is a Filipina jazz vocalist[1] from Manila, Philippines mainly active in Japan. Her real name has been cited as Marlene dela Peña[2] or Marlene Pena Lim. Marlene moved to Japan in the late 1970s and released her first single through EMI Japan in 1979 before signing a contract with CBS Sony in 1981, recording albums twice a year. In 1983 two of her albums appeared on the Oricon charts. Deja Vu reached #8, while Magic (sometimes listed as It's Magic in English) reached #5, each enjoying sales of over 150,000 records.[3]
In the United States, Marlene is known for her work with Seawind, with whom she recorded her second album Summer Nights in Los Angeles in 1982.[4] and her album Stay With Me which reached No. 28 in the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart in the 90’s.[5] Her sixth album, Looking for Love,[6] [7] was also recorded in Los Angeles in 1984.[8] With the Mal Waldron/Billy Holiday composition Left alone recorded on the soundtrack of the Haruki Kadokawa movie Kyabare (Cabaret) she scored a hit in Japan in 1986. She has recorded 31 albums in total so far and is the highest paid Pinay jazz artist in Japan.[9] In 2016 she teamed up with Jiro Yoshida, Makoto Kuriya and released the album Cubic Magic under the group name Threesome,[10] followed by the album Whatever! in 2017. Marlene was the subject of Mundo ni Juan sa Japan, a television film documentary in 2015.[11]
She has appeared in two Japanese films — Nantonaku (2007) and Karanukan (2017), where she played the character "Yukie".[12]
| Year | Album | Label | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Just Like First Love | CBS/Sony | |
| 1982 | Summer Nights (with Seawind Horns) | CBS/Sony | |
| 1982 | My Favorite Songs | CBS/Sony | |
| 1983 | Déjà Vu | CBS/Sony | |
| 1983 | (It's Magic) | CBS/Sony | |
| 1984 | Looking For Love | ||
| 1984 | Foot Print - Best Selection | CBS/Sony | |
| 1985 | Be Pop | CBS/Sony | |
| 1985 | Softly, As A Morning Sunrise | CBS/Sony | |
| 1986 | Just A Woman | CBS/Sony | |
| 1987 | This Time | CBS/Sony | |
| 1988 | Affection | CBS/Sony | |
| 1988 | Stay Beautiful | CBS/Sony | |
| 1988 | Left Alone | CBS/Sony | |
| 1989 | Stylish | CBS/Sony | |
| 1990 | The Best Of Marlene | CBS/Sony | |
| 1990 | Marlene | Who Ring | |
| 1991 | The Best Of The Best | CBS/Sony | |
| 1991 | Unforgettable You | Who Ring | |
| 1993 | We're All Alone | CBS/Sony | |
| 1997 | Ipangako Sa Akin | Viva | |
| 1994 | Stay With Me | Toshiba-EMI | |
| 1998 | What's New | Ém Èm Gee | |
| 2005 | Golden Best | GT | |
| 2007 | Jazz'n Out | BMG | |
| 2007 | Marlene meets Masato Honda B. B. Station | RCA | |
| 2009 | Marlene Sings Nettai Jazz | RCA | |
| 2011 | Initial | Sony | |
| 2013 | Marlene Sings Donna Summer | Sony |