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Charmaine Clamor

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Released: Jan 1, 2007
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General Info

  • Genre: Folk / Jazz / Soul

    Location LOS ANGELES, California, US

    Profile Views: 111131

    Last Login: 4/24/2013

    Member Since 3/5/2006

    Website www.charmaineclamor.com

    Record Label FreeHam Records & Viva Records

    Type of Label Indie

  • Bio

    Celebrated by The New York Times as “a gifted vocalist” and by The Los Angeles Times as “one of the important and original new jazz singers of the decade,” Filipino-American recording artist and cultural trailblazer Charmaine Clamor has earned her crown.<p> Creating, developing and mastering one musical genre has never been enough for the brilliantly eclectic Clamor [pronounced clah-MORE; rhymes with amour]. Her global recognition reached new heights in 2010 when Charmaine was the only Filipina to appear on the David Byrne/Fatboy Slim concept album, “Here Lies Love” (Nonesuch), about the life of Imelda Marcos. Charmaine was joined on the recording by luminaries such as Cyndi Lauper, Tori Amos, Martha Wainwright, Sia, Santigold, Sharon Jones, Alison Moorer, Kate Pierson (B-52s) and Natalie Merchant.<p> In the liner notes of Something Good (FreeHam), Charmaine’s upcoming 4th U.S. album, she declares, “I believe there are two kinds of music: the good stuff, and everything else.” To Charmaine Clamor, the categories don’t matter; the labels are irrelevant. Call her a Filipino-jazz-world-soul-pop-funk-blues singer. Call her the Queen of Jazzipino. When she shares her once-in-a-generation astonishingly expressive voice, genres fade away and beauty takes over. JazzTimes emphasized, “Clamor vocally resembles an amalgam of Nancy Wilson and Lena Horne, a sumptuously elegant blend of silk and satin, trimmed with gutsy self-possession.”<p> Charmaine’s musical journey began at age 3, entertaining passengers -- whether they liked it or not! -- in the back of buses traveling to Manila. Originally from the provincial town of Subic-Zambales, Philippines, young Charmaine provided piano accompaniment while her mother sang kundiman (Filipino torch songs) and English-language classics. These childhood memories inspired Charmaine’s enduring love of American music.<p> After immigrating to the United States as a teenager, Charmaine graduated as valedictorian of her high school class and went on to earn a Masters Degree in Physical Therapy from Cal State-Northridge. Throughout her college years, Charmaine worked as a “KJ” (a karaoke hostess). During this time she was discovered by the musical director of Crescendo, a vocal jazz harmony quintet, while singing Whitney Houston songs at a Filipino fried chicken restaurant.<p> In 2005, following nearly a decade of ensemble singing, Charmaine made her solo recording debut with Searching for the Soul (FreeHam Records), and her “bedroom eyes voice” {All About Jazz} instantly garnered comparisons to legendary vocalists such as Nina Simone, Nancy Wilson, Julie London, Lena Horne, and Cassandra Wilson. Several pundits dubbed her “the Filipino Sarah Vaughan.”<p> Charmaine's critically acclaimed second album, Flippin’ Out (FreeHam Records; 2007), brought her international recognition. On this landmark recording, she introduced jazzipino, her own music brand and style blending jazz with the music from her beloved home country. Charmaine’s artistry was featured on BBC’s “The World” and NPR’s “Weekend Edition,” which described her music as “the perfect bridge of two cultures.”<p> Her third album, My Harana: A Filipino Serenade (2008), revived the ancient Filipino courtship tradition of harana – serenading a lover beneath her window – but with a twist: this time it was the woman doing the serenading! Charmaine’s bold vision and sublime vocal tenderness solidified her role as her birth country’s most celebrated international musical ambassador.<p> Through her presence on American radio and incessant touring around the nation, Charmaine has been credited with introducing authentic Filipino musical culture to mainstream listeners. To further her lifelong goal of bringing the music of the Philippines to ever larger audiences, Charmaine serves as one of the founding members of JazzPhil-USA, a non-profit organization that promotes jazz artists of Filipino descent in the United States. For five consecutive years, she has lent her notoriety to the popular Filipino-American Jazz Festival, held annually in Hollywood, at the Catalina Bar & Grill Jazz Club, where Charmaine’s appearances with fellow Filipino-American jazz stars inspire standing-room-only crowds.<p> In 2009, Charmaine was signed to a multi-record deal with Viva Records, one of the largest pop music labels in Asia. As Viva’s first and only jazz artist, her debut album, appropriately entitled Jazzipino, brought Charmaine’s unique sound to millions of new listeners on Filipino radio and television.<p> With two consecutive albums in the JazzWeek World Music Top-10, including the rare feat of simultaneously making Top-5 on both the World (#2 ranking) and Traditional Jazz (#4) radio charts, Charmaine has earned unprecedented praise for her cultural trailblazing. Her many honors include the Asian Heritage Award in Performing Arts, Filipinas Entertainer of the Year, and recognition as one of the 100 Most Influential Filipinas in the United States.<p> But she won’t rest until audiences feel her passion for all kinds of music --and for the blessed planet we inhabit. Charmaine is proudly “green,” serving on the Sierra Club’s Water Committee, and dedicating her song “Flow,” the first single and music video from “Something Good” to water advocacy organizations.<p> Charmaine lives in Southern California, where she tends to an organic vegetable garden, volunteers for environmentally responsible organizations, and works tirelessly at making something good.
  • Members

