Charmaine Clamor has arrived, time to add Jazzipino to your iTunes

Charmaine Clamor calls Jazzipino “the new musical genre that results from melding traditional Filipino folks songs and instruments with American jazz and blues.”

You could say that makes her a model Filipino American.

The Los Angeles Times, Boston Herald, Asian Journal, and NPR have raved about her.  Jazz Times calls her new release My Harana: A Filipino Serenade “a dynamic new compass point in World Music.”

She has been compared to such legends as Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson, and Lena Horne.  Meanwhile, she also enjoys listening to contemporary artists like Norah Jones, Beyonce, and Jill Scott.

One of her greatest joys is the thrill of interacting on stage with her band and the audience.

“I love the musical conversation I make onstage with my band and how this also affects the audience,” said Clamor.  “I am thrilled by all the unexpected that happens on stage.”

Her new album spotlights the Filipino serenades, sung in 8 different native Filipino dialects.

But don’t assume she’s for Filipinos only.  While writing this article I was listening to her music; my friend (who is not Filipino) was stunned with her voice and how Clamor’s sound is so highly original while also paying homage to so many styles of the past.

And while music is her passion, it is only part of the equation.  Acknowledging her Filipino identity and taking care of the environment are also of great importance to Clamor, who the Filipino Women’s Network called “One of the 100 Most Influential Women in the United States” in 2007.

“I’d like Filipinas to be proud of their indigenous beauty, especially my Kayumanggi sisters.  I’d like my kababayans to be proud of our music, our different dialects, and to try to be original Filipino artists showing our unique identity.  Lastly, I’d like my brothers and sisters to be supportive of one another and to live green and be more proactive in taking care of our environment.”

Jazz has not been the dominant genre in the American pop culture since the 1930s, while Harana also recalls a time long ago in the Philippines.  But Charmaine Clamor will take you on a journey that turns back the clock while keeping you in the present, too.

For more information on Charmaine Clamor, her music, and the Jazzipino revolution, visit her website at www.charmaineclamor.com.  Don’t forget to join her mailing list.