Growing up in a household with lots of music but not allowed to sing is a strange premise. Sounds like a plot out of the movie ‘Footloose’. But this is how Charm Perez Garcia's situation and grew up to be one of the country’s lounge and session singer.
“I grew up in Project 4,Quezon City with my kid sister Ruby and older brother Kuya Junjun. None of my siblings were involved in music except for a cousin whom I never met”, recalls Charm. She remembers her dad, at an early age of 3 , would play The Ratpack and James Last Orchestra where she would dance inside a ‘batya’ shaped like a bottle cap. “I don’t remember having anyone inside or outside the family directly influencing me in music. In fact, it was actually forbidden to sing in my family”, recalls Charm.
Her grandmother, a half blood from Malaga, Spain is a typical Spanish Mestiza, is where she most likely got her aristocratic looks just like her mother. Charm would join singing competition unbeknownst to her family. As early as high school, Charm knew then that she wanted to be a performer. “I honed my skills and personality. I knew I could sing but wasn’t too confident so I joined a modelling agency to further my personality development training where I was taught to do make up, walk, sit, speak among other things”, says Charm.
She became an event host/emcee for Araneta. While hosting, she was also do ramp modelling for Cinderella, Bobson, Sundance, Vice Versa, Lee, Esprit, Banana Republic and Benetton. Then eventually for British India, Plains and Prints, and Mango. Her big break came when she was invited to be a regular party cast at “Keep on Dancing” a dance show on ABS-CBN hosted by Charlene Gonzales, Franco Laurel and Mark Nelson.
After ‘Keep On Dancing’ she was commissioned to sing on the ‘Guitar Night’ in Music Museum because Barbie Almabis was not available. RJ Jacinto got wind of her performance and got an invite onboard RJ and The New Riots. “When we guested on Larry Henares show and there I met Tito Ronnie Henares who took me onboard and trained me as a lounge singer. Then He recommended me to Shirley Kuan shortly after to replace Benj of the girl group Vanna Vanna formerly called FOJ”, relayed Charm. “I performed with several personalities before who also somehow contributed to my singing career. Ima Castro, Dessa, Rockstar, Blush, Side A, Freestyle, Tootsie Guevara, Geneva Cruz, Apo Hiking Society, Vernie Varga, Kuh Ledesma, Sharon Cuneta, Rico J. Puno, to name a few”, recalls Charm.
Charm started social dancing and Sabor Latino and her became very good friends. Soon after, they asked her to join in for good. Sabor Latino, a Katha Awardee 1998 for Best Latin Performer Band and Best Latin Interpretation with ‘Trabajar’ and 2004 Aliw Award Nominee for Best Group Performer in Hotel Lounges. The group is considered as one of the best in the industry has, thus far, performed in Hongkong, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, Vietnam, and almost all the 5 star hotels locally. They have been around since 1992 and is known to deliver high-powered latin pieces, and soulful rendition of timeless classics as well as tunes. Current line up of the group includes: Charm Perez on vocals, Joseph Aranza band leader/ percussionist, Kaell Casanova on keyboards, Heintje Berame on guitar, Joseph Ponce de Leon on bass and Elmer Saul on drums.
Her taste in music? “More on the jazzy side. I loved the era when pop jazz was dominating the airwaves and the likes of Kevyn Lettau, Oletta Adams, Patty Austin, Randy Crawford were the big hit makers of the time”. Charm has been in and out of the country for singing engagements both as a solo artist or with a group. And with her 2 kids in tow, it seems that she has no plan slowing down. Even her Salsa steps.
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