    Eli Brueggemann (piano), Dominic Thiroux (bass), Abe Lagrimas (drums/cajon), Bo Razon (percussion, kulintang), Richard Ickard (guitar), Robby Marshall (tenor sax), Mike Stever (trumpet), Vikram Devasthali (trombone)
  • Influences

    Sarah Vaughan, Shirley Horn, Cassandra Wilson, Dianne Reeves, Nina Simone, Kurt Elling, Basia, Grace Nono, Etta James, Ella Fitzgerald, Tierney Sutton, Rhiannon, Mr. Z., Linda Hopkins, Nancy Wilson, Susana Baca.
  • Sounds Like

    While critics, disc jockeys, and fans have compared her voice to Sarah Vaughan, Diana Krall, Cassandra Wilson, and Lena Horne, more than anyone Charmaine sounds like Charmaine.

Stream

  1. Charmaine Clamor

    From CC: May all beings be happy & free And may the thoughts, words & actions of my own life today contribute in some way to that happiness & that freedom for all. Happy Earth Day everyone (April 22)!

  2. Charmaine Clamor

    CC recommends: Gluten-free pizza! Oh so yummy! Family-owned, organic and local. Evo Kitchen on Sunset Strip, Los Angeles.

  3. Charmaine Clamor

    For all booking inquiries, ads, interviews please email my management directly: FreeHamRecords@aol.com Thank you for thinking of me! :-)

  4. Charmaine Clamor

    From CC: Thank you to our friends who took the time to spend some time with us. Thank you to new friends that we met. What a beautiful way to start the New Year -- have real connections with beautiful people! I am going home feeling inspired by friendship, love, kindness, generosity, vibrant energy and the amazing creativity that I experienced in NY. Goodbye NY! Until the next hang.

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Comments

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  • Alan Rice

    Just brought ur new CD. I like the tracks I heard from it .Steve is great. This makes it my 4th CD .I like them all KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. UR FAN ALAN RICE

    2 years ago
  • The lonesome pianist -…

    Great look Charmaine and always a great voice.. I like you so much..
    Rick

    2 years ago
  • J. Otis Williams

    Hey Prett One..
    New CD out of sight, lots of air play...
    All the best

    J

    2 years ago
  • Helen Simons

    Hi Charmaine have a great weekend and all the best for the new album!
    Sounding beautiful!
    cheers
    Helen

    2 years ago
  • Charmaine Clamor

    Who wants a FREE single from my new album "Something Good"? Get it today!

