Sino Si Kat?
Sino nga ba?
A band that perfectly mixes soulful and funky sounds with playful and,
sometimes, sensual lyricism can truly capture its audience's
unadulterated attention -- at ito nga ang ginawa ng bandang Sino Si Kat? Their name itself shows how playful the band is when it comes to words.
After playing numerous gigs on various clubs in the Metro, Sino si
Kat? has finally launched their self-titled debut album under Warner Music
Philippines which contains ten soulful-jazzy-funky-rock-ish cuts.
Their first cut, "Akin Ka" leans toward being jazzy. Kapansin-pansin din
dito yung paggamit ni Kat ng mga "playful imagery" that tends to tickle
the minds of their listeners: "Kakaiba ang 'yong puwersa... Ang sarap
mong ipasok sa aking pantasya... dahil akin ka.. akin ka.. akin ka!".
Hmm..pero kung titingnan maiigi, medyo nagiging parang pang-stalker itong
kantang ito ala-"I'll Be Watching You" by The Police.
The second single in their album, "So Blue", guests Vic Mercado on the
drums. This particular song leans on being neo-jazzy and having Mercado
on the kit renders an added layer on this track. "Praning", the third
cut of the album shows a funkier side of the band. Kapansin-pansin din
ang paggamit dito ni Kat Agarrado ng mga salitang kanto tulad ng
"Skwaking", "Aning", at "Praning" which makes the single funkier with a more
"masa" appeal.
"Telepono" (hindi yung kanta ng Sugar Free, pero ito yung sinulat nung
The Advisors) ay mas funky pa kumpara sa "Praning". Medyo masasabing
may pagka-P.O.T. ang kantang ito dahil sa "wawa" ng gitara ni Nick
Azarcon (Kapatid ni Nathan ng Bamboo) at sa synchopated na pagpalo ni Reli De Vera. At this point, listening to their album can make you realize how
diverse this band is when it comes to their music. Kapansin-pansin na
halo-halo talaga ang impluwensiya ng banda na ito mula sa pagiging rock
oriented ng gitaristang si Nick, sa jazzy na pagpalo ni Reli, hanggang
sa soulful na boses ni Kat.
Other than the usual "playful" and tounge-in-cheek lyrics that can be
heard on "Praning" and on their last track, "Sino?", Sino Si Kat? also
shows a bit of allusion to their religious tendencies on "Prayer" with
its optimistic words backed up by a jazzy feel that induces a certain
bohemian feel.
However, the band got their well-deserved break with their sexy and
soulful single, "Turning My Safety Off" which garnered quite a fair share
of airplay on various local radio stations. Isa na rin sigurong factor
ang pagiging daring ng bandang ito na magkaroon ng sariling tunog at
mga original na kanta sa ganitong klase ng genre na kung saan ang
karamihan ay nagiging cover band o "show bands" lamang.
Overall, masasabing kakaiba o bago itong bandang ito lalong lalo na
ngayon sa music industry natin na dagsaan ng "alternative bands" na sa
dami ay hindi na sila alternatibo dahil sila na ang mainstream. Ang
makarinig ng isang bandang tulad ng Sino Si Kat? na walang takot na
pinapakita ang kanilang natural na kakayanan na hindi nagpapakahon sa iisang uri lamang ng tugtugan ay isang tunay na "freshness" sa industriya ng
musika sa Pilipinas.