From Bossa Girl to Bossa Mom
It was in February of 2018 when we last got the chance to talk to Sitti. Back then she was busy promoting “Electro Sitti” her first album that isn’t bossa nova.
I remember her telling us that she wasn’t having a crisis or anything of the sort, nor was she abandoning the genre that made her our favorite bossa girl. “I just simply wanted to try my hand, or to be more apt, my voice, at something new,” she told us.
But God had other plans.
In a way, she did experience something new, but it wasn’t from the “Electro Sitti” tour or shows she was probably was expecting.
Sitti got pregnant and gave birth to daughter Issiah Dañelle aka “Lillibubs.”
Our #bossagurl is now a #bossamom.
We got the chance to reconnect with Sitti last week over coffee as she gamely talked about the joys and hardships of being a first time mother, how she overcame post-partum depression, getting back in the music scene and representing the Philippines in an upcoming international Jazz festival.
WEPH: Hi Sitti! So how have you been?
Sitti: Busy with motherhood, puyat pero masaya (laughs).
WEPH: How long has it been since your last album?
Sitti: My last album was Electro Sitti launched just February last year, and the funny thing is when we were planning to promote it and nakahanda na ako magpuyat kase club tour siya, iba pala ang ibibigay na rason na mapuyat ako. So ayun nabuntis ako.
WEPH: How is your baby?
Sitti: She’s nine months na and her name is Issiah Danelle, but her nickname is lillibubs. Ang tawagan naming ng husband ko is “bubs” so when I was pregnant, when we still didn’t know the gender was “lilbubs” tapos naging “libubs” and then when we had our gender reveal we had team “libubs” for a boy and team lilibubs for a girl. Nagstick na yung lillibubs and nauna pa kesa sa name niya.
WEPH: What were the biggest changes when you became a mom?
Sitti: My Priorities definitely nagshift, Una yng bedtime ko naging 7pm. During the newborn stage erratic ang sleeping schedule nung bata and wala pa kaming yaya nun. So totoo yung sinasabi na you have to sleep when the baby is asleep. I sleep earlier now. I want to prioritize lillibubs at least for her first three years. Research has shown that presence of mom during the first three years is really crucial and I don’t want to miss out on that knowing how important it is. I’ve been more choosy with projects initially kase I was still finding my way as a first time mom with breastfeeding, pumping, knowing how much milk to leave, mga ganun concerns . There was a time that I didn’t want to accept any out of town work until I became a bit more comfortable with leaving lillibubs. So yung projects all revolve around how much time Im going to be away from my baby.
If I had a basic idea of what happiness was, now its even deeper and longer, more layers to it with becoming a mom. And also naintindihan ko na why, whenever I text “I love you” my mom would answer “I love you more” tapos ako naman parang okay lang. But now that I’m a mom, naintindihan ko na kahit gaano kamahal ng isang anak ang mom nya, mas mahal pa din ng ina ang anak. Just the fact that na may anak ka, the definition of love and feeling of love expression of love nagexpand siya.
WEPH: Where do you get your information about motherhood?
Sitti: When I was pregnant I read a lot of pregnancy and parenting books. But when I gave birth tulog na lang ako ng tulog kapag may chance (laughs). But its good because the community of moms here in the Philippines are very closely knitted and grabe yung support system even with strangers especially sa social media. If I post lang like What do I do I have mastitis or something and then marami na yung ang sasagot. The support system and information is easily accessible.
WEPH: So how do you relax now?
SITTI: Ngayon ko na realize ang importance ng “me” time. Naintindihan ko na kung bakit sobrang sacred yng “shower time,” “salon time” kahit yung naglalakad ka lang sa village. There was a time I was lost for a bit because I was finding my footing. Between being a new mom, a daughter, a wife, as a singer and all the different passions that I still have. Though Im still finding my balance around all the different roles, but I know that I recognize that I really need to be more intentional and finding the way back to me. Importante na you don’t lose yourself, that you hold on to yourself and that you feel yourself.
