We saw on The Bar@1951’s weekly schedule that May 16 (Friday) is reserved for a Jun Lopito benefit gig.
The Bleu Rascals, Lagkitan Trio, Blue Way, Rolly of Cocojam and Paul Puti-an of Coffee Break will be playing. Doors open at 7pm, with a door charge of PHP200, which will “be given to the family of Jun Lopito for his medical expenses.”
Word quickly spread around the Blues community: Sir Jun Lopito is sick, his health has been deteriorating, and needs help.
“Matagal nang may sakit si Jun,” says The Bar@1951 owner Butch Aldana when Coconuts Manila called to ask. “He has hepatitis C, but the family is private so we were just waiting for them to give us an update. Finally, I got a call from his PM, Maricel Montero, who told us he’s going through medical tests. Duon na kami nagdecide to put up this benefit gig.”
In an article in Interaksyon, Edwin Sallan quotes Lopito’s daughter Bebop’s letter to a certain “Tita Maricel:” “What is known from the laboratory testing is that he has Hepatits C. However, his present complaints, manifestations, and lab/imaging results point to multi-system problems affecting his liver, lungs, thyroid, and gastrointestinal tract.”
Jun Lopito is a legendary Filipino guitarist, up and running as one of them best, if not the best of all time. “Jun Lopito is the best guitarist on the scene right now, bar none,” according to rock journo Eric Caruncho, another Pinoy rock icon himself, in 1996.
The son of Tawag ng Tanghalan host Wilfrando Lopito, Sr., an 8-year-old Jun caught them music bug after seeing the 1966 Beatles concert in Araneta. At 15, he received his first guitar and two years later, he shared the stage with Joey ‘Pepe’ Smith’s The Airwaves. He’s played with them all: Sampaguita, Edmund Fortuno, Grace Nono, Chickoy Pura, Nitoy Adriano.
May 16, 7pm, The Bar@1951, 1951 M. Adriatico St, Malate, Manila. PHP200.
Photo from Philippine Daily Inquirer
