Old favorites, new songs in Jovit, Fra Lippo Lippi concerts

CEBU, Philippines - “Pilipinas Got Talent” winner Jovit Baldivino and Fra Lippo Lippi lead singer Per Sorensen recently got Cebuano concert-goers in an excellent mood for love during their respective shows at the Waterfront Hotel in Lahug. Inducing sighs and swoons were the 17-year-old singer’s classic rock renditions and the Norway star’s global hits from his New Wave band heyday.

Jovit told the crowd his Cebu concert stop titled “Jovit Baldivino...Faithfully” was a dream come true of sorts because although the former siomai vendor is a proud native of Batangas, his father hails from Cebu. Financial constraints had for a long time hindered them from revisiting their Cebu roots, so the concert also served as a homecoming for him and his dad. A relative newcomer in the concert scene, Jovit let out a constant shout-out to his cousins and uncles in attendance who came all the way from Dalaguete—proof that even with the sudden fame and fortune, the talented teenager still recognizes the importance of kin on his journey to singing superstardom.

His crowd-pleasing repertoire consisted of the karaoke staples by Queen, Bon Jovi, Foreigner, Europe and Guns N’ Roses. Not to be left out was his winning PGT piece “Faithfully” by foreign rock band Journey, plus singles from his latest album “I’ll Do Anything For Love.”

Lending support was fellow PGT finalist Markki Stroem, who belted his trademark Josh Groban favorites. The heartthrob, whose presence alone got the ladies excited, wasn’t the only source of eye vitamin that night. Sony Music recording artist and “Machete” actor Aljur Abrenica was also one of Jovit’s guest stars. While critics may lambast Aljur’s acting skills on primetime television, the guy can carry a tune, as he displayed wonderfully in his take on Fra Lippo Lippi’s “Beauty and Madness” and other pop hits.

What’s a Kapuso talent doing in Jovit’s show? The guest slot was originally for Sam Milby but due to schedule problems, MJM Productions decided to invite another artist instead.

Providing comic relief was the funny tandem of Jason Francisco and Melai Cantiveros, better known to their fans as Melason. The “Pinoy Big Brother” duo prepared a Billie Jean production number complete with back-up dancers and an ad-libbed duet of Mandy Moore’s “Someday We’ll Know.”

Singer Nyoy Volante was the concert’s musical director and designated guitarist. He advised the young Jovit on-stage during their OPM duet set: “Mahalin mo yung mga nanonood sa iyo dahil sila ang dahilan ng lahat ng ito.”

Per Sorensen of the popular 80’s New Wave band Fra Lippo Lippi has performed in Cebu at least twice prior to this latest concert, so to keep his show fresh, he introduced three new compositions in his 18-song repertoire that Cebuanos had never heard of before. The new songs titled “Loneliness”, “The Truth Behind Our Lies” and “It Could Be Nice”, which he accompanied with an acoustic piano, were apparently the result of a period of depression that Per went through years back, as he related in a one-on-one interview with The FREEMAN.

Presented by Steve O’Neal Productions, “Fra Lippo Lippi’s Greatest Hits” played the nostalgic songs like “Come Summer”, “Beauty And Madness”, “Love Is A Lonely Harbour”, “Light And Shade”, “The Distance Between Us”, “Stitches And Burns”, “Even Tall Trees Bend”, “Freedom”, “Coming Home”, “Later”, “Shouldn’t Have To Be Like That”, “Some People”, “Crazy Wisdom”, “Angel”, and the biggest hit of them all, which we still hear everywhere, “Everytime I See You”.

OPM band True Faith opened for Fra Lippo Lippi. Original bandmates Rune Kristofferson and Morten Sjoberg have since left the group, with Per carrying the legacy for the world-famous Fra Lippo Lippi band.