Filipinos are happy people. They are known to laugh away problems or just spend a whole day of bad luck by cracking a joke or singing it out in a karaoke machine. Singing has always been a part of daily Filipino life. Everybody start the day with singing at the bathroom before they go to their office or to their school. In school, music subject will never be out of the curriculum. In some companies, they require each department to build a singing group to compete for their anniversary or their Christmas parties. In colleges and universities, forming a band affiliated with the school is considered extra curricular and will give you additional grades.
The love of Filipino for music is justifiable in every street of the country. There is no place, especially in the metros, where you cannot see a videoke machine. Every festival, every celebration holds a singing contest.
Perhaps one of the greatest Filipino singer known in the Philippines and internationally is Lea Salonga. There is no doubt she is one of the pride of the Filipino Music Industry. She has been performing in international venues since the 80's and is made famous by her portrayal of Kim, the main character in the musicale Miss Saigon. She has also starred in Les Miserables and earned hundreds of awards including the prestigious Tony Award, Lawrence Olivier and many more, making her in-level with the likes of Ruppert Everett and Glen Close. She has even performed in the "famous-only" Carnegie Hall!
Another is Josephine "Banig" Roberto who rose to stardom in the US when she joined the Star Search and beat Christina Aguilera. Although she did not pursue her singing career, she is still an icon for bagging the title and beating her rival who became a famous diva now. There are other famous Filipino singers including those who were fortunate enough to be included in the top 10 contestants of American Idol and Jasmin Trias who came into the top 2 for the 3rd season of AI who competed 1-on-1 with Fantasia Barrino, who won the title.
Charice Pempengco, the singer child star, is also making her name on the international music scene. She wowed her audience and even the two queen of talk shows, Ellen Degeneres and Oprah Winfrey.
Well, before I end this, let me share with you Banig's performance on an episode of Star Search in 1989.
just a cent...Ms. Regine Velasquez, after winning the Asia Pacific Singing Contest in 1989, is the first Filipino to stage a solo concert at the Main Hall of Carnegie Hall, part of Carnegie Hall's centennial-year concert series.
She has also collaborated with other int'l artists like Peabo Bryson and Jeffrey Osborne and music genius like Brian McKnight and Michel Legrand (3x Grammy awardee, the one behind Streisand's YENTL)in a FULL concert.
Coco Lee also dubbed her as Diva of all Divas during the MTV Asia Awards and she's probably the only Filipina who sold more than 1 Million albums in ASIA.
She stole the spotlight in a male-dominated Philippine Music Industry during the late 90s when she decided not to pursue her Asian Stardom and strongly introduced the "WOW" factor in live singing. Seeing her career blossomed in more than 20 years, a lot of young divas we are currently proud of, followed.
I also followed Banig and she is one talent i really miss.
