By Sheryl Garcia
NEW YORK - Charmaine Clamor, the first Filipina jazz singer to find success on mainstream American Jazz radio, will be making her New York City debut on June 25, 2006 as her record company Freeham Records holds the release of her CD, “Searching for the Soul." The event will be held at the famed Iridium Jazz Club in Broadway and 51st Street.
Charmaine's album, “Searching for the Soul," was launched in November 29, 2005 at the world famous Catalina Bar & Grill in Hollywood. It has been heard on more than 100 stations around America, and peaked at #1 on the CMJ jazz charts in several markets. Critics has described her CD as “an eclectic collection of musical pieces," (George Harris, All About Jazz) and her sultry alto voice has been likened to legendary vocalists like Nancy Wilson, Sarah Vaughan, and Cassandra Wilson.
A longtime member of the renowned vocal harmony ensemble CRESCENDO, Charmaine has also headlined the First International Jazz & Ethnic Arts Festival in Manila, Phillipines on January 21-23, 2006 performing alongside international artists such as Kevyn Lettau, Russell Ferrante, Jerry Watts & Mike Shapiro. The Filipino audience was awed with her forceful but romantic style. New York City will soon bear witness to her elegant jazz chops.
Originally from the provincial town of Subic-Zambales, Charmaine Clamor began her singing career at age of 3, entertaining passengers (whether they liked it or not!) in the back of buses traveling to Manila. As she grew, she began providing piano accompaniment while her mother sang kundiman (Filipino torch songs) and English language classics. From these early memories comes her love of the Great American Songbook.
Charmaine migrated to the United States in 1988 and has since performed in legendary clubs and venues such as House of Blues, The Hop, Pasadena Civic Auditorium, Los Angeles Convention Center, Glendale Civic Auditorium and Cerritos Performing Arts Center, among others. Often described as “mesmerizing, captivating, sublime and powerful," Charmaine has worked with numerous well-known mainstream artists, including Jeffery Osborne and James Ingram, and legendary Filipino artists, including Gary Valenciano, Banig, and Timmy Cruz.
In 1999, she joined the jazz harmony quintet, Crescendo. The group released a 15-track CD in 2004 showcasing romantic jazz standards. Charmaine provided the alto voice in the group and her rendition of the song “I'm In The Mood For Love" was exceptional.
Charmaine is proud to be a Filipina and has not forgotten her Filipino roots. She is proud to have performed at numerous events that celebrate the Filipino culture, including the First Anniversary of the founding of historic Filipino Town in Los Angeles. She is also one of the founding members of Jazzphil-USA, a nonprofit organization which promotes Filipino-American Jazz Artists in the United States.
Catch her perform on June 25, 2006 at the Iridium Jazz Club at 1650 Broadway (51st st.) New York, NY. Tickets sell at $25.00. For more information go to www.iridiumjazzclub.com.
For more information contact All About Jazz.
