Clara Benin

If there’s a name most international best-of-2015 lists will be painfully short of, it’s Clara Benin. This year she’s released not one but two albums placing her among of the most intriguing young singers not only in the Filipino scene.

Earlier this year, the Manila-based singer-songwriters presented her debut album, “Human Eyes”. Just a few months later she gives us a new EP, “Riverchild”, consisting of four original tracks and one cover. Why so fast?

“This EP is actually a part of my final thesis project for school,” Clara explained. She initially wanted to make it a Christmas album – in the middle of summer – which might explain the themes “of innocence and childlikeness” that fill the record. “I feel like as we grow older, we become too busy being adults that we forget to go back to the river and just be carefree,” she said.

The unhurried eponymous track off “Riverchild” was recently given a visual treatment from Josh Elefan, Kevin Abril and Mark Mariano. While you can watch the video above, you should also check out an earlier clip for the energetic song “Smile”, which is another highlight from the EP.

One more reason to mention “Riverchild” is that Clara will donate all proceeds from this record to the Tapulanga Foundation. A non-profit organization from her home Bacolod City, it “helps provide educational, medical and spiritual benefits in the spirit of sharing God’s gifts.”

You can stream “Riverchild” EP in its entirety on Spotify and Deezer – or buy it on iTunes.

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Clara Benin on Soundcloud, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.

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