So now, what I do when I have time is read the non parenting, non baby books like now im reading “Love at the time of Cholera.” Laughs.
Isa pa sa life changing yan dati ang bilis ko makatapos ng libro ng mga TV series, ngayon my gosh napaka bagal, tulog ka na lang (laughs)
WEPH: In one of your blog entries you shared your post partum depression story, how were you able to cope up and overcome it?
SITTI: I think it was happening na for a month before I caught it, before I acknowledged na I was going through it. What really helped me was a change in scenery. When we went to Bacolod nagbago nakikita ko, nakakausap ko, really helped a lot and yung acknowledging that you are going through it. Depression is like grief, that there are different stages, there is acknowledgment, then acceptance, then you go through it and then finally ma-overcome mo na. It was hard kase talagang kung baga you are facing your demons. Mahirap yung hindi mo alam kung ano yung nararamdaman mo at bakit mo siya nararamdaman. Why am I feeling so low, why am I angry? Your objective mind is telling you that you are supposed to be happy, you have a baby and its an answered prayer, but your emotion is telling you otherwise. Talking about it helps, but it was hard.
It lasted mga one to two months buti na lang yung asawa ko mapagpasensya siya.
WEPH: When did you start accepting work again?
SItti: I guess after two months of giving birth, I accepted na one function but mas naging active ako nung February kase love month. But what I also found out, since we are also talking of life changes, is that my singing has strongly become more of my “me time” now. Kaya mas buhos ako sa kanta, sa pag awit. Na appreciate ko how music helps me, especially when taking care of a baby, minsan cranky ang bata so you need all the patience but I found that you just hum, parang meron siyang inner peace na binibigay. Nakakatuwa din yung batang un, kunwari kapag traffic and nag act up na siya, kakanta ako and titigil siya, makikinig. Its interesting how me as a singer would affect her musically also.
WEPH: So what are your plans now? Are you going to be more active since Lillibubs is turning a year old already?
Sitti: Probably next year, since its not that far away naman na.
WEPH: Are you going to do a new album?
SITTI: Hindi muna matutulog muna ako (laughs). Yung mga ginagawa ko before like ang jo-journal ako everyday and intentionally writing music, talagang all of those have all taken a backseat for now. And its fine, because seasons of life, and I know di mo maibabalik yung ganito siya kaliit eh. Minsan naiisip ko na sayang yung months of depression ko, I could have spent it more happily with my child. But then I also know that its something that I had to go through, I had to learn from so that my now is happier and richer because of that. So basta itong one year na ito, Team Lillibubs muna tayo.
WEPH: Now lets talk about your participation at the Kuching Jazz Festival in Malaysia
Sitti: Kasama si Lillibubs! We are going to be there for three nights. We arrive on the 26ththen theres a press conferce on 27ththen rehearsals, soundchecks, the performance is on the 28thand we come back on the 29th.
WEPH: Could you share how you became part of the festival?
Sitti: Honestly, I think it’s a gift from God kase it came at a time that I was busy with the baby and hindi naman kami active in promoting ourselves, submit to these jazz festivals. So they were the ones who reached out to us through my agency Asian Artists. Nakakatuwa talaga dito is, it has always been one of my dream to perform in a international jazz festival. Kase dito sa Philippines I joined PI Jazz and other jazz festivals. There was one time I was invited to the Tokyo Manila Jazz Festivals, but this is the first time that a group of third party organizers who I personally don’t know, was the one who reached out to contact me.
WEPH: Tell us more about your performance, what songs will you be singing?
