Kean ends ties with Callalily
EARLY this April, singer-songwriter Kean Cipriano mourned the loss of his mom, Chona. But, ever the professional artist that he is, Kean pushed through with performing in the “Love, Sessionistas” concert last April 4 – the show must go on.
Kean joined his fellow Sessionistas at The Theater at Solaire stage for the one-night concert with Ice Seguerra, Nyoy Volante, Juris Fernandez, Duncan Ramos, Sitti Navarro and Princess Velasco.
“Napakasakit, napakabilis ng mga pangyayari,” Kean posted on his Instagram about his mom’s death.. “Nakakatakot, nakakayanig, napakasakit na makita kang nahihirapan. Hindi mo deserve ‘yon.
“I’m so sorry you had to go through that pain. Sobra akong nalungkot dahil deserve mo pang makilala ang sarili mo at ma-experience pa ang beauty ng buhay kasama ng mga taong mahal mo. Pero payapa ako na tapos na ang paghihirap.”
Kean also shared in the post how he always remembered his mom and how her presence will always be felt in everything she loved and cared for.
“Alam kong nagpaparamdam ka sa mga kanta,” said Kean in his post. “Nararamdaman kita sa hangin.”
“Yung pagmamahal na binigay mo sa lahat ng taong naging parte ng buhay mo, ay naibuhos sa amin nitong mga nakaraang araw.
“Ang daming nagmamahal sa ‘yo, Mommy. Pare-pareho sila ng sinasabi, ‘Napakabait ng Mommy nyo. Napakabuti ng puso. Walang masamang tinapay.’
As the eldest of three brothers, Kean remembered how his mom would always make sure to remind him of her love and care for her children.
“Nagpapasalamat ako na nakasama kita sa buhay na ‘to, Mommy, @chonacipriano. Salamat sa pagmamahal. Salamat sa lahat-lahat. Sobrang nami-miss kita. ‘Sobra.
“’Yung ngiti mo. ‘Yung boses at tawa mo. ‘Yung yakap at halik. Mami-miss ko ‘yung palagi mong sinasabi sa akin, ‘Kean, ‘wag ka masyadong magpa-stress sa work. Relax ka lang.”
In 2016, Kean lost his dad, Edgie Cipriano, who passed on due to cardiac arrest at the age of 52.
The former lead singer of the pop group Callalily that started back in 2005, is now in a different chapter in his career as far as his music is concerned.
The 37-year-old singer-songwriter-actor left his band, Callalilly that lasted for 17 years in the music business. The band is something that Kean was really proud of. Callalily undoubtedly changed Kean’s life
“Matagal ko siyang pinag-isipan,” said Kean, especially when the pandemic started. “We never even got together to play and to create.
“You cannot hide that the magic or the spark is no longer there. We also had personal indifferences, turmoil and issues. We were just a bunch of 17-18 year-olds when we started.
“Callalily changed our lives. We had a good run. It’s hard to stay in a place where you not happy anymore and you now longer feel valued.
“We wanted to preserve the legacy of the band, but we already lost the main core of what a band was supposed to do. I don’t want to do something just for the sake of money. I came up with a name.
“Callalily is under my intellectual property and trademark. But I licensed the name to them and sent them the agreement. I reached out to them. We needed to iron out legalities, 17 years of the band. We wanted to move forward.”
“I love Callalily with all my heart,” Kean said. “But if I’m no longer happy. Wala nang spark and magic. There was no point to continue. Why did I disengage?
“I don’t need to stick with one sound. I will still release songs. Tuloy-tuloy lang music. For growth, I don’t need to stick with one sound. I enjoy my being creative. I work with different musicians and songwriters. I want to outgrow myself.”
Kean will keep on singing the songs of Callalilly. He admitted he respects the four other members. But his freedom is “priceless,” as he enjoys everything around him inspired by his family – actress-wife Chynna Ortaleza, with whom he has two daughters,.
“I appreciate the fans and all the people who listened to us,” Kean said. “I wish my bandmates all the best. I have this record label, OC Records and we have all the other artists. The music will live on forever.”
Meanwhile, Kean recently released his latest single, “Feel Like It’s the End of the Line,” a collaboration with his long-time friend and fellow Sessionista, OPM hitmaker Ice Seguerra.
Kean, who is also an actor and music producer, described the song as “a reflection on a relationship where love feels distant and the search.”
“Writing the song ‘Feels Like It’s the End of the Line’ was quite a challenge for me,” Kean wrote on his Instagram. “It represents a significant time in my life when I needed to let go and start a new chapter.
“At first, I wasn’t sure how to approach the song, but it soon became clear that it should be a collaboration with someone who could convey the right emotions.”
Released under O/C Records, Kean cannot be thankful enough collaborating with Ice.
“I am grateful that Ice was willing to work on the song with me,” added Kean. “And the final result is truly beautiful. His voice and interpretation perfectly capture the sadness and gloominess that I wanted to express.
“Maraming salamat, ‘tol @iceseguerra, for giving this song a fresh perspective. It’s an honor to collaborate with a legend.”
“Feels Like It’s the End of the Line” marks Kean’s first release this 2025. He is slated to mark his 20th anniversary in the entertainment industry this year.
“Feels Like It’s the End of the Line” is now out on digital music platforms.
