Regine Velasquez - Biography

				Regine Velasquez Biography   Name : Regine Velasquez Birth Name : Regina Encarnacion Ansong Velasquez Date of Birth : 22 April 1970 Place of Birth : Manila, Philippines Nationality : Filipino Profession : Singer Nicknames : Regz Chona Asia's songbird
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Regine Velasquez Detailed Biography

Before we even heard of her Cinderella story, there was just her voice - the power and intensity of which was never heard of in the Philippine music history. It became all the more incredible when one beheld the singer, a young lass whose delicate frame and features belied her fragile aura. The frailty vanishes, however, with the first bar of a song and in its place, a startling blend of raw emotion and audible beauty is experienced. That magic is Regine Velasquez. Regine Velasquez's humble beginnings in Bulacan has not dispirited this naturally-talented singer in transcending the performance calibers of formally-trained singers of her generation. After her rounds of provincial competitions, Regine Velasquez's first big break was when she garnered the top prize in the celebrated Bagong Kampeon singing contest. Regine Velasquez was then featured in the popular Penthouse Live television show which launched a string of lounge acts in notable clubs and discos. A brief six years later, with the prestigious Asia-Pacific Singing Contest grand prize as her crowning glory, Regine Velasquez has become a catchphrase among many audiences and music impressarios. Regine Velasquez has to her credit six record albums, two of which went Gold and four reached Platinum status. Moreover, Regine Velasquez has released nineteen singles and a hit duet with songwriter Jose Mari Chan ("Please Be Careful With My Heart") whose album won eight Platinum awards. Another notable duet with Gary Valenciano ("Each Passing Night") also hailed from an album which won a Platinum award. Having done at least ten television specials, Regine Velasquez has also guested with the country's top artists in practically every local television show. Regine Velasquez's solo concerts were overwhelming witnesses to her sterling popularity and her audiences' appreciation for her music--Narito Ako, Regine....In Season, A Song For You, Music And Me, Animated and most recently, a widely-acclaimed concert series at the Music Museum dubbed Regine....Unplugged. Then, the world's performance stage drew its curtains for Regine's world-class splendor. The internationally renowned Polygram Records produced her first Asian album, "Listen Without Prejudice." Regine Velasquez's endcaring duet with American balladeer Paul Anka, "It's Hard To Say Goodbye" made it high in the charts in many countries. A stylish music video with Asian hearthrob Jacky Cheung which landed the top slot in MTV Asia's Asian Top 20 Videos, launced their beautiful duet entitled "In Love With You " to hit stature in Asia. Regine Velasquez's second album entitled "My Love Emotion " sold 100,000 copies Asia-wide on the first month of its release--that, without the benefit of a full promotional blitz yet. Recent record-breaking concerts in the United States, and the unprecedented sales of her records in key Asian markets have garnered for Regine the informal title of "Asia's Queen of Pop." But busy as she is with her numerous engagements both in and out of the Philippines, Regine Velasquez has managed to do something very close to her heart-----perform for charity. Singapore's National Kidney Foundation, the HongKong AIDS Foundation, the Hongkong Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Philippines' Bridges School for Special Children are just a few of the many causes Regine Velasquez has chosen to be involved in. Regine Velasquez's artistry has also overflowed into the movies and musical theatre as well. Mid-1995 saw her in a critically-acclaimed performance as Maria Clara in Tanghalang Pilipino's "Noli Me Tangere," an original musical based on the novel by Dr. Jose Rizal, the Philippines' national hero. This May 1996, Regine Velasquez just finished doing a movie with Christopher de Leon entitled "Wanted Perfect Mother". The passion for her craft has also encouraged her to get involved in the workings of her concerts and albums. Regine Velasquez has already begun conceptualizing and directing her own shows, as well as co-produce her albums. At 25, Regine Velasquez has accomplished what other artists hope to achieve in their lifetimes. But rather than rest on her laurels, the young lass from Bulacan looks forward with the same awe and eagerness as when she sang her very first song on stage, towards the challenges that lie ahead.