Sitti: They gave us an allotted time of 45-minutes. With regards to the songs, kami ng band ko yung pumili kung ano yung kakantahin namin and we’ve agreed that we are going to do original songs like “Para sa Akin.” And being an international jazz festival, it’s also an opportunity for us to not only share our artistry in jazz or bossa nova, but also to have them listen to our Filipino language so we are going to sing “Para Sa Akin,” “Ligaya” and yung “Anak” by Freddie Aguilar. We are going to do a special arrangement and it will be the first time for me to perform that song. And then of course there will be the other bossa nova classics. So we are really excited especially yung bandmates ko. I told them this is not just me so I want to play music that you guys also want to play.
Just to be able to share Filipino music and bossa nova music as we play it its really a big thing.
WEPH: How are you preparing for the festival?
Sitti: Listening na naman, back to square one. Listening to the classics, the greats bossa artists such as Astrud Gilberto, Rosa Passos, Gel Cosa and others. Rehearsal with the bands and do more gigs to re-sync.
Kuching Jazz Festival Artist Lineup
The Kuching Jazz Festival will feature a lineup of international performers including Dawn Wong and The Shanghai Jazz Club (Singapore), Q Sound (USA/Malaysia), Harvey Malaihollo (Indonesia), Xanaduduo (UK/Sarawak), Ushera (Malaysia), Saxx In The City (Indonesia), Ning Baizura (Malaysia), Dave Brewer and The DooDaddies (Australia), Z Yan (Malaysia), and Nisa Addina (Sarawak/USA).
The first edition of Kuching Waterfront Jazz Festival (KWJF) in 2017 was a great success and ended on a high note. Today, everyone is looking forward excitingly to the upcoming KWJF 2019. The Grand Margherita Hotel, a subsidiary of Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) was the organiser of the Kuching Waterfront Jazz Festival as well as the official venue and hotel.
The first of its kind outdoor jazz festival overlooking the majestic Sarawak River saw a lineup of 17 performing groups from 7 regional and international countries. The performers were Jeremy Monteiro and The Asian All-Stars Power Quartet feat Melissa Tham (Singapore), Sheila Majid (Malaysia), Ernie Watts, Lewis Pragasam & Asia Beat feat. John Kaizan Neptune (USA/Japan/Malaysia), Andy Peterson (Malaysia), Balawan Magic Fingers (Indonesia), Abdul & the Coffee Theory (Indonesia), Sri Hanuraga Trio ft. Dira Sugandi (Indonesia), Kunto Aji (Indonesia), Mellow Motif (Thailand), Baihana (Philippines), Shanghai Sisters (Malaysia), Diana Liu (Malaysia), Akoustik Connexion (Malaysia), Jolynn Joelle Chin (Malaysia), Big Band Borneo (Malaysia), and UKBD Band (Malaysia).
Held from 29th to 30th September, KWJF 2017 became the first event to kick-start WAK or What About Kuching 2017, a month-long event spread out all over Kuching with various smaller niche events throughout October. Apart from the jazz performances by the world-class musicians, KWJF 2017 featured a bazaar which saw participation from local vendors. A total of 22 vendors comprising arts and craft, including food and beverage vendors participated in KWJF 2017 Bazaar. The bazaar increased the value of the festival, giving festival goers a more holistic experience, especially tourists, where they were able to purchase local Sarawak wares and food. The bazaar also included booths by non-profit organisations such as SSPCA & Lim Kok Wing, 10 Ringgit Club, Blind Massage Centre and Heart Treasures.
The number of festival-goers to KWJF 2017 was recorded at about 4000, far exceeding the target of the organisers. The jazz festival was a success as it was created as a family oriented event with emphasis given for an audience of all ages. Apart from the entertaining music concerts, the view of the spectacular Sarawak River together with the lively bazaar made KWJF an event to be remembered. KWJF 2019 this year promises to include a greater lineup of performers and a complete event with activities for the whole family to enjoy
Tickets are now on sale at www.kuchingwaterfrontjazz.com.
Sitti is a talent of Asian Artists Agency. For inquiries, please call (02) 855-4765 or (02) 405-4423, email [email protected], and visit fb.com/asianartistsagency
