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The group Forte is a montage of four beautiful young women who are celebrating their coming of age with their newest cd release, Montage, which will be in music stores on August 13th. The foursome, Marlene
Baldueza, Gissele Tejada, Joanne Banda and Kristina Babaran began their career as little girls, singing with “Al Waterson and You” at The Fisherman’s Wharf. The four have blossomed into mature and professional entertainers and as they have grown, their music has too. The selections on Montage reflect this musical growth; a very special mixture of songs that evoke a variety of emotions and moods.
Forte carries an impressive resume of accomplishments into this new project. They have performed in concert with N Sync, 98 Degrees, and Destiny’s Child, have made commercials for Honda Windward, Sony, Jeans Warehouse and Meadowgold Dairy, and have been spotlighted on The Hawaiian Moving Co, Emme Tominbang’s Island Moments and Tiny TV. Numerous articles have appeared in print, in publications like Filipinas Magazine, Impact magazine and Go! The group continues as active participants in community events, giving of their time and talents to
D.A.R.E, Adult Friends for Youth and The Positive Connection.
The new cd, being released by Afterthought Entertainment is the group’s third full length recording. Forte has also recorded three cd singles, has participated on nine compilations and are featured in several videos.
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 Honolulu
Star-Bulletin
Island Mele
Friday, September 6, 2002
By John Berger
This
is the long-awaited comeback album by Forté, coming almost four
years after their previous release. It is a triumph for the
group and producers Jason Lent and élan of Afterthought
Entertainment. Lent and élan wrote all the songs, worked out
all the urban-style arrangements (including credible treatments
of three pop chart remakes), parceled out the girls' vocal
arrangements and then neatly inserted the group into the mixes.
The arrangements generally feature grooves rather
than hooks, but several are as hot and commercial as songs
currently on the national charts. Lyrics such as "if you
want to be deep inside of me" repudiate the pop-lite
ambiance of Forté's earlier work.
"Sweet Candy 9," "Straight Out"
and "Boys vs. Men" are strong and commercial-sounding.
Remakes of "Close to You" and "Don't Cry Out
Loud" also reflect Afterthought's grasp of urban-R&B,
but several sound bites and promo clips break the mood and the
flow of an otherwise sophisticated presentation. |
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