Bruno Mars is new Pinoy on the charts

There is much rejoicing out here about the success of Bruno Mars. Yehey! There is a new Filipino pop star. That is indeed good news although if you are going to be technical about it, Bruno is not really Filipino but a born and raised American. He is not like Arnel Pineda or Charice who were born and learned to sing here. Neither is he like apl.de.ap who relocated to the US when he was 12.

As his bio in Wikipedia goes, Bruno was born Peter Gene Hernandez in Honolulu, Hawaii to a Puerto Rican father who played percussion in a band and, here is the clincher, a Filipino mother who was then a hula dancer. That means he is also Pinoy and is the latest proof that our artists can shine on the stages of the world if they get the right breaks.

Bruno has two songs in the Top 10 of Billboard Magazine’s Hot 100 Songs chart. Rihanna and Katy Perry also have two songs each in the list but these are in the Top 20 unlike Bruno who has his in the Top 10. His album Doo-Wops & Hooligans is also in the Top 10 of the albums’ chart.

For those of you out there who are still out of the loop, Bruno is the singer, songwriter and producer behind the songs Just The Way You Are and Grenade that you have been hearing everywhere these days. Before that this guy was part of Nothin’ On You by B.o.B and Billionaire by Travie McCoy that he sang and co-wrote and which you also heard everywhere.

Then there are also Right Around by Flo Rida, Wavin’ Flag by K’naan and the controversial, Grammy nominated F*** You! by Cee Lo Green. Would you believe that this early in his career, Bruno is already a Grammy nominee seven times over. We will know next month if he will take home any of those little gramophones. But the fact is Grammy or no Grammy, it is Bruno’s beat and rhythm that is very in these days, the one that even the most casual listener cannot help but get into.

Given the growing number of success stories of Pinoys in the field of music, mostly as performers, I believe that nobody will think it too forward for us to dream of more. Someday, soon perhaps, I hope that a homegrown producer or songwriter will also make it big in the hit charts of the world. I am sure that we will get the greatest, feel-good feeling when we hear an OPM song being played and selling big everywhere.

The Top 20 songs of the week are: Firework by Katy Perry; Grenade by Bruno; We R Who We R by Ke$ha; What’s My Name by Rihanna featuring Drake; Raise Your Glass by Pink; Tonight I’m Lovin’ You by Enrique Iglesias feat. Ludacris & DJ Frank E; The Time (Dirty Bit) by The Black Eyed Peas; Black And Yellow by Wiz Khalifa; Just The Way You Are by Bruno; Just A Dream by Nelly.

Bottoms Up by Trey Songz feat. Nicki Minaj; Only Girl (In The World) by Rihanna; Dynamite by Taio Cruz; Like A G6 by the Far*East Movement feat. Cataracs & Dev; No Hands by Waka Flocka Flame feat. Roscoe Dash & Wal; DJ Got Us Fallin In Love by Usher feat. Pitbull; 6 Foot 7 Foot by Lil Wayne feat. Cory Gunz; Teenage Dream by Katy Perry; Yeah 3X by Chris Brown; and Please Don’t Go by Mike Posner.

The Top 20 titles in the Top 200 albums are: Speak Now by Taylor Swift; Recovery by Eminem; Loud by Rihanna; Pink Friday by Nicki Minaj; My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West; Tron: Legacy (movie soundtrack) by Daft Punk; Doo-Wops & Hooligans by Bruno; Sigh No More by Mumford & Sons; Teenage Dream by Katy Perry; Calling All Hearts by Keysha Cole.

Best Night Of My Life by Jamie Foxx; The Beginning by The Black Eyed Peas; My Kinda Party by Jason Aldean; Love Letter by R. Kelly; No Boys Allowed by Keri Hilson; No Mercy by T.I.; Born Free by Kid Rock; Michael by Michael Jackson; Cannibal by Ke$ha; and I Am Not A Human Being by Lil Wayne.