    2 years ago
  • impulsive lust™

    Hiya Charmaine, Love the new look! you're fresh and so attractive as always! ... and that voice! :)

    Enjoy the rest of this wonderful summer, christo

    2 years ago
  • J. Otis Williams

    Hey Little Lady...
    Like always you hit a HOME RUN , that tune is the BOMB..
    You know you'll get air time here at KSDS Jazz 88.3
    Can't wait to hear the rest of it.
    J
    PS
    When will you be in San Diego

    2 years ago
  • J. Otis Williams

    Hey Pretty One,,
    Long Time , just droped by to say hey...
    When will you be in San Diego...

    All the best.

    J

    2 years ago
  • Jempi Samyn

    Just wanted to let you know I have a jazz radio show in Brussels (Belgium) called "Jazz Station" on FM Brussel (here in my top friends ans also on Facebook).
    If ever you'd need some extra airplay in Belgium, don't hesitate to let me know.

    Blessings

    Jempi

    3 years ago
  • zzup comanche and frien…

    charmaine!
    Happy easter to you!
    thats a pity that you are leaving myspace.
    really love your site-i can#t get you on facebook!
    keep on the good stuff
    zzup from berlin!!

    3 years ago
10 of 506More

Bio:

Charmaine Clamor
Celebrated by The New York Times as "a gifted vocalist" and by The Los Angeles Times as "one of the important and original new jazz singers of the decade," Filipino-American recording artist and cultural trailblazer Charmaine Clamor has earned her Queen of Jazzipino crown.
In 2011, while making her sixth-straight appearance at the Philippines International Jazz Festival, Charmaine gave a command performance at Manila's Malacanang Palace for United States Ambassador Harry Thomas and Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, President of the Philippines. President Aquino joined Charmaine onstage for a once-in-a-lifetime duet and declared her "a genuine source of Pilipino pride."
Creating, developing and mastering one musical genre has never been enough for the brilliantly eclectic Clamor [pronounced clah-MORE; rhymes with amour]. Her global recognition reached new heights in 2010 when Charmaine was the only Filipina to appear on the David Byrne/Fatboy Slim concept album, "Here Lies Love" (Nonesuch), about the life of Imelda Marcos. Charmaine was joined on the recording by luminaries such as Cyndi Lauper, Tori Amos, and Natalie Merchant.
In the liner notes of Something Good (FreeHam), Charmaine's 4th U.S. album, she declares, "I believe there are two kinds of music: the good stuff, and everything else." To Charmaine Clamor, the categories don't matter; the labels are irrelevant. Call her a Filipino-jazz-world-soul-pop-funk-blues singer. Call her the Queen of Jazzipino. When she shares her once-in-a-generation astonishingly expressive voice, genres fade away and beauty takes over. JazzTimes emphasized, "Clamor vocally resembles an amalgam of Nancy Wilson and Lena Horne, a sumptuously elegant blend of silk and satin, trimmed with gutsy self-possession."
Charmaine's musical journey began at age 3, entertaining passengers -- whether they liked it or not! -- in the back of buses traveling to Manila. Originally from the provincial town of Subic-Zambales, Philippines, young Charmaine provided piano accompaniment while her mother sang kundiman (Filipino torch songs) and English-language classics. These childhood memories inspired Charmaine's enduring love of American music.
After immigrating to the United States as a teenager, Charmaine graduated as valedictorian of her high school class and went on to earn a Masters Degree in Physical Therapy from Cal State-Northridge. Throughout her college years, Charmaine worked as a "KJ" (a karaoke hostess). During this time she was discovered by the musical director of Crescendo, a vocal jazz harmony quintet, while singing Whitney Houston songs at a Filipino fried chicken restaurant.
In 2005, following nearly a decade of ensemble singing, Charmaine made her solo recording debut with Searching for the Soul (FreeHam Records), and her "bedroom eyes voice" {All About Jazz} instantly garnered comparisons to legendary vocalists such as Nina Simone, Julie London, and Cassandra Wilson.
