Vehnee Saturno tribute at The Wishfuls e-concert

MANILA, Philippines — The classic compositions of hitmaker Vehnee Saturno were put in spotlight in last Sunday’s (Oct. 25) e-concert by girl-group The Wishfuls. The show titled OPM Live became the second trending Twitter topic of the night as 18,000 viewers joined the online spectacle.

The Saturno tribute was a segment that celebrated the composer’s 40th year in the music biz. The group performed some of his hits with local royalties, including Martin Nievera, Dingdong Avanzado, Jaya, JayR and Sheryn Regis.

“OPM is resilient in these hard times and that was reflected in The Wishfuls paying homage to the hit songs we love and cherish,” said Ad Carreon of BMPI Talent Center which handles the group.

Breakthrough and Milestones Productions International (BMPI), Inc. partnered with communication app QONEQ to deliver the concert staged at La Verdad College Auditorium in Apalit, Pampanga.

The Wishfuls group is composed of mostly belters and winners from the inaugural season of Wish 107.5’s online singing competition dubbed Wishcovery. Members include Princess Sevillena, Kimberly Baluzo, Louie Anne Culala, Carmela Ariola, Ace Bartolome and Season 2 grand winner Rhea Basco.

They have been performing in front of huge crowds, having entertained fans in pre-pandemic shows The Wishful Journey at the Araneta Coliseum and The Wishfuls Live in Dubai, UAE. They also performed with bigger stars in Wish Music Awards, the Songs for Heroes in MOA Arena and the 90’s Upload, also in Dubai.

Carreon added, “As a result of their triumphant series of performances, they were also invited to participate in the local reality talent competition dubbed Your Moment aired by then free TV giant ABS-CBN.”

When it was clear there won’t be any face-to-face concert to happen because of the pandemic, The Wishfuls joked about having a genie appear before them so they could ask him to spell some magic and allow them to still do concerts. Looks like the genie came in the form of a management group making a headway in reviving the live show scene through online concerts.

BMPI was also behind the recent concert of the band Bradz which drew 15,000 livestream viewers.

As a testament to its fast-increasing fan base, The Wishfuls scored a platinum record award just right after the release of its Star Music-distributed album Wishful 5 journey. Last year, the group was loudly applauded in This Is The Time which showcased the talent and public charm of BMPI talents.

“BMPI, Inc. is now set to stage more virtual events in the coming months for other signed artists,” added Carreon.