Charmaine Clamor sings for David Byrne

Viva Records’ Jazzipino star Charmaine Clamor has joined the performer line-up of the David Byrne and Fatboy Slim production of Here Lies Love. This is a concept album about our former First Lady Imelda Marcos and her long-time aide Estrella Cumpas that is set for release in February 2010. The title Here Lies Love comes from what Mrs. Marcos is said to want written as her epitaph.

Now based in the US where she has been generating hot buzz in jazz circles, Charmaine made quite a splash in the Philippines early this year with her jazzy interpretation of local classics like Dahil Sa ‘yo and Lahat Ng Araw in the Jazzipino album. Now it looks like she has really hit the big time with this interesting project. It is after all, a singular honor to be tapped by the Grammy, Academy Award, Golden Globe winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Byrne to perform Walk Like A Woman, the only jazz cut in the disco and club sound dominated album.

Here Lies Love is a disco opera that has the fictional Mrs. Marcos meditating on her life, starting from her childhood in Tacloban to beauty queen, First Lady and the departure from Malacañang. The story will be told through songs, in something like an opera, but with a dance beat. The album will be released as a CD, DVD and book package. We still do not know what the songs will sound like but Byrne, who incidentally is the founder of the legendary New Wave band Talking Heads, provides us with a hint through the book’s introduction that he now has posted on his website.

He wrote: “The story I am interested in is asking what drives a powerful person — what makes them tick? How do they make and then remake themselves? I thought to myself, wouldn’t it be great if — as this piece would be principally composed of clubby dance music — one could experience it in a club setting? Could one bring a story and a kind of theater to the disco? Was that possible? If so, wouldn’t that be amazing!”

The other performers in the album are the following: Here Lies Love by Florence Welch of Florence & The Machine; Every Drop Of Rain by Candie Payne and St. Vincent; You’ll Be Taken Care Of by Tori Amos; The Rose Of Tacloban by Martha Wainwright; How Are You? by Nellie McKay; A Perfect Hand by Steve Earle; Eleven Days by Cyndi Lauper; When She Passed by Allison Moorer; Don’t You Agree? by Roisin Murphy; Pretty Face by Camille; Dancing Together by Sharon Jones; Men Will Do Anything by Alice Russell; The Whole Man by Kate Pierson; Never So Big by Sia; Please Don’t by Santigold; American Troglodyte by Byrne; Solano Avenue by Nicole Atkins; Order 1081 by Natalie Merchant; Seven Years by Byrne and Shara Worden; Why Don’t You Love Me a duet by Lauper and Amos; and Ladies In Blue by Theresa Andersson.

Take note of that last title. Mrs. Marcos’ Blue Ladies will be immortalized in music composed by Byrne and Fat Boy Slim and Natalie Merchant is singing the song about Martial Law.

Billboard’s Top 200 Albums

Do take a look at the Billboard Top 200 Albums listing if you intend to do some last-minute sound shopping this weekend. The titles are simply gorgeous and the CDs are must-haves. And what do you know, Susan Boyle’s debut album I Dreamed A Dream is this week’s No. 1 seller in the U.S. of A. The CD also bagged No. 1 in the UK, European and Canadian charts. Dreams do come true.

The others in the Top 20 are: My Christmas by Andrea Bocelli; Fearless by Taylor Swift; Untitled by R. Kelly; The Fame by Lady Gaga; Play On by Carrie Underwood; The Fall by Norah Jones; Michael Jackson’s This Is It, the motion picture soundtrack; The Twilight Saga: New Moon, also the movie soundtrack with Various Artists; Crazy Love by Michael Bublé; Now 32 by Various Artists.

My World by new teen idol Justin Bieber; The Fame Monster also by Lady Gaga; Noel, by Josh Groban; Peace On Earth by Casting Crowns; Rated R by Rihanna; Battle Studies by John Meyer; The Time Of Our Lives by Miley Cyrus; If On A Winter’s Night by Sting; and Glee: Season One, the soundtrack of the hit TV series.