Friday, April 13, 2007 Agot Isidro to perform at SM City-CDO
PATIENCE is a virtue and Agot Isidro knows this by heart. It's been years since Agot last came out with a CD and there's no better time for her to release one than now.
While she is, first and foremost a singer, Agot has, through the years, branched out and spread her wings. She has taken on hosting chores in corporate and social events, dabbled in acting on stage, television, and the movies and has been enjoying her role as a wife to advertising executive Manu Sandejas.
"There's different fulfillment in different undertakings," she shares, adding, "and one can experience equal levels of happiness in these pursuits." The singer responsible for the hit song "Everyday" certainly knows what she is talking about.
Her most recent stage performance in Zsazsa Zaturnnah got glowing reviews and finding herself on the fast lane again, Agot has also started work on a new daily action-fantasy show on ABS-CBN called Rounin.
But what she is most excited about is her new CD from Holiday Records entitled The Island. This special bossa nova CD is out in the market now and Agot likes what she has heard after all the careful brainstorming nights, strategic planning meetings and thorough recording sessions that were supervised by Holiday Records' President and Executive Producer Eugene Villaluz with Supervising Producer Alwyn Cruz and music producers Moy Ortiz, Bobby Fider and Lindie P.E. Achacoso.
"They say everything happens for a reason," she says, "and if it' meant to happen, it will, at the most perfect time. My being with Holiday Records, this bossa nova CD, I believe everything came together at the right time." Agot shares that she has always liked bossa nova and it's good that this musical genre is starting to be received well again in the country.
In reality, the task of choosing the carrier cut from this CD was a tall task for both the singer and members of the Holiday Records team. Since each song was carefully chosen and meticulously recorded, it took a lot of thinking before the team finally decided on the song "I Wish That I Was Making Love To You Tonight," never mind if it has the longest title, because in the end, it had all the ingredients needed for a potential hit.
After listening to her version of Neil Sedaka's "Alone at Last," Agot felt more than good, she sensed a feeling of elation. "I won't be surprised that the song will be chosen as another single in the next few months. It's such a wonderful song," she enthuses. A special feature of the CD is a duet by Agot and the country's premier male jazz vocalist, Mon David as they create perfect harmony and rhythm with the song "Waters of March." And let Agot's own version of Orange & Lemons' original "Hanggang Kailan (Umuwi Ka Na Baby)" surprise every listener as she gives it her own sultry rendition.
Other notable entries include Ernani Cuenco's "Bato sa Buhangin," Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Dindi" and "Corcovado," Stevie Wonder's "AS," Boy George's "I'll Tumble for You," Sergio Mendes' "So Many Stars" and the sexy French dance hit of the late 80s, "Lanca Perfum."
This CD is a wonderful way of reminiscing about the music that Agot grew up with in Marikina. The long-playing albums of Sergio Mendes, Burt Bacharach, Ray Conniff, John Denver, Patti Austin, Stevie Wonder, The Carpenters, Barbara Streisand, Astrud Gilberto and The Manhattan Transfer were part of the collections of the musically gifted Isidro family.
"We used to have a Marantz stereo so I'd play these albums there and memorize the songs. In our family, music was as integral as the food on the table. We had great fun!" Agot recalls.
Agot's older sister Olive, who still sings as back-up for megastar Sharon Cuneta, likewise feels overwhelmed at how this CD turned out to be. "I'm so proud of Agot. She worked really hard for this and I hope she could harvest a few hits," big sister says.
Agot recently turned another year older, and she vows to continue taking each day as it comes, playing her many roles in life, and expecting only the best for herself, her career and her loved ones. Agot Isidro has indeed taken some big, brave steps over the years, but this is perhaps her biggest musical leap.
Agot Isidro's "The Island" is supported by Pink Soda and Aruba Bar and Restaurant-Tomas Morato, released by Holiday Records (a subsidiary of United MultiArt Productions Inc.) and distributed by EMI Music Philippines.
Catch Agot Isidro LIVE at SM City Cagayan de Oro on April 14 at 6 p.m.!
