Bossa nova update

I do not know what the situation is in other areas of the Philippines but Metro Manila has certainly become a bossa nova country. The sweet Latin beat still hasn’t caught on in a massive way with TV viewers but radio stations are playing more bossa nova tunes than they ever did before. Take note, too, that bistros and coffee shops now boast of bossa nova music, live or otherwise. Best of all buyers seem to be treating themselves to all of the bossa nova albums displayed in the music stores. Bossa has made business good.

Why this new fascination with a Latin beat that has already been in existence for over 40 years? And why is bossa nova, which is really a slower version of the samba, now associated with coffee? Think titles like Café Bosa or Manila Blend. Well, the rhythm is Brazilian in origin and it is a fact that they do grow very good coffee in Brazil. Anyway, one never really knows the answers to such questions. Maybe the people who listen to this bossa nova music has already had too much of the Doobidoos we have these days and are in need of something quiet, romantic and very sexy to dance to, groove to or simply cuddle up to. And bossa nova certainly fills that need.

When last checked the stores had the reissue of the original recordings by the first bossa nova star Astrud Gilberto. There were Sitti and her hit debut Café Bossa, Agot Isidro combining pop tunes and bossa nova in The Island, the music of VST & Co redone bossa nova style plus many others. Here now are some new additions.

Cuddling is not something you’d want to do with Sitti Live! The recently released live recording by Sitti, the girl who fuelled the bossa nova craze, is hot and sexy and borders on the fiery Latin sounds we associate with Latin artists like Shakira or Ricky Martin. Sitti, who is now thoroughly at home with her Portuguese, sings the bossa like a seductive spitfire. Great vocals, good choice of songs. She makes me wonder what she will do next.

Included are One Note Samba featuring Jerome Rico on guitar, Wave, Samba Song, Agua De Beber, Birimbao, Fever, Para Sa Akin, Tattooed on My Mind, Hey Look at the Sun, I Didn’t Know I Was Looking for Love, Waters of March, Ikaw Pa Rin, For Your Eyes Only, Voce Abuso, Lanca Perfume, Pais Tropical and Mas Que Nada.

The exotic looking newcomer Sofia is featured in Bossa Latino Lite. Considerably lighter in tone than Sitti’s, this one crams a lot of varied listening in one album. Produced by MG O. Mozo and Snaffu Rigor, it has solos by Sofia, led by the single releases Waters of March (Aguas De Marco) and Just No Ordinary Day, which was composed by Vincent Ocampo, and is the only original song in the album. She also does The Look of Love, Just the Way You Are, Let’s Wait Awhile, Desafinado (Off-key), It’s Too Late, Sorry Doesn’t Make It Anymore and Dance with Me

Other cuts are instrumental versions of old favorites, At Seventeen, Constantly, Moonlight Over Paris, Every Little Thing She Does is Magic; solo spots by featured guest Roji Soriano, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow and Englishman in New York; and duets by Sofia and Roji of Breaking Up is Hard to Do, Blue Moon and to close the set their other take on Waters of March.

The newest girl to join the bossa nova club is Raffi Quijano of Cebu. The vice president of the Samahang Kabataan of Cebu City, her album is entitled Manila Blend and distinguishes itself from the other bossa nova CDs with its all Filipino line-up. Produced by Alwyn Cruz with arrangements by Victor Oria, it includes songs from the Manila Sound era of the late ‘70s and early ’80s and as though boasting of the fact that Pinoys do have a Latin heritage, all of them sound great redone with a bossa nova beat.

The first single out is Odette Quesada’s Friend of Mine. The others are Gotta Let You Know, O Lumapit Ka, Ikaw Pa Rin, Tag-araw Tag-ulan, May Minamahal, Love Without Time, A Samba Song, Everyday, Don’t Know What to Say, Sa Aking Pag-iisa, Till I Met You, You Won’t See Me Crying and Ikaw Lamang.