Sitti Navarro’s “Cafe Bossa” Review
“Tall and thin and young and lovely,
The girl from Ipanema goes walking,
And when she passes each one she passes goes ‘ahh’ "
You may have heard of this song, The Girl from Ipanema.
Where exactly, I don’t know. Any Bossa Nova aficionado would’ve heard the Astrud
Gilberto’s one. But if you’ve only just discovered this genre by listening
to Sitti Navarro’s Café Bossa album, then it’s her version you’ve heard.
Sitti attempts to popularize a genre from a country
where Rock and RnB are preferred. In the Philippines, there’s only 1 out of 100
people who claims to like jazz (where Bossa Nova is argued a subgenre). And there’s
probably only 1 (like me) out of 1,000,000 who actually listens to real Jazz
(something like Miles Davis or Duke Ellington). So, in a way, Sitti’s road was
paved with good intentions. The question comes: does her rendition of The
Girl from Ipanema live up to the greatness of the original from four
of Bossa Nova’s most influential figures?
You’ve read it right: four. Antonio Carlos Jobim, the
innovator of Bossa Nova, composed the original. Joao Gilberto and Stan
Getz collaborated to please listeners with their deft handling of guitar
and saxophone, respectively. Finally, for a greater part of the song, the
then-wedded couple Joao and Astrud sang in a natural and intimate tone. When the song left the recording studio, it received so
much kudos, that this style of music (Bossa Nova) become a craze that would
last for generations. It also introduced Astrud to the industry, while the
remaining three retains their position as the greatest musicians of that time.
When I first heard the original The Girl from Ipanema,
I wasn’t exactly struck with awe. However, I thought it was very catchy, the
type that would be hummed along all day. To me, the beauty is in its balance.
For a song with collaboration from the greats, there wasn’t somebody trying to
outdo another. Instead, we hear Joao who softly played a guitar and built a
standard Bossa tempo. He also briefly sang in Portuguese. Then, Astrud Gilberto
followed it. She not only literally translated Joao’s lyrics, but also
attributed more feminism to the song by giving it her own, naïve-sounding,
vocals. Afterwards, Stan Getz blew the sax, giving the song an even more
sensual, and relaxing, ambience. The tandem, while gimmicky, was excellent. In
the end, the song becomes a perfect manifestation of a mysterious, distant,
hard-to-get, and sophisticated lady of Ipanema.
It’s no understatement to say that Sitti’s bold move was the
proverbial "challenge to the gods". This popped out of my mind when I first saw
her album. But I had an open mind. After all, I want nothing more than to hear Jazz become appreciated amongst our countrymen. So I put on the headset and pressed play. It was
then that I was taken aback, not with awe, but with disgust. "What is this?" I
pejoratively remarked.
As it turns out, Sitti is no god. Nor a goddess, though
pubescent males may say she looks like one.
I was not pleased, at all, with her The Girl from
Ipanema. The problem was that her voice was so all over the place. No instruments mattered, and I strongly doubt it was authentic
and non-synthesized. With Sitti’s dubiously hasty tempo, the feel from the original
version was gone. I didn’t feel any intimacy, any sensuality, or that it was about a mysterious girl. I felt that it was about a girl
singing in the shower.
For a moment, though, I was going to look past that awful
rendition. Her Tattooed in My Mind wasn’t any significantly different to
D’Sounds’. It therefore made me question where the presence of the
"Bossa" was. She also had a Lost in Space which was equally
unmemorable. Then there are other covers like I didn’t Know I Was Looking For Love, and even a nausea-inducing Close to You. Bossa Blah-blah.
With what could be the inception of Bossa Nova in the
Philippine Music Industry, Sitti’s selections were disappointingly forgetful.
Most of what she did was cover some recent popular song. Though, goodness, she
also had a Wave, which was also composed by Jobim! No doubt she has talent. She, however, falls short in showing aptitude for Bossa Nova, by not
elucidating its nuances. She didn’t convert the popular songs to Bossa Nova in any meaningful way, and her rendition of Bossa standards are terribly lackluster. Her choices of background instruments wasn’t all that
good either. And do we really need a cacophonous alto-saxophone in
some of her songs? It only puts her in the same reins as Kenny G, the height of
elevator music. The importance of good instrumentation cannot
ever be overemphasized - more so for Jazz or its close kin. Wait, did she actually ever hear of the award-winning Getz/Gilberto album?
