Nelda’s passion for singing began before she could even talk. Her gift and song interpretation has always been the truest fashion to express her most private thoughts and dreams. Island Mele. By: John Berger Nelda Alvarez is a versatile performer who can hold a crowd as a soloist, deliver a high energy cabaret show, sing rock, or do musical theater. She once unknowingly auditioned for a role that had been promised to someone else and so impressed the director that he rewrote a smaller role to make room for her. Alvarez’ solo number was a show-stopper. This album shows her soft and introspective side. Five songs are candid originals. The others are personal favorites that she succeeds in personalizing. That’s rare in local circles. Most local pop artists do simple copycat work when re-doing national hits. Alvarez’ expressive voice and skill as an arranger puts her on a higher level. She opens strongly with the autobiographical title song. Time was when she dreamed of escargot, caviar, a leather couch, and wearing only “cool shades and a pair of stilettos.” These days her new child means more to her than all those material things. Other writers have told that story but she shares her version of it in a catchy and engaging style. “Resist Temtation” and “Now I Dance” are also notable originals. “My Funny Valentine,” “E Pili Mai” and “Time In A Bottle” are other delights. Alvarez doesn’t radically rework them but offers fresh perspectives nonetheless. Alvarez’s acoutic guitar is the primary instrument. Guest artists embellish her melodies without distorting the acoustic ambience. Diverse tempos add further to this beautiful musical portrait. So do Alvarez’ notes about her originals. The Honolulu Advertiser. Hot Tip: Nelda Alvarez was singing at Nick’s Fishmarket the other night, with eyes closed, when she realized she was in the shadow of a giant. “Someone was blocking the light-and it was Shaquille O’Neal”,she gushed. “He was holding up a $100 bill smiling, dropping it on my music stand. I was so nervous, I made mistakes (in her song), then started singing ‘Sabor Ami.’ I was totally flushed by his presence-it was a high in my life.” She managed to reach up, give Shaq a hug and thank him for the generous tip before he left the restaurant… Island Sounds. By: Wayne Harada. “Dreams” Debut Is Sweet Stuff. “Dreams in a Box” is Nelda Alvarez’s debut recording, a dream come true for her. Low-key, unpretentious, highly personal and revealing, the CD title, according to Alvarez, was born years before the project eveloved. Five of the 12 tracks are her originals, so there’s an element of freshness. Her lyrics are free-form, like enties of a journal set to music. Thus, “Dreams” proudly exposes Alvarez’s insights in a reflective, precise manner. The title tune alludes to a desire to perform, to wear cool clothes, to have a child (her record label is named after her son). Alvarez has seen these dreams come true. “I can’t believe I did,” she exclaims in one line. “We all want and want and want and never get…” “Resist Temptation” is set to a contagious cadence-another one of Alvarez’s originals. “Let Me Talk To You” also is some what retrospective, about her decade of living in California and some of the angst of the ’80s. The covers-borrowed songs interpreted in her own style-include “Time In A Bottle,” “Jessie” and “My Funny Valentine.” They provide a perspective of her musicianship: Alvarez can be pop-oriented, folksy or torch-singer romantic. She accompanies herself on guitar, so the tone of the disc is mellow, soft and sweet.