Charmaine's critically acclaimed second album, Flippin' Out (FreeHam Records; 2007), brought her international recognition. On this landmark recording, she introduced jazzipino, a new music style blending American jazz with music from her beloved home country. Charmaine's artistry was featured on BBC's "The World" and NPR's "Weekend Edition," which described her music as "the perfect bridge of two cultures."
Her third album, My Harana: A Filipino Serenade (2008), revived the ancient Filipino courtship tradition of harana - serenading a lover beneath her window - but with a twist: this time it was the woman doing the serenading! Charmaine's bold vision and sublime vocal tenderness solidified her role as her birth country's most celebrated international musical ambassador.
Through her presence on American radio and incessant touring from Alaska to Florida, Charmaine has been credited with introducing authentic Filipino musical culture to mainstream listeners. To further her lifelong goal of bringing the music of the Philippines to ever larger audiences, Charmaine serves as one of the founding members of JazzPhil-USA, a non-profit organization that promotes jazz artists of Filipino descent in the United States. For six consecutive years, she has lent her notoriety to the popular Filipino-American Jazz Festival, held annually in Hollywood, at the Catalina Bar & Grill Jazz Club, where Charmaine's appearances with fellow Filipino-American jazz stars inspire standing-room-only crowds.
In 2009, Charmaine was signed to a multi-record deal with Viva Records, one of the largest pop music labels in Asia. As Viva's first and only jazz artist, her debut album, appropriately entitled Jazzipino, brought Charmaine's unique sound to millions of new listeners on Filipino radio and television.
With three consecutive albums in the JazzWeek World Music Top-20, including the rare feat of simultaneously making Top-5 on both the World (#2 ranking) and Traditional Jazz (#4) radio charts, Charmaine has earned unprecedented praise for her cultural trailblazing. She is the first Filipina to headline America's top jazz venues, including Iridium (New York), Yoshi's (San Francisco), Regattabar (Boston), and Catalina Bar & Grill (Los Angeles).
Her many honors include the Asian Heritage Award in Performing Arts, Filipinas Entertainer of the Year, and recognition as one of the 100 Most Influential Filipinas in the United States.
But she won't rest until audiences feel her passion for all kinds of music --and for the blessed planet we inhabit. Charmaine is proudly "green," serving on the Sierra Club's Water Committee, and dedicating her song "Flow," the first single and music video from Something Good, to water advocacy organizations.
Charmaine lives in Southern California, where she tends to an organic vegetable garden, volunteers for environmentally responsible organizations, and works tirelessly at making something good.
AWARDS & HONORS 2010 Philippines Movie Press Club 2nd Annual Star Award nomination in Jazz Music
2009 Filipinas Magazine 12th Annual Achievement Award in Entertainment
Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences [the "Oscars" of the Philippines] Award of Merit, "Philippine Pride Best Jazz Singer"
Asian Heritage Society 6th Annual Asian Heritage Award in Performing Arts
National Federation of Filipino American Associations V-Day "Vagina Warrior" Award for Championing Women's Rights
2007-8 State of California and City of Los Angeles Certificate of Recognition in Performing Arts
Filipino Women's Network 100 Most Influential Filipino Women in the United States.

Member Since:

March 05, 2006

Members:

Eli Brueggemann (piano), Dominic Thiroux (bass), Abe Lagrimas (drums/cajon), Bo Razon (percussion, kulintang), Richard Ickard (guitar), Robby Marshall (tenor sax), Mike Stever (trumpet), Vikram Devasthali (trombone)

Influences:

Sarah Vaughan, Shirley Horn, Cassandra Wilson, Dianne Reeves, Nina Simone, Kurt Elling, Basia, Grace Nono, Etta James, Ella Fitzgerald, Tierney Sutton, Rhiannon, Mr. Z., Linda Hopkins, Nancy Wilson, Susana Baca.

Sounds Like:

While critics, disc jockeys, and fans have compared her voice to Sarah Vaughan, Diana Krall, Cassandra Wilson, and Lena Horne, more than anyone Charmaine sounds like Charmaine.

Record Label:

FreeHam Records & Viva Records ..

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