Ric Manrique, Jr. has passed away.
The U.S.-based singer dubbed as “King of Kundiman Songs” succumbed to a heart attack and diabetes complications last Saturday, Manila time, as announced by his children on his personal Facebook page. He was 76.
“On behalf of the members of the Manrique family, we would like to thank you all for the prayers and love that you have given to our Daddy,” they posted.
Born Ricardo Manrique, Jr. in 1941, he started his career as a member of the Mabuhay Singers in the 1950s. He became a national sensation in 1960 when he became a champion of the revered singing contest “Tawag ng Tanghalan” for 12 weeks.
Manrique then became a successful recording artist and live performer throughout the ’60s and ’70s. Best identified with singing traditional Filipino love songs, his contemporaries included fellow legends Ruben Tagalog and Diomedes Maturan. He recorded songs in Filipino, English and Ilocano.
Additionally, the singer with the smooth, distinctive baritone voice also sung the theme song of several Filipino movies, including a duet with Pilita Corrales called “Ang Daigdig Ko’y Ikaw,” from the 1965 movie of the same title starring Fernando Poe, Jr. and Susan Roces.
Paying tribute to Manrique, veteran movie scribe Lolit Solis wrote in her latest Philstar column that the King of Kundiman was also the favorite singer of the late King of Philippine Movies and would take him to serenade the woman who eventually became his bride.
Over the years, Manrique would also sing the theme song of several movies starring Roces including “Florinda” and “Maruja.”
From the mid-’60s to the early ’70s, Manrique also appeared in several movies, mostly as himself or as a singer including musical films like “Christmas Holiday,” “Top Ten” “Musical Giant” and “Intensity ’70.”
In later years, he would migrate to the United States with his family but would continue to make public appearances for Filipino communities. Last year, he was honored with a Lifetime Achievement award by TOPLA or The Outstanding Pilipinos in Los Angeles.
Over the years, his recordings have been re-issued time and again. Today, several of those recordings including a collection of Christmas songs are now available via popular streaming service, Spotify.
