From the new old to the new new

Sergio Mendes may be a name that first blipped on the public radar back in the late ‘60s, but he’s still at it, making sweet music. And if there’s a sweet darling in music today, that title would have to go to our own Charice — with a US released CD that signifies her making a mark in the contemporary mainstream market, and not just as a novelty live act seen on US talk shows.

Sergio Mendes — Bom Tempo (MCA Music, Inc.) Forget the notion that reworking rhythmic Brazilian classics would sound dated or redundant. While previous releases, Timeless, had a strong hip-hop overlay and Encanto, stayed truer to the original Mendes sound; Bom Tempo is really about celebrating and partying, with samples of Brazilian hits from the ‘60s and ‘70s — think uptempo songs of Jorge Ben, Gilberto Gil and of course, Antonio Carlos Jobim — liberally fused into the music on this album. Seu Jorge, Milton Nascimento, Carlinhos Brown all “assist” on this CD, and there’s even a Stevie Wonder-penned song, The Real Thing. Using current technology and updated arrangements make this a fun collection, but I would like Sergio to give us something genuinely new the next time out.

Charice Pempengco — Charice (Warner Music/Reprise Records). This is one of those CDs you just want to see succeed. What can one say, a Filipina artist produced by the legendary David Foster, with designs on the global mainstream music scene — how can one not wish the best for this kababayan? Pyramid, the first single, has already topped the Billboard Dance/Club charts. Sure it parallels the musical road that R&B artists who came out of American Idol have taken (Jennifer Hudson and Jordin Sparks), but if it works, why fix it? Reset has some Taglish rapping, and I’m glad she’s moved away from just belting ballads. A confident, assured debut release on an international label; and with the likes of Oprah and Ellen rooting in her corner, stardom may just be around the corner!