JMielle, Khimo serenade Lapu-Lapu City crowd at ‘Love Notes’ concert

An al fresco might seem like an unconventional venue for a concert featuring the star power of “Tawag ng Tanghalan: Duets” winners Marielle Montellano and JM Dela Cerna, whose pairing as JMielle has attracted a fanbase equivalent to a love team. But the “Sidlak Bisdak” duo made it work, transforming the outdoor dining area into their arena.

The Bisaya Kapamilya singers were in Lapu-Lapu City last weekend, March 15, for Playfulmix Cebu Multimedia Productions’ “Love Notes: A serenade by the sea” concert at The Salty Wharf in Marina Seaview, as audiences were charmed by their renditions of classic love songs in both Filipino and English.

While the audience was predominantly older adults who grew up listening to love ballads, the crowd was diverse. One fan flew in from Manila just to see JMielle, and Dela Cerna was able to greet her personally. They also gave a shout-out to another fan from Canada. Among the attendees was a VIP guest in a wheelchair, who turned out to be one of the concert’s loudest supporters.

For Montellano, a Tabogon, Cebu native now based in Manila, performing at home was a fulfilling experience, even for a short time.

“I am very happy [to be back] because Cebu is my home. I saw a lot of familiar faces, and it’s a different feeling performing for a Cebuano audience,” Montellano told The FREEMAN backstage in Cebuano after the concert.

Her duet partner, Dela Cerna, added, “I have performed in Cebu many times, but it’s still an exciting experience. I am grateful for our Cebuano fans. I performed some songs I hadn’t sung before, and it’s even better since our audience is Bisaya.”

They weren’t the only performers that night as Idol Philippines Season 2 winner Khimo Gumatay also joined them on stage as a special performer.

“This is my fourth time here in Cebu and every time I perform, I get a warm and welcoming response,” said Khimo in Tagalog, who goes by his first name as his moniker.

Their performances were accompanied by the String Edition Orchestra, with the Fit and Fab Dancers providing an intermission number.

Key to JMielle’s chemistry

JMielle opened the concert with a Bruno Mars medley, starting with his mellow duet of Lady Gaga’s “Die with a Smile” before transitioning to an upbeat number of Mars’ collaboration with BLACKPINK’s Rosé “APT.”

The duo then had their own short solo sets. Montellano, Cebu’s pride, went first, delivering powerful and crystal clear performances of “Araw-Gabi” and “Sa Piling Mo.” She closed her set with “Pangarap Ko ang Ibigin Ka,” where Dela Cerna joined her on stage to enthusiastic applause.

The Davao City-born singer then took his turn, performing “Sana Ay Ikaw Na Nga” and “Kailangan Kita” with his soulful, R&B-infused vocals.

Reuniting on stage, JMielle serenaded the crowd with OPM classics like “Basta’t Kasama Kita”, “Ikaw Lamang”, and “Sana’y Laging Magkapiling.” They wrapped up their set with Linda Ronstadt’s “Somewhere Out There”, Diana Ross’ “When You Tell Me That You Love Me”, Celine Dion’s “I Love You”, and Wency Cornejo’s “Habang May Buhay.”

Throughout their performance, it was clear why JMielle were deserving winners of “TNT: Duets” in 2023 as their chemistry was undeniable, the very thing that endeared their supporters.

They couldn’t pinpoint exactly what made their pairing so infectious, but they had some guesses: they are both Bisaya, they share the same sense of humor, and they even have the same favorite Filipino dishes, like sinigang and adobo.

This camaraderie was evident in the way they interacted with the audience, engaging in playful banter with both each other and concertgoers. At one point, they even walked to the general audience section for a quick chat with a fan.

“Everything about us is very organic,” said Dela Cerna, emphasizing that their onstage conversations were unrehearsed. “Of course, we have our usual spiels, but I think it’s the fact that we’re both Bisaya. We just click naturally.”

Montellano added, “We understand each other’s humor right away because we spent so much time rehearsing during TNT, so we got along easily.”

Khimo to release debut album

While JMielle returned backstage for a costume change, Khimo took the stage for a short set, charming the audience with his rendition of covers such as “Love of My Life.

Aware of the perception that Cebuano audiences are tough to impress given the region’s long history of powerhouse vocalists like Dulce, Khimo sees it as a challenge rather than a setback.

“As someone from Manila, I know the standard here in Cebu is really high,” he said. “Many of ABS-CBN’s top singers are Bisaya like Marielle, Regine Velasquez, and Morissette. That’s why every time singers perform here, we aim to meet that standard.”

Khimo also revealed to The FREEMAN that he will be releasing his first album this year under Star Music.

“It’s going to be a collaboration with different producers and songwriters, including Jonathan Manalo and Rox Santos. It’s going to be a fun album —something that brings Khimo to the people,” the singer teased.

His biggest hit so far in 2023 is “Nasunog”, which he co-wrote with Manalo and Santos, and has nearly 400,000 combined streams on YouTube and Spotify.

He admitted that songwriting is no easy feat, as it requires creating a song that not only resonates with him but also connects with his listeners.

“The songs I write shouldn’t just be relatable to me — they should also speak to other people,” he explained. “It’s about touching the emotions of listeners. It has to be authentic.”