Bruno Mars
(MUSIC: "Lazy Man")
MARIO RITTER: Bruno Mars is a singer, songwriter and producer who has been performing since he was a small child. The twenty-five-year-old has performed with his family, with hip-hop stars and on his own. His new album, "Doo-Wops & Hooligans" has become a huge success. One critic described Bruno Mars's album as having ten near-perfect pop songs. Shirley Griffith has more.
SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: Bruno Mars was born Peter Hernandez in Honolulu, Hawaii. His parents, both musicians, are of Puerto Rican and Filipino ancestry. He began singing in his family's band when he was only a few years old.
Bruno grew up listening to his father's collection of nineteen fifties music. He says these songs had subjects that were easy to understand. He was also influenced by the rhythm and blues and hip-hop music he listened to on the radio. Both musical styles can be heard in Bruno Mars's own songs. Here is hip-hop artist B.o.B's popular song "Nothin' on You." Bruno Mars sings the song and helped write it.
(MUSIC)
Bruno Mars moved to Los Angeles, California after high school to follow his dream of making music. He and two friends created a songwriting and production group called the Smeezingtons that has been very successful. He says working as a team helped him develop as an artist and led the way to making his own record. Here is "Count on Me" from his first full album, "Doo-Wops & Hooligans."
(MUSIC)
Bruno Mars says he writes music that he strongly believes in and that comes from inside him. We leave you with his hit song "Just the Way You Are."
(MUSIC)
MARIO RITTER: Our program was written by Dana Demange and Caty Weaver, who also was our producer.
Join us again next week for American Mosaic, VOA's radio magazine in Special English.
