Remembering the guy who wrote the most unforgettable Pinoy New Wave song ever
You may not know Teddy Diaz but you all know this:
“Enveloped Ideas” was the defining New Wave song of the mid-80s, a perfect pop gem written by the Dawn’s original guitarist, the charismatic Teddy Diaz.
It was the song that would propel the band to mainstream success—but without the guy who wrote it. Teddy was knifed to death on a dimly-lit street in Tatalon, Quezon City on August 21, 1988, after being robbed of his wallet. Teddy was 25. (His assailant was eventually caught and sentenced to life imprisonment.)
The center of the Dawn’s music
To mark the 25th anniversary of his passing, two shows were held. The first at ‘70s Bistro in Quezon City, followed by another gig a day later at 19 East in Muntinlupa.
At the ‘70s Bistro show, vocalist Jett Pangan told Yahoo OMG!, “It’s really just another Dawn gig. This time, it’s our way of remembering Teddy Diaz who founded the group and was at the center of our music. We owe it to him to keep his memory alive.”
Headlining the shows entitled Remembering Teddy were the surviving members of the Dawn: Jett and drummer Junboy Leonor, together with bassist Buddy Zabala and new guitarist Kenneth Ilagan.
A set list reworked to Teddy’s taste
The current Dawn proceeded to relive the music of Teddy’s time and rework later hits by the band in the spirit of the guitarist’s fascination with punk and New Wave. “Salamat,” written before Teddy died, swayed to periodic chants of “Oi, oi, oi!” The band then inserted excerpts from Rivermaya’s “Kisapmata” and Sugarfree’s “Mariposa”—parsing the Dawn’s influence across generations.
“Love Will Set Us Free” hiccupped with hardcore punk moments while a cover of Juan de la Cruz’s “Balong Malalim” unveiled its pop-rocking heart to the delight of the mostly ‘80s era audience. “I Stand With You” and “Enveloped Ideas” exuded Joy Division-like new wave moods, with keyboard flourishes provided by Leni Llapitan (formerly of another 80s icon, Identitiy Crisis).
In his various introductions to the songs that night, vocalist Jett couldn’t help but punctuate his spiel with kudos to the stalwarts of Manila’s 80s scene: New Wave radio station DWXB, the band Deans December, Coconut Palace and “chong” favorite Modern English.
The eyeliner factor
After the performance, guitarist Kenneth Ilagan who played previously with Violent Playground and True Faith said he’s always been a big fan of Teddy Diaz since the early days of the band. “I’ve been doing his unique chord progression even before I joined The Dawn. I try as much as possible to capture it note for note. It’s tough especially when I have to do it without eyeliner!”
Opening act Ginoong Vitalis played solid, melodic pop-rock, equally in tune with the pure pop of Sugarfree and the volume of Urbandub. Their contribution to the Teddy Diaz tribute concert was a powerful workout of “Dreams.”
Ahead of his time
Guitarist JC Asuncion said, “Live, The Dawn plays with extreme passion. With Teddy Diaz, we’re influenced by his energy and creativity. His guitar playing was unique and ahead of its time.”
Second guitarist Carlo Servano added, “For example, he made the guitar sound like a violin. He was the only one with that technique and my own understanding of it has made a better guitar player.”
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