Her multi-faceted career spans decades and professions, but music is in Dionne' Warwick's heart. Her newest album, which she describes as a "labor of love," is filled with songs from her new home in Brazil.

Dionne Warwick has covered some territory since asking the way to San Jose, a question and song that earned her the first of many Grammy awards. Her newest album for BMG/Arista, which hit the stores late last year, speaks volumes about where she is in her life today. Titled "Aquarela Do Brasil," the uptempo, melodically beautiful album is a collection of songs from Warwick's favorite place in the world. It's also the country she now calls home.

"This album has been something I've wanted to do for a very long time," Warwick explains. "But timing is everything. I've been running away to Brazil for a long time, and I finally made the decision to move there. It was sort of a natural progression."

Warwick, who sings many of the songs on her album in Brazil's native Portuguese, says learning the language was an incredible challenge, but a beautiful experience. "When you're able to do something you really want to do, it's not laborious at all," she says.

The results of her recording sessions in Brazil with a gathering of some of the country's finest musicians are magical. Warwick's clear, crisp vocals combine with the tropical sounds and instrumentation to create a sound that simply takes you away. "When we were finished, everyone just sat there and wanted to hear it over and over again," she fondly recalls. Warwick says she's learned a great deal since discovering the beautiful country and culture of Brazil, and her hope for the album is to share with the world a little of that experience.

Relating experiences is something Warwick has mastered over her illustrious an award-winning career that spans more than three decades. With music that crosses the boundaries that separate gospel, pop and R&B, Warwick has left her stamp on popular culture with such classic as "Walk on By," "Deja Vu," "Promises, Promises," "Alfie," and "I Say a Little Prayer."

But it was "Don't Make Me Over" that Warwick burst onto the music scene with in 1962. Her debut chart-topper was written and produced by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, a partnership that produced many of Warwick's most memorable hits, including "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?"

Although Warwick undoubtedly stands on her own as a talented performer, she has had a string of highly successful pairings with fellow artists. Her selftitled album "Dionne" was produced by Arista lablemate Barry Manilow, earning her two Grammy awards at the 22nd annual event. She has performed duets with Johnny Mathis, Smokey Robinson, Jeffrey Osborne and Luther Vandross, to name just a few. And that was all before she recorded one of her most personally and professionally rewarding songs, "That's What Friends are For" with her own friends, Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder and Elton John.

The mega-hit earned Song of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group at the 29th annual Grammy Awards, but more importantly, profits from the song are still being donated to the American Foundation for AIDS Research. The song led to a Radio City Music Hall benefit concert in 1990, which alone raised more than $2.5 Million to help combat AIDS.

"My talent is a God-given talent," Warwick says as she discusses the way she has used music to help others. "Music can play an integral part in raising dollars and I've have always wanted to do as much as I can." And she has, including her part in the equally successful and celebrity-studded "We are the World" project to feed the hungry in Africa. Always looking ahead, Warwick admits there are still many musicians with whom she hopes to someday join forces. "There are lots of people out there I would love to work with," she says, rattling off names such as Earth Wind and Fire, Frank Sinatra and Roberta Flack, "I'd love to do something with my cousin Leontyne Price. And I really want to do something with Quincy Jones, but his schedule is like mine."

When she isn't singing, chances are she's not resting. For three seasons Warwick hosted the musical variety show "Solid Gold," an experience she looks back on with fond memories. She's also co-hosted and helped launch the annual "Soul Train Awards" and "Dionne and Friends." Behind the scenes, the always active Warwick was the co-executive producer for the first three "Celebrate the Soul of American Music" specials, a show that was produced for her Carr/Todd/Warwick Productions Inc.

That, however, is not her only business. As President of the 11 year-old Dionne Warwick Design Group, she and partner Bruce Garrick have made a name for themselves in the arena of interior design.

Work on everything from Hollywood movie sets to world class hotels, Warwick say she enjoys tapping into the other parts of her creativity. "I feel these businesses kind of walks hand-in-hand with music," she explains. "It's all about tone, colors, shades. You reach these incredible peaks and valleys." She says most people find this twist to her career an unexpected one, but she simply looks at a project like she listens to a song, putting the harmonies, the words and the music in the right places to produce the most beautiful results.

She has been honored time and time again for the results of her hard work in her music and her philanthropy. The NAACP bestowed on Warwick their Image Award, and she's received the Kleenex American Hero Award, Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Club Woman of the Year Award, the Starlight Foundation's Humanitarian of the Year, the Bella Rackoff Humanitarian Award and six Grammy awards. And she hasn't slowed down since she started.

Looking ahead in year to come, Warwick is planning a world tour to promote her new album. It's not something she does on any sort of regular basis anymore,"but I believe this project really warrants it," she says. It will be her first world tour, and Warwick says she hopes to expose some people to sounds they've never before heard.

Before she sets off around the world, BEVERLY HILLS [213] caught up with Warwick in Los Angeles recently and was able to find out a little bit more about the performer herself.

Brian Boye

Q&A

• Q. Your Sign? A. Sagittarius.
• Q. Where did you grow up ? A. East Orange, New Jersey.
• Q. What did you want to be? A. Music Teacher
• Q. What are you now? A. An Entertainer
• Q. What do you still want to do? A. Receive an Oscar, Emmy and Tony, but not necessarily in that order.
• Q. What time do you wake-up? A. It depends on what I have to do.
• Q. What do you do with your leisure time? A. What's that???
• Q. Accoutrements? A. I have two sons and I'm recently a new Grandmother.
• Q. What's your idea of a great time? A. Hanging out with all of my buddies.
• Q. Your idea of a horrible time? A. Being around people I don't know and don't want to know.
• Q. Your Idol? A. My Family.
• Q. Your Favorite book? A. Anything trashy.
• Q. Favorite Movie? A. The Lion King.
• Q. Favorite Song? A. "The Windows of the World."
• Q. Favorite Food? A. Anything my Mother prepares!
• Q. Favorite Vacation spot? A. Brazil.
• Q. Favorite way to reward yourself? A. Shopping and sleep.
• Q. Favorite TV show? A. "Jeopardy!" and "Wheel of Fortune."
• Q. Favorite thing about L.A.? A. The friendships I've made.
• Q. Worst thing about L.A.? A. Smog,(and the fact that) restaurants close too early.
• Q. Who do you think is the most beautiful woman in the world? A. Beauty has many areas; inward, physical, thoughts, etc. and there are several women that fit that description for me.
• Q. Who do you think is the most appealing man in the world? A. My Father.
• Q. Any unusual hobbies or pastimes? A. Nothing unusual. I like to read, needlepoint, ride horses, quite normal.
• Q. Whom do you ask for advice? A. Those people that I know genuinely care about my wellbeing.
• Q. Your strong points? A Honesty.
• Q. Your weak points ?A. Soft touch.
• Q. Your pet peeves? A. Liars, gossip mongers and the like.
• Q. Your Philosophy? A. If you can think it, you can do it.