Is missing link that would finally bridge bossa nova to mainstream audience in a big way already found? Vicor Music believes so in 17 year-old Sabrina, the youngest artist in the label’s roster of talents. She had just released her eponymous debut album composed of versions of hit pop songs across decades now updated with a bossa twist. The 12 tracks in Sabrina’s disc are bound to appeal to adult contemporary music lovers and i-Pod generation given its more accessible bossa nova musical outlook.

Sabrina, in the beginning, was anything but a bossa nova singer. She had been taking voice lessons since age 7 and had specialized in pop music (Celine Dion to Abba), Broadway songs, OPM, and standards. Later, she became part of a choir that harnessed her soprano 2 voice, and was even made a ‘cantor’ (one who sings responsorial psalms in masses).

This musical inclination runs in Sabrina’s blood. Her parents (Deng and Rollie Orial) and older brother (Botch) and sister (Roanne) all could sing. The family, in fact, often sings in harmony during family functions.

Serendipity segued Sabrina to bossa nova when Vicor’s ace producer, Sunny Ilacad, heard her sing the Sergio Mendes’ classic “Like A Lover.” Intrigued by her lithe and soothing vocal quality, she was asked to demo the songs, “Pretty World” and “Who Broke Your Heart.” Sunny wanted to check if Sabrina, indeed, was meant to sing bossa all long. The result was no less than moment eureka.

“Sabrina” was recorded in just two weeks. Study of each of the song here was given to her in its original form, just days prior to every vocal lay-in session and with instruction to write down the lyrics as she hears them. The rationale was for Sabrina to devote time studying the music and to have free hand styling the songs. The budding artist would only often get to hear the arrangement of the songs in the album during the session itself.

The final 12 tracks in the “Sabrina” album were trimmed down from a list of 70 that Sunny and her wife, Sherbet (also Sabrina’s manager), painstakingly researched from the internet and other sources. Though a daunting task, the couple believes their two-decade experience in producing minus-ones helped in determining which old hit songs could be turned into  ‘bossa’ without losing their intrinsic pop appeal. They vouch that “Sabrina” makes it hard for any listener to pick a favorite in the track list since each seems to be better than the other.

Some of these are “Pretty World” (originally by Sergio Mendes and album’s first single), “(There’s) Always Something There To Remind Me,” “(I) Say A Little Prayer” and “You’ll Never Get To Heaven” (Dionne Warwick), “Fixing A Broken Heart” (Indecent Obsession), “Bizarre Love Triangle” (Joy Division), “Nightbird” (Kalapana) and “(I Love You) More Today Than Yesterday” (Spiral Staircase).

Seasoned musicians contributed their geniuses in “Sabrina.” Two of these are saxophone player Tots Tolentino and guitarist Bong Rosario. “Sabrina” is now out under Vicor Music Inc.