by Mark Angelo Ching
A bubbly Sitti Navarro met the entertainment press last Friday, July 31, in Red Box in Trinoma to promote Contagious, her fourth studio album under Warner Music. In the album, the country’s “Queen of Bossa Nova” redefined contemporary hits from Annie Lennox, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Sade, Sarah McLachlan, and other singers, to fit her unique singing style.
Although Sitti already has three successful bossa nova albums under her belt since her 2006 debut Cafe Bossa, My Bossa Nova, and Ngayong Pasko; she claimed that she still feels constrained by her genre.
“Medyo nali-limit din ako sa genre… I was talking to Warner na marami pa kong gustong ilabas na limited by the arrangement, or with the treatment of the song,” Sitti explained.
But the singer said she cannot verge out of the singing style in her current recording projects because bossa nova has its own limitations.
“Kasi siyempre yung attack on bossa, it should always be light and flowing… Hindi ka puwedeng gumawa ng kung anu-ano sa bossa, kasi it will destroy the essence she said.
To cope with the limitations, however, Sitti said she injects new embellishments or arrangements to her songs. She also performs different musical styles in her various gigs.
“On our gigs, may mga bossa din but not so much. Nagla-Latin din kami most of the time and some jazz. And pag tinopak din kami, nagpa-pop din kami,” Sitti said.
