Just over a year ago this past November, I reviewed Mario Frangoulis' extraordinary first single "Vincero, Perdero" from his debut CD titled Sometimes I Dream, which is currently sitting in Billboard's Classical Crossover chart for 90 consecutive weeks.
His sophomore effort, titled Follow Your Heart, hits stores in the United States February 1st.
Follow Your Heart, according to the press release, is a "soulful collection of smooth pop ballads and classical flavored songs." His first single, "Here's to the Heroes" is a tribute to the athletes of the Summer Games in Athens. If you visit Mario's website, you can view the video for the song. The lyrics by Don Black are simplistic yet touching; and they help showcase the beautiful melody which was adapted from John Berry's Oscar-winning main theme from the film Dances With Wolves. The melody, in turn, is a great vehicle for Mario's voice, which soars into the high notes with a clarity that is rich and deep.
Frangoulis works with the Latin Pop Stars Alejandro Fernandez ("Hay Mas") and Melody ("Cumme").
Follow Your Heart will highlight Frangoulis' classical side with songs such as "Another World," which was adapted from the popular chorus to "Va! Pensiero" from Giuseppe Verdi's opera Nabucco, and "Adagio," which was taken from the famous Oboe Concerto of Italian Baroque composer Alessandro Marcello.
Personally, I'm looking forward to hearing Mario's rendition of "Come What May," which showcased Ewan McGregor's amazing voice in the hit 2001 film Moulin Rouge.
