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My Harana : A Filipino Serenade

Like many women who came of age in the late 20th Century, I was never serenaded beneath my window by a man trying to win my affection. I was courted and pursued, but I was never romanced with reckless abandon. When I was a teenager, growing up in the Philippines, suitors asked permission from my parents to pay an evening visit. They brought flowers and chocolates and we -- the young man and I – sat on the patio, awkwardly making conversation while my mom and dad pretended they weren’t eavesdropping.

These little chats got the job done; eventually, after enough small talk, the gentlemen arranged proper dates. Still, I longed for poetry, and for passion. For music.

The ancient tradition of Harana was my country’s most romantic expression of love. Up until the 1950s, ambitious men underwent this soul-baring rite, and lucky women, no matter their station in life, were made to feel like fairytale princesses. Harana was performed late at night, when the household was asleep. The suitor brought along one or two of his friends wielding a guitar. Summoning all his courage, he declared his most private sentiments in song. These tunes generally fell into two categories: intense expressions of joyous devotion, or profound despair at his unrequited love. Filipino women usually didn’t reveal their true feelings about a man until he proved (over time) that he cared for her as much as life itself. I used to think the magic number was at least 30 days, a solid month before I could say oo na (“yes”) to a courting gentlemen. My assent implied we were now in a formal relationship.

Harana had a strict code: If the woman liked what she heard, the windows opened and the haranista was invited upstairs by the approving parents. But if she didn’t, the windows stayed shut all night.

I’ve recorded a modern album of harana because I adore the soaring melodies and heartfelt lyrics of these classic songs, which convey a sublime tradition that’s been supplanted in the 21st Century by text messaging and social networking Websites. Harana embodies the innocence of blossoming love, the deep yearning to connect with your ideal lover -- and the thrilling anticipation of that amorous discovery. My hope is that this album will return romance and unabashed honesty to our eternal quest for love. And perhaps for the bravest women, to inspire them to initiate the connection!

I’m thrilled that my previous recorded work spread the music and languages (Tagalog and Bisaya) of my homeland to a worldwide audience. Now, in eight different languages and dialects, allow me to serenade you -- to open your windows – with these treasures from the Philippines.

-- Charmaine Clamor, 2008

What the critics say about Charmaine:

“Charmaine Clamor spins a web of magic every time she sings. Her expressive voice lets the words breathe and throb as she captures the essence of the lyrics and brings them to life. Clamor is one of the finest singers to come around in a long time.” - Jerry D’Souza, ALL ABOUT JAZZ

“Flippin’ Out marks further proof that Clamor will be the first great Filipina jazz singer. This album is a mold-shattering breakthrough that will be claimed a classic in years to come.” - Scott Galloway, URBAN NETWORK

"There is no doubt that a first-rate jazz talent is present. Her first album, Searching for the Soul (2005), announced the arrival of an impressive new vocal artist." -Don Heckman, LOS ANGELES TIMES

"Blessed with a 'bedroom eyes' voice Charmaine Clamor could shake the musical world." -ALL ABOUT JAZZ

"A terrific voice with a lot of Sarah Vaughan in it, and a very honest stage presence" -Brick Wahl, LA WEEKLY

"'Soulful' is how many callers described her when I debuted her on my radio show. Her selection and interpretation of tunes is impeccable. Charmaine sings with enormous warmth, intimacy and sensuality." -Fritz the Night Owl, WJZA FM

"She mixes a clarity and smoothness of diction comparable to Marilyn McCoo with the sultriness of say Toni Braxton, with the classy cabaret jazz chops of Diana Krall, all filtered in the folk music of her own culture." - Scott Galloway, URBAN NETWORK

"She has a sultry smooth alto voice, with a lot of soul. Clamor pours her heart out."-Bob Comden, LA JAZZ SCENE

"Her voice should be heard in every jazz venue in America, if not the world." -- John Book, MUSIC FOR AMERICA

"Her voice is alluring throughout. This lady sure takes chances, which is always good for an artist and her audience." - George Harris, JAZZ WEEKLY

"Tearing up the jazz club scene recently has been Charmaine Clamor (pictured here), whose new recording Flippin' Out (FreeHam) is a fluid nod both to her jazz chops and to her Filipino heritage. It's quite a recording, as she moves effortlessly between the ultrasensuous and the ultrarhythmic, between smoke and fire." - Duncan Christy, DELTA SKY

"Charmaine Clamor is one of the brightest new stars on the jazz vocalist horizon. She is simply the most gifted, unique performer this listener has encountered in a long time. Not only is her well-trained voice luscious and beautiful in tone and range, but she also knows how to explore the heritages of jazz and her cultural background of the Philippines and marries all this with a sensuous communication that is irresistible." - Grady Harp, AMAZON. COM Top Ten

"Charmaine Clamor’s performance is stupefying and daring and makes a profound and lasting impression on the listener’s mind." - Dr. Ana Ordonez, JAZZ REVIEW

"Charmaine Clamor's Flippin' Out is a record that is filled with fresh tracks that typify jazz, R&B and blues all in one superb grouping. Fans of all of these types of music will be flipping out over this album, which sets Clamor up as a force to be reckoned with in several musical genres." - Sari Kent, CELEBRITY CAFE

“Flippin’ Out has achieved unprecedented worldwide attention because it has the audacity to break out of the Filipino mold, recognizing that Filipino music is inherently beautiful and has the potential to be accept globally." - Rene Villaroman, ASIAN JOURNAL

"Super-model looks probably won't hurt her career but she's by no stretch of the imagination 'just another pretty face.' Possessing a profoundly resonant contralto voice, her recording has an emotional depth missing from much contemporary vocal jazz. Clamor is the real deal." - Bill Barton, CODA Magazine

“Clamor vocally resembles an amalgam of Nancy Wilson and Lena Horne, a sumptuously elegant blend of silk and satin, trimmed with gutsy self-possession… With this recording, Clamor establishes herself as a dynamic new compass point in world music.” - Christopher Loudon, JAZZ TIMES