While her release was quite successful, it only resulted to a finer delineation between the tastes of the rich and the
poor. Her music brings out an air of pseudo-sophistication, the type that the
supercilious elite-poseurs would be at home with. In the end, it’s all style.
All buzz. All gimmick, no substance. This is the kind of music that
gets played in the Powerbooks, Podium, and Rockwell, but ultimately becomes
forgotten once you’re done pretending to be rich. On a much grander scale, it
doesn’t give a vivid imagery of Brazil, or a beach, or anything resembling a
place where Bossa originated.
Too bad, because I was almost elated to see that Pinoys would finally
appreciate Jazz music. If this is the kind that would end up being
contemporary, count me out. In the meantime, I have some suggestions to
Sitti: please try to understand the true essence of Jazz (if she do desires, I’ll even send her some albums). And consider getting a few lessons from the Gilbertos. After all, they’re still alive.
Score: 2 out of 5
September 9th, 2006 at 7:57 pm
I could give her the same review as well, that’s why I didn’t made one out of her debut album. As friends not really close as anyone around her group I could have the same in mind. A personal opinion nobody’s perfect. Yes she sounds like a girl in a shower, because all the songs was recorded in a men’s wash room. I won’t be surprised about your review, because you know Bossa Nova sounds like by heart. Well done.
September 10th, 2006 at 9:57 am
well…since no opinion is wrong, i’d like to comment myself. i’m a critic myself on quite a few things especially music since i’m a music lover. although, i’m not genre specific since the only types i’m not hooked into are…country and death metal.
moving on, i can say, cafe bossa: the album isn’t such a pleaser for real bossa fans or even Sitti fans for a few. i can even say that the album feels like it was rushed.
but i know you wouldn’t give a damn bout the real story behind why cafe bossa isn’t what it should be in a better sense…
what i can say though, IF that album is the only thing you’ve ever heard with regard to sitti, then i can frankly say, your review has gone beyond the line of judging sitti’s talent and music. Maybe you’d say, “didya read: cafe bossa review?”… but between the lines, it says in your review that the album says it all bout her and that she needs quite an overhaul. tsk tsk, and don’t tell me you’ve been into her gigs coz THIS review wouldn’t have existed like this or you could have edited it. you should hear sing LIVE probably better at Stonehouse.
you’re a jazz lover or expert or whatever, but sadly after reading your other posts, i can say you’ve got sense but probably you don’t know the difference between opinion/constructive criticism vs. bashing.
that’s all.
September 10th, 2006 at 6:49 pm
To each his own. I loved Cafe Bossa nonetheless.
September 10th, 2006 at 10:45 pm
{PaTcH):
Thanks for dropping by and posting your feedbacks. We may not agree, but I love having discussions, especially if it’s an intelligent one. And for that, I will post my reply to that comment now.
A critic isn’t supposed to pull any punches. If s/he reviews something, it’s either s/he praises it, or critiques it - which can be perceived as bashing. It’s all about honesty, it isn’t about trying to please everyone. Hemming and hawing isn’t really the way to go, and pulling punches (by not being honest enough) will bore the readers to tears. Is it entertaining to read a review that go “This music isn’t my taste, but since it’s so popular and since everybody else likes it, I’ll give it a 5 out of 5 despite my reservations”? I, for one, do not like reading ANY reviews from promotional magazines from Powerbooks, Tower Records and such. They’re reviews are like: “everything’s terrific”. Therefore, nothing is. :p
Why wouldn’t I give a damn about her story? I’m not sure where you’re getting that. I actually read about Sitti Navarro before writing the review (and I read artist’s profile on my free time). I know she was a beauty pageant, I know she earned a degree in UP, etc. I do care for her and for Jazz to be revived in our country. Which is why I’m all the more disappointed by how her album turned out. This isn’t about her (although the writing may appear that way); it’s about her album and the performances in it. In fact, if we ever happen to meet each other I would find it terrific if I can befriend her (and maybe trade albums. I’d be willing to hear of her Ella Fitzgerald and Astrud Gilberto album and in exchange I’d give her Anita O’Day and Billie Holiday). See? You think I don’t read about her?
