Still Sitti-ng pretty

With all the foreign acts coming to our shores for live performances, it could be easy to forget or ignore our local artists who continue to strive and make our live musical entertainment scene a vibrant and compelling one. One such aritst is Sitti. Ever since she emerged with her Filipino-Bossa Nova act, she has energized both CD Sales and the concert/live gig scene. Even I had doubts on the staying power of such an act that relied exclusively on one music genre; but confounding all observers, Sitti continues to be very much in demand for corporate events, and while other Bossa acts have fallen by the wayside, her winning personality and charm have kept her very much in the spotlight.

February is traditionally a red banner month for live acts, what with the proliferation of Valentine, pre- and post-Valentine shows; and one gem of a concept unfolds on Feb. 8 and 9, 8 p.m. at the Music Museum. The two-night show titled Sitti ...So This Is Love promises to reveal new facets of her talent. Talking to her manager, Garrie Trinidad, he readily admitted that now was the time to venture beyond Bossa, to showcase her range, and stamp the shows with more of her personality. Produced by Fondazione de San Pietro, director John Lozano was challenged to make each night a unique event, and thanks to the theme of Romance in the Movies and the guests lined up for each night, we’re assured that each performance will have its  individual flavor.

On Feb. 8, the guests are Marissa Sanchez and Jeffrey Hidalgo, while Feb. 9 has Jon Santos and balladeer Richard Poon. For the first night, Jeffrey and Sitti will be dishing out a Grease medley, talking about Summer Loving, while Marissa will belt out Enough Is Enough with Sitti. With the movie theme prevalent on both nights, it’s a cinch that Richard will croon a version of Moon River on Saturday, while Jon promises a spoof of sorts on the bossa craze. A medley of Tagalog songs is in the works, and there’s a bossa version of Saving All My Love that will be unveiled. Other movie theme songs, like that from the Cher - Nicholas Cage starrer, Moonstruck, will be included in the songlist. And as Garrie pointed out, Sitti will always mean Bossa and she knows that’s what her audience expects, but these shows will signal how she can also be much more than that. Sponsored by PCSO, PAGCOR, GSIS, Shell, CDO and Club Tropicana, tickets are available at Ticketnet outlets.

A performance last Christmas with the Las Piñas Boys Choir, utilizing the legendary bamboo organ and a concert at the Hotel Intercontinental on Feb. 7 with a possible guesting by David Pomeranz  are part of Garrie’s grand plan to expand the public’s grasp of what Sitti represents musically and endear her to an even wider audience.

For the girl who had a One Note Samba  beat, this is a stretching of her wings that deserves success and recognition.