Chynna Ortaleza says Kean Cipriano wants to focus on growth, creative freedom after Callalily

Reports circulated on Thursday that Kean Cipriano had left Callalily, the band he had fronted for 17 years.

In an exclusive interview with GMA News Online, O/C Records vice president and Kean’s wife Chynna Ortaleza said he did not leave, but rather “disengaged” himself from the band.

Ultimately, the main reason for Kean’s disengagement was he wanted more creative freedom, growth, and longevity. Chynna said Kean was disappointed that there was so much negativity surrounding this decision.

Another reason would be his work as CEO of O/C Records, especially with producing tracks for their new breed of artists. At the label, their vision is to help make their artists brave enough to trust their music and make it freely, and to give them the respect and support in what they’re creating.

Given his experiences, Kean also feels like it’s time to give back and help out rising artists. Kean is likewise thankful for what he learns from their artists.

“He feels like there's a new kind of creativity being asked of [him] at the moment. Of course, he feels grateful na 17 years na siyang naa-appreciate for the hits of Callalily but at the same time, he feels like there’s much more to [his] musicality that [he] can explore,” said Chynna.

“And he’s not thinking about hits, he’s not thinking about what’s gonna sell at the moment, he just wants to really like explore the music that's been growing din naman over the past 17 years.”

Following Callalily’s success with their music and career path, Kean wanted the freedom to do more but felt restricted. “For Kean, he wanted so bad to experiment but because the band sells a certain way, he felt like he wasn’t being listened to,” said Chynna.

“Siyempre, he was trying his best din naman to do his own thing but the thing is, again, at the end of the day, he just felt like it’s been 17 years. It’s time for each individual to grow artistically,” she said.

“That's why he decided it was time to retire the band or hang the jersey because he wanted to preserve that kind of legacy for everybody,” she added.

“Not just for himself but for everybody, na when they come together to play, it’s more of like a celebration of what they’ve achieved over the past couple of years. But his former bandmates have a different idea. I guess parang they just really wanted to keep on moving forward with doing the same thing. Kumbaga iyong gusto ni Kean na ma-retain iyong legacy from Callalily, hindi talaga nila nakita the way that he sees it.”

She said the situation was no one’s fault, but they just had different paths. “It’s just unfortunate that they refused to talk to my husband and they also refused to talk to the label,” said Chynna.

“Sinasabi nga [ni Kean] sa ’kin na, ‘I really don’t want na nga to be associated with them. Parang at this point, all they do is really splatter negativity and it’s not worth my time na at the moment. I’d rather focus on making things without assassinating other people’s character or decision.’”

Asked how Kean felt when he decided to retire the band after 17 years of working on its success, Chynna said that it was ultimately a decision for more learnings and growth.

“He just really wants everybody in his circle to grow. That’s just how he is as a person. He wasn’t sad about it. He was actually very excited about the possibilities,” she said.

Chynna said Kean did not want to leave the band hanging but looked at the open possibility of retiring the band for a period before coming back together to play again.

“It wasn’t something heartbreaking for him. It was actually that was filled with some kind of hope na his friends of 17 years would actually grow further as musicians outside from this comfort zone that they had for 17 years,” she said.

“And then he did want to really talk to them and have a meeting with them but I guess we grow in different ways. It’s not something that we can force on other people.”

Nevertheless, O/C Records wishes all the best for Kean’s former bandmates, now known as LILY.

“Of course we want them to be successful at what they do. Who doesn’t, right? Iyon nga iyong decision ni Kean from the start eh. He wants his friends to explore and really like flourish. Sabi nga niya sa statement niya, ‘I wish them well.’ That's not like plastik or what,” said Chynna.

With that, O/C Records remains open to signing LILY in the future.

“Ako, I’m not the type of person that will tell you that cannot be. I’m a very open-minded artist, so is my husband, and everything that we represent,” said the O/C Records VP.

“Kami, if people want to collaborate with us, people want to make music with us, we’re always open to that. If they don’t want to do it anymore with us, if they feel like it’s not a good fit, we’re also open to that and wala naming sama ng loob pagdating sa mga bagay na ganyan sa amin.” – RC, GMA News