Sitti mixes old with the new

MANILA, Philippines - People are used to seeing Sitti dressed in an elegant number every time she performs and hearing her cool vocals that make you want to relax and sip wine. This time, however — specifically on Nov. 25 and 26 — she will combine the classic bossa nova with modern electronic dance music (EDM) and allow the audience to see Sitti grooving to a dance-friendly sound via her concert, ElectroSITTI, at the Music Museum.

The two-night concert has two parts. The first part is devoted to bossa nova tunes and then the second part is peppered with dance-infectious beats with Sitti performing EDM covers and her original compositions Bid Your Love and Tangled. She will be joined onstage by guests Jason Dy, Looney, DJ Silverfilter and the UST Percussion Ensemble.

“With Bid Your Love, we’re very hopeful because it’s a new material and those who have already heard the song said it’s refreshing. We don’t expect you to sing that kind of music but it’s good to the ears,” relates Sitti who is looking forward to share the song under the title Refreshing (in her new album to be released soon). 

So expect Sitti to do some footwork while singing on stage during the second half of the show. She shares that the idea of combining two music genres came to mind while planning for a show to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the release of her debut album Café Bossa. Her friend, electronic music producer DJ Silverfilter, advised her to create something new and suggested to go with EDM which appeals most to millennials.

“It’s exciting and at the same time challenging to do something that you are not known for,” says Sitti. “I am familiar with it since I also go to parties or sometimes with friends just dancing in our living room, and also, while I’m driving I like listening to something na medyo mapapa-yugyug ka.”

Norwegian singer and songwriter Astrid S is among the EDM artists she listens to these days in order to totally get the feel of the electronic sound. “Her voice is so cool and chill. But please pardon my dancing because even my friends can’t stand seeing me dance, hahaha.”

Kidding aside, Sitti is bent on fitting into the young market. Even her music label MCA Music broached to her the idea of coming out with an album that has electronic music. It will also be titled ElectroSITTI. 

“Of course, may konting apprehension (about doing EDM) because there are purists (fans) but this is not a career change, it is just dependent on doing music that is very popular right now and to be able to reintroduce myself to the younger market.” Besides, it is not the first time that she is getting out of her comfort zone. She had tried other music genres in the past “and this one is just an exploratory project. I’m in the position that anything can be combined whatever elements (of music) are there to create a new one and I think music is all harmony.”

Nevertheless, her get-up complements the music that she will play. “Definitely, I won’t go floral, hahaha. Perhaps, there’s pant suit or something tight so definitely there are costume and visual changes but very different from Lady Gaga or Sia. You can still see the Sitti (mark) only bolder in style.”

Not everyone knows Sitti started as a lounge singer at 17, belting out standards and jazz hits of Kevyn Lettau and Patti Austin before the Manila Peninsula and Hyatt’s Calesa Bar music-loving crowd. The stints served as good breather for Sitti who was then a Business Economics student at UP. The Asian Artists Agency talent also joined MTV Philippines’ MTV Supahstar and named one of the seven winners which served as her key to formally break into the recording scene. Her performance of bossa nova tunes has become her signature repertoire which led to the release of her debut album Café Bossa in 2006. That’s why this year’s concert is Sitti’s way of thanking her fans since she started doing bossa nova and to celebrate her birthday. Sitti turns 32 on Nov. 29.

(Tickets to ElectroSITTI are available at Ticketworld outlets and priced at P3,576, Orchestra Center; P2,384, Orchestra Side; and P1,192, Balcony.)

Sitti on doing EDM: It’s exciting and at the same time challenging to do something that you are not known for.