The baring of Roselle Nava

Unless she is as daring as Janet Jackson, there really is not that much baring a singer can do with a CD. At best, she can show some skin in the photographs and lay open her feelings in some special songs. Roselle Nava does just that in her new album titled Bare. She bares her back and a little more in the pictures on the cover and she came up with both words and music to the cut Makakaya Ko Ba, which is the album’s first single release.

To her good fortune, Roselle is one of those artists to whom success came at a young age, and a very well-deserved one too. Anybody who can take on Basil Valdez’s classic You and make a hit out of it deserves all the awards and album sales that came in the song’s wake. It has been pretty much the same since for Roselle. She records an album. She makes some hits. Bakit Nga Ba Mahal Kita, Mahal Mo Ba’y Di Na Ako, Huwag Ka Nang Babalik, and Sana’y Di Magtagal are some of these recordings.

Unfortunately again, Roselle found success at a young age and she has been trying to grow up with every new album she records. I say trying because after she has "grown up" in one album, she returns a year later ready to do more growing up. I do not know to which or to whom this recurrent process should be attributed but the past decade after You, has seen Roselle get a mature sound, Huwag Mo Na Lang Pansinin, take up the cudgels for strong women, Get Out, explore serious relationships Dahil Mahal Na Mahal Kita, and bare her soul, I Really Miss You, with each new release.

However, despite the fact that the limitations of Filipino songwriting and buyers’ tastes have placed her in this rut, Roselle persists in her art. I admire her determination to always be at her best. She is prettier than ever with a well-toned figure that allows her to move well and look good in anything. Not that her voice needed improving but her singing these days is more expressive, the notes surer and the tones reveal nuances that delight the listener. I also like her constant search for better materials and daring to take on the unusual.

Roselle’s Bare offers more of these than any of her previous albums. The pared down sound courtesy of producer Joey Benin of Side A, puts her singing in its best light since You. The easy melodies allow her to explore her sexy low tones. And while torchy themes like Bakit Lumisan Ka, Someone Help Me Let Go and her own Makakaya Ko Ba hark back to the previous hits, they are brought up to date by the clever arrangements that mostly use live instruments.

Will Bare finally put an end to Roselle’s "growing up" cycle? It will, if we give it a chance so. On the other hand though, why bother about that. This girl is one of our better singers. She can be 18 forever as long as she sounds great. Bare is a good album. Let’s enjoy it for what it is.

Superstars Record Acoustic Album

Acoustic music is the thing these days so it is not surprising that even the most popular stars of the moment are joining the bandwagon. Names like Regine Velasquez, Ogie Alcasid, Lani Misalucha and Sarah Geronimo are not usually associated with acoustic sounds. But they can do acoustic recordings too and that is just what can be heard in the recently released Superstars Acoustic Lokal 2.

The album features big name artists performing their big hits but with new intimate sounding acoustic arrangements. So be amazed by Regine’s acoustic take on her big seller Dadalhin and by Sarah and her breakthrough song Forever’s Not Enough or by Ogie Alcasid in a rare duet with Aiza Seguerra of his own composition Huwag Ka Lang Mawawala.

Also in the album are Sarah’s recording of Jim Brickman’s The Gift; Before I Let You Go by Freestyle; Muntik Nang Maabot ang Langit by Lani Misalucha; Till My Heartaches End by Passage; Is It OK If I Call You Mine by Jolina Magdangal; Can We Just Stop and Talk Awhile by Gary Valenciano and Kyla; Kailangan Kita, a solo by Ogie; Ang Lahat Ko ay Ikaw by Wency Cornejo; Sa Piling Mo, the love theme from Captain Barbel also by Regine plus others.