Chito Miranda, Rico Blanco, Kean Cipriano, and More Discuss New Releases, Collaborations | Wish Connect (October 1 to 23)

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For Kean Cipriano, helping new artists is a two-way street. “Whenever artists come up to me and ask for advice, I dish out my take on their work and get to learn something new in the process. It’s a great cycle,” the Callalily vocalist and O/C Records co-founder shared during a Wish Connect interview.

With his latest release “Make Me Fly” as proof, he offers a new flavor to the guitar-driven alternative-pop sound he is known for. And this new dimension fittingly makes the track — which he describes as his “gratitude song” to the people who have been supporting him — a standout from the rest of his work.

Multi-hyphenate @keancipriano speaks on Wish Connect and shares how it feels like to give new artists a platform where they can share their music. He also talks about his latest solo release, "Make Me Fly."

WATCH: https://t.co/8enJ8L5ARr pic.twitter.com/TS6aoNh6se

— Wish FM 107.5 (@wish1075) October 26, 2020

On the same week that he was featured on Wish 107.5’s Facebook Live program, promising acts from his label also had their stints on the show — including contemporary R&B act Arthur Nery, who broke out into the scene with his acclaimed effort “Letters Never Sent,” and Rice Lucido, who talked about her new song, “Habilin.”

Like how Lucido’s newest offering sounds, the mystique of her music also transcends her other artistic pursuits, which she also got to showcase in her collaboration with singer-songwriter syd hartha.

During her own Wish Connect guesting, syd revealed that the folk artist was the one who made the cover art for her Johnoy Danao-produced new single, “hiwaga.”

[READ: syd hartha Gets Introspective in New Song, ‘hiwaga’]

Musical connections, collaborative efforts

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For the month of October, Wish 107.5’s daily digital show also welcomed a number of musical acts who have recently released collaborative tracks.

Speaking about “Ikaw Pa Rin,” synthwave pop band Brisom shared that they were the ones who invited The Voice Kids alumna Shanne Dandan to work with them for the song.

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“I am happy that I was able to collaborate with them… I was able to learn from them as they’re more experienced [in this industry],” Dandan mused.

Another unexpected pairing is that of Rico Blanco and Hannah Pangilinan’s. The two acts teamed up for the track “All The Way.”

“Rico just made it easy to help me process my thoughts and to translate [them] into words. We didn’t have to try very hard to come up with this song. It’s honestly so fun when music is something that is so natural, instead of forced,” Pangilinan said.

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Rico — who has been releasing a handful of collaborations since his return from his self-imposed hiatus from the music scene — noted how he has been enjoying forging partnerships with fellow artists.

“I realized that I had been working hard from the time that I started this career. I’ve overshot goal after goal after goal and I say this with a lot of modesty and appreciation for my blessings. So I felt like in 2016 or 2017, I could walk away. And that’s what I did for about two to three years. Now, I came back with a more relaxed vibe. I’m really just picking the stuff that I really enjoy,” he candidly shared, citing his projects such as growing his own label, Balcony Entertainment, and working with acts like Pangilinan.

[READ: Rico Blanco’s New Song ‘Happy Feelin’’ Glows with Good Vibes]

While “All The Way” comes from two acts who have met for the first time while working on the track, “Kahit Ano” — another Universal Records release — is borne of the the real-life friendship of Better Days’ Daniel Paringit, Imago’s Kiara San Luis, and up-and-coming act Ica.

“What makes the song very personal to us is our shared love for music and how we believe in its capability to heal, to bring comfort and to bind people together regardless of what situation we are in,” San Luis stated in a press release.

The acoustic jam, which was produced by Gracenote’s Eunice Jorge, aspires to offer hope amidst these trying times.

Labelmate Chito Miranda, on the other hand, has his solo song “Smile” to showcase a new-found musical connection in the person of Iktus band’s Andrew Panaligan. According to the Parokya ni Edgar vocalist, he met Panaligan through a common friend.

“I wanted to create something new and unique, away from Parokya because it’s a different love song for my wife. Andrew helped me out. He added a great guitar [arrangement] which made the song more beautiful than what I originally planned,” he remarked.

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During his Wish Connect feature, Miranda also weighed in on the status of today’s OPM scene and gave insightful words for aspiring artists.

“The challenges today are different from before. Before, it’s hard to break into the mainstream because you need to have a song and you need to record it inside a recording studio. But once you get in, it’s relatively easier because there’s less competition. Now, it’s easier to record — you can do it with your own laptop and an app. The struggle there is everybody can come up with something. You have to be brilliant and spectacular to stand out,” he imparted.

Never miss the latest from Wish Connect. Catch the online radio, hosted by DJ Ray Holiday, DJ Faye, DJ Alice, DJ Adam, and DJ Jenie, LIVE on our official Facebook page — Mondays through Fridays at 7 p.m. PHT. Stay tuned via our social media pages for updates.