Sitti speaks
By Neil Ray Ramos
When Sitti burst upon the scene not long ago, not a few deemed her a mere “passing fancy” that soon would be forgotten inasmuch as bossa nova itself would soon fade away back into elevators around the world.
Though a lesser artist would certainly have caved in with the slew of put-downs, Sitti herself remained steadfast even as she continued to release album after album of exquisite quality.
Just recently, Sitti released her sophomore album, My Bossa Nova, a collection of covers and originals done in that unique bossa nova style that has speedily zoomed up the charts. Will it finally shut her critics up?
Here, the artist shares her thoughts about the bossa nova skeptics, the album, her countless imitators and bossa nova in general.
When you came out, the cynics were quick to judge the bossa nova resurgence a fad. What is your take on this?
Bossa nova has been around since the 1960s. As to its current popularity in the country, I’ve observed that the genre has still been doing well. A lot of record companies are still releasing bossa nova- inspired albums and I think that these albums are still doing well on the average. I would say that interest in the genre might wane at some point, but people [the real believers] would still be supportive of it.
After scoring another hit album with My Bossa Nova, do you think you have finally proven the disbelievers wrong?
At some level, maybe yes. But longevity in the business, I think, would really prove me on this matter.
Were you surprised with the success of the album?
Honestly I just enjoyed the process of recording in an actual studio, more than anything, and putting more of myself and my style on the songs I did. I just wanted to do an album that I can be proud of. I didn’t really think that much of album sales, I just wanted to sing and do well on this album.
The songs in the album are mostly remakes as with your first. Do you think the bossa nova idiom fit the Filipino taste only because it is mostly done using cover tunes that the so-called “masses” are already familiar with?
Hmm... I think the cover tunes are there just to familiarize everyone with the beat and rhythm of bossa nova. It’s gonna be challenging I think, for artists to introduce bossa nova in its purest art form, which is to sing it in Portuguese with more percussions, more rhythm, though it is a fact that authentic bossa nova has a solid fan base already. I reckon that the best thing to do, to really inculcate bossa nova to the Filipino’s consciousness, is to do Filipino/Tagalog songs in the bossa nova fashion.
How much input did you have in the creation of the album?
I would say a lot. Before Chito Cervañez actually wrote the arrangement for most of the songs, we [the rest of the band and I] took on each song one by one and decided on how best to approach it. But of course, much credit should really also go to him [Cervañez]. As for the vocal adlibs, what you hear on the CD is all me. I actually had a lot of fun scatting and doing the adlibs, especially for [our remake of] “My Ever Changing Moods.”
Which among the songs in the album are your favorites? Could you tell us something about each of them?
Well, I really love “My Ever Changing Moods” because in a manner of speaking, nakawala ako dun. It was one of the tracks I enjoyed singing to. I also love the arrangement of “Take a Bow” and of course, the four original songs included, most especially “Kundi Rin Lang Ikaw” and “Ikaw Lamang,” the former being so catchy and the latter being so heartfelt.
Could you tell us a bit more about the song you co-wrote, which is also featured in the album titled, A song for Penny Brown?
Actually, I wrote both music and lyrics of that song, and Erskine Basilio arranged it. I was in Boracay when I wrote that one. One morning I just woke up and this melody kept on playing over and over in my head. The idea for the song came from the coconut trees swaying, and the stillness and peace of everything; nature reminding us of love, [and] how God arranges for us to meet someone at an unexpected time. For a time it was called “Boracay Song” until I decided to name it after my favorite brand of cookies, ha-ha-ha...
After the release of your first album, you once mentioned that you were planning to branch out to other musical forms. After having another hit with, My Bossa Nova, do you still want to pursue this?
I haven’t really discussed this with Warner Music yet, although if I did branch out to other forms, the music would still be rooted on jazz and bossa nova. These are really where I am most at home with.
What about acting? You did a couple of episodes for a soap [ABS-CBN’s Isabella]. How was that?
It was just me testing the waters. Subok lang. It was really nice, a different experience.
So, what’s next for Sitti?
I would really just like to do more albums, sing more songs to more people, and improve myself. That’s it really.
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