I’m not the kind of person who would say “Didya read cafe bossa review”. No. I’m all for participating in discussions while maintaining civility, and I can do that plenty fine. Since you are a critic, you do understand the effort that went into the writng, right? And you, of course, would also understand that not all the time will you be earning the favor of all the people who might consume the parapharnelia under you scrutiny. Knowing that, if you were recipient of the comment similar to yours, how would you feel? Of course, I’m saying this fully aware of the fact that critics have to, every now and then, bite the bullet.
You think my ideals will shift when I listen to her gigs, eh? Hopefully. I don’t doubt (much) about what you say. If that were true though, then it’s even more disappointing if her album didn’t flesh out her true potential. And while we’re on the topic: what does that have anything to do with the review itself? It’s about the album, not about the artist. Heck, if it was a Steven Speilberg movie that didn’t make an impact, I would’ve been as negative in my writing, which you would probably perceive as “bashing”. Read Roger Ebert’s review on “Behind Enemy’s Lines”. Believe me, my diatribes pales in comparison. Critics don’t have all the time to scrutinize all the details about an artist/director/painter/whatever. They’re, like every readers, humans - and some, like me, don’t even have much time in their hands.
I’m all for telling people how good a product is if that’s my honest opinion. Look at my Amoroso/Brasil review.
Lastly, it would be remiss if I don’t admit I’m comparing her to the Bossa greats like Getz, Gilberto and Jobim.
Anyway, that’s all I can say. Feel free to write back.
September 11th, 2006 at 9:19 am
Hey Ching Shun… what a very convincing review! Yes, we’ve probably seen & heard the zenith of pure unadulterated bossa nova artists in their prime…or there may still be a select few today that continue to generate that unmistakable sound of latin jazz. However, the wily efforts of a so called filipina bossa babe and her equally one-dimensional cast of imitators fail to impress the best of us. My only conception of this stale production is nothing more than a glorified lounge act…at best! Still, why pay for some ill-fated elevator music? She could’ve donned an exotic frock instead and duplicated SADE music. She could easily pass for an ethnic deity, as her name suggests. Anyway, my complete approbation goes out to your reviews! I also agree with your evaluation with Ms. Anita O’Day. Cheers & Keep it up! Mayu gid noy!
September 11th, 2006 at 6:03 pm
Thanks for the comments, olrak, although it’s a little extreme :p. Just kidding.
Anyway, I’m not really a very big detractor of pinoys going bossa. Just as long as they do it well, I don’t see any problems with that. And although Sitti’s first album doesn’t fare well among us purists, I still hope her second album (coming out Sept. 15) turns better.
At least Sitti does show some decency. There are other OPM artists who do Bossa Nova far worse, thinking it’s supposed to be the music for lovemaking and as a result, made their bossa songs sound so tawdry.
September 11th, 2006 at 10:43 pm
By the way, for those who will post comments, know that I am a lot kinder in real life. I only say “ruthless” things (vitriols) in my writing, so don’t be so quick to judge my character from reading what I write.
After all, it’s just the INTARWEB! So lighten up, guys!
September 12th, 2006 at 1:09 pm
point taken
for thine me is a web of useless words wrapped in rotten honey
maybe
twas
because
im stupid
im saying sorry because you deserve it
bt nonetheless i have said what i’ve felt and no i never did judge you as a person
just as a musician (i think)
that’s all… kewlness then… thnx!
September 12th, 2006 at 5:44 pm
Hey, I never said you are stupid. I actually think you’re pretty intelligent.
Anyway, feel free to drop a comment anytime. I’m willing to hear more of you. And this I promise: if Sitti’s next album turned out great, I’ll give it a wonderful review.