THE VOICE THAT RELEASES OUR EMOTIONS

The hallmark of her art is in the vigorous expression of her voice. When Carmen "Luchi" Lamarque sings, she awakens the senses of her audience by the sheer force she puts on the each note, the warmth of her voice, and the intensity delivered on the stage. "She feels intensely each song, she releases the most profound emotions".

Having her music as her inseparable companion, she has been living for more than 10 years in Santiago Chile and has over 18 years of musical experience. Her repertoire gathers mostly Brazilian and Afro-Peruvian songs that under her interpretation, get a new dimension influenced by the Jazz and its greatest singers such as Ella Fitzgerald and Dinah Washington, and the Brazilian icons such as Elis Regina and Alcione.

"At home I always listened to Jazz music with my mother and Brazilian music with my aunt. Ella Fitzgerald’s ability to improvise always impressed me and I admired Elis Regina’s soft way of singing, she was my favorite", says the Peruvian singer. Her repertoire is extensive: it includes from Bossa Nova, Samba, Bolero, Landau, Festejo, waltzes-Peruvian rhythms- to ballads with interpretations in Spanish, Portuguese and English.

THE BEGINNING OF THE STORY

In 1990 debuted under the name "Luchi Fernanda” in a Hotel in Miraflores a bohemian neighborhood of Lima with a Brazilian repertoire and having prominent figures of Peruvian music such as the great percussionist María del Carmen Dongo, the talented bass player Eduardo Freire and the notable drummer "Arrocito" Cruz.

At her first performance Carmen Lamarque chose the least diffused Elis Regina’s songs and also songs from Gal Costa, Maria Bethânia, Chico Buarque, Caetano Veloso among other great interpreters of Brazilian Pop Music (MPB) who had become Carmen’s teenager years companion through the music her aunt sent her from Rio de Janeiro at that time.

All that influence became visible on stage at her first performance. "Someone asked me was I going to play with a singer that was just starting ? When I listened her singing, I was totally impressed by her voice, the high level of expression she put on the lyrics of each song. Carmen Lamarque has total control of she sings. She handles the rhythm, the silence and pauses, she can stretch the words of a song and come back to the rhythm on the exact timing. She plays with the lyrics of a song,” adds Maria Dongo.

Her talent has allowed her to perform in many places in Lima, where gradually she has incorporated Peruvian compositions like the lando "Negra Presuntuosa” (Presumptuous Black Girl) of the memorable Andrés Soto. In Lima Carmen shared the spotlight with several first-rate musicians such as guitar players Félix Casaverde and Santiago “Coco” Linares, and the renowned pianist Luis Madeño.

"I remember her singing with a lot of passion and yet with a strong voice. She has never been a shallow singer. Her art comes from deep inside,” tells piano player Madueño. “Carmen always offered the musicians who played with her, their well-deserved place on stage, giving them total freedom to express their own talent. She never placed herself above her musicians. She included, and shared the fun she always has on stage” says Madueno.

Carmen Lamarque perfomed in Peru until 1996 when she decided to try her luck in Santiago, Chile. And after spending some time back and forth between the two South American Capitals she decided to “entrench” herself in the Bohemian-type neighborhood of Bellavista in Santiago.

LIFE IN SANTIAGO

In Santiago, Carmen Lamarque opened a lounge bar with the singular name "Therapy". The reason: "Music is my constant companion, my way of winning down, my therapist", she explains with a laugh”. As the host and main artist on the stage, the musical sessions at "Therapy" always welcomed everyone, from music students to distinguished Chilean artists.

"I value all those that have the courage to stand up on stage to deliver what they have inside. I admire live music and live performers. I admire those individuals who have performed hundreds of time and never had the opportunity to record a CD," she says with the knowledge of who has traveled that same road. Carmen lost account of all the concerts she performed in Lima and Santiago but she’s sure are hundreds. That’s maybe the reason why she never felt the need to record until recently.

After 18 years of a successful career, Carmen has decided it is time to put a CD together with a fusion of rhythms of Latin America with emphasis on Brazil and Peru all with an intimate musical accompaniment with as little as a guitar and Peruvian Cajon (Peruvian national drum) and in some songs adding bass and the piano. “In reality she doesn’t need a numerous band, her voice itself sounds like a complete orchestra,” says her musical Director Among the songs she has chosen for this production is “Lia” from José Luis Cano, composition made famous by singer Ana Belén. But this time, “Lia” will be sang in Lando rhythm. She is also giving a new flavor to Armando Manzanero’s immortal Bolero "You Make Me Crazy" with an air of panalivio (Peruvian rhythm).

Both songs have special contributions of María del Carmen Dongo playing Cajon Peruano and the talented guitar player Sergio Valdeos, both some of the best musicians in Peru.

The release of this CD is expected for the beginning of next year after a series of Carmen’s performances at Cultural Centers and private venues in the U.S., between July and December 2008.

"This CD summarizes my musical journey, what I am", tells the artist, leaving her fans in suspense.