director/music director of corporate shows and events. As a MUSIC artist, he is now in preparation and currently   working on his next musical. A LIGHT HORROR MUSICAL "CARCAR" From Carcar, Navarre, Spain to Cebu, Capiz, Siquijor and Carcar, Cebu.