Artist Spotlight: Karla Margallo
While her slightly shorter frame only sets her about five feet off the ground, Karla Magallo's pop proficiency knows no limit -- while she performs up to par with iconic divas from over the decades, this peppy Filipino also writes, arranges, produces, records and mixes her own music. Whoa, look out Rihanna. Step aside Fergie. And Britney -- don't even think about it.
Well, Rihanna, stay where you are (who could stop loving your seductive tracks) but get ready to share in the limelight.
She's got the looks, she's got the lyrics, and she's got the killer voice, to boot. But friends -- don't fall prey to the urge to stereotype Magallo's moves into the traditional pop princess (though she should be treated as such).
Growing up in the Garden State, she studied the sound of New York radio's Top 40 tunes -- pinpointing catchy hooks and necessary lines -- Magallo swept the spectrum, studying bits from R&B, hip-hop, folk, jazz and a great number of other genres which added to her sexy mix of musical skill.
Her debut (and self-propelled) record Honest opens with a
bang (or gong) in
You Missed My Lips
, drawing inspiration from
the Middle East with an introduction similar to that of the
Pussycat Dolls' smash hit "Buttons".
While a lot of the album uses fun, conversational tones with a
hint of saucy confidence (as heard in
Treat Ya Right
) and
spices things up with hip-hop infused club hits like
Who Do You Think You Are (feat. Petey-O)
(featuring Petey-O and bearing beats similar to Bow
Wow's "Let's Get Down") and
Fall On Your Face
, Magallo also
masters slower, more soulful songs towards the close (in numbers
like
Blessing In Disguise
and
The Rain Came Down
).
This pleasantly intrepid Filipino-turned-Jersey girl is a music guru in disguise -- worthy of the number one spot on any top chart.
Additional Tracks:
His Song Was For Me
My Confession

