Rosa Bordallo: A Voice from the Pacific Takes Flight with Isidro
Rosa Bordallo, formerly known as Manett, is a force to be reckoned with. A singer-songwriter and proud Chamorro from the island of Guam, she brings a uniquely global perspective to her music. Since moving to New York City at 19, Bordallo has been steadily carving out her place in the indie music scene. Whether as a solo artist or a member of the indie rock band cholo, she’s made her mark with a string of emotionally resonant albums and EPs. Now, she’s gearing up to release her second full-length solo album, Isidro, in January 2025—a record that promises to be her most personal and powerful work yet.
“I picked up a guitar in high school, and I started writing songs right away,” Bordallo recalls. “Being a performer both terrified and beckoned me.”
Her journey to this moment has been anything but easy. To fund her musical endeavors, Bordallo worked long hours—first in an office job and later as a restaurant host—before diving full-time into the service industry. Amid the hustle of rehearsals, recording sessions, and performances, she also balanced the challenges of being a single parent.
“Music has always been my outlet, my pressure valve,” she explains. “I was a really shy and awkward kid, but I loved listening to the albums my older siblings brought back from the [United] States. Artists like Björk, PJ Harvey, David Bowie, and Pixies. I wanted to have an impact the way those musicians impacted me, on the other side of the world.”
That “other side of the world” is never far from Bordallo’s thoughts. Her homeland in the Pacific is grappling with profound challenges, from the looming threats of climate change to the heavy militarization that defines Guam as one of the most strategically exploited places on the planet. This backdrop infuses Isidro with a sense of urgency and resilience.
“I wrote these songs in 2021 and 2022, in the shadow of the pandemic and New York City’s recovery,” Bordallo shares. “I was grieving personal tragedies as well as the collective loss. It was the realization that my ancestors survived their own catastrophic near-demise that gave me perspective. I’m a survivor. We all are.”
For Isidro, Bordallo composed every note and lyric herself, but she sought out a trusted collaborator to bring her vision to life in the studio. She found that partner in Ben Etter, a recording engineer and producer whose work with Deerhunter and Hazel English caught her ear.
“I found Ben from the album credits of one of my favorite albums,” she says. “I reached out and sent him some examples of my work, and when he agreed to work on the album, I was overjoyed. He gave me the encouragement I needed.”
The result? Isidro is shaping up to be a masterful tapestry of raw emotion, lush soundscapes, and stories that bridge worlds. Bordallo’s deeply personal lyrics and her knack for transformative melodies are set to make this album a defining moment in her career—and in the lives of those lucky enough to listen.
In Isidro, Rosa Bordallo doesn’t just share her music; she shares her survival, her heritage, and her unyielding spirit. This is more than an album—it’s a testament to the power of resilience and the undeniable pull of home. Check out her past work below:
