Regine Velasquez

Encyclopedia : R : RE : REG : Regine Velasquez

|Origin = Hinundayan, Southern Leyte, Philippines |Genre = Pop, r&b, jazz, blues, acoustic, ballad |Occupation = Singer-songwriter, record producer, actress, director |Years_active = 1987—present |Label = VIVA (1987)
Vicor (1990–1991)
Polygram (1993–1998)
VIVA (1998-present) }} Regina Encarnacion Ansong Velasquez (born April 22, 1970), also known as Asia's Songbird, is a ballad, pop, jazz, pop rock, soul, and r&b singer, philanthropist, actress, model, entrepreneur, and record producer from the Philippines known from her versatility, reinvention, and vocal prowess. Velasquez made her debut in 1986 under the guidance of entertainment mogul Ronnie Henares and was initially marketed as a pop musician. Following her success in the Asia Pacific Song Festival, a series of subsequent successful records in the region consolidated her position as one of Asia's biggest selling performers. Her success and popularity locally and in the Asian region has yielded several top-selling singles and platinum certifications in Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.

Velasquez was well known for her collaboration with Asian star Jacky Cheung for the song In Love With You. She has also collaborated with other international artists including Paul Anka, David Hasselhoff, 98 Degrees, Brian McKnight, Ronan Keating, Stephen Bishop, Jim Brickman, Peabo Bryson, Jeffrey Osborne, Dave Koz , Lea Salonga, Grasshopper, Coco Lee, and Michel Legrand.

Velasquez was the first Filipino artist to stage a solo concert at the Main Hall of the legendary Carnegie Hall. Her concert was selected as part of Carnegie Hall's Centennial Concert Series in 1991. In the mid 90's, Velasquez took full creative control over her music and image following her separation from Henares. Distancing herself from the pop artistry, and through considerable experimentation, Velasquez developed a more sultry image and has since become a musical icon. Velasquez' made a highly-successful media crossover and has embarked on successful television outings and chartbuster films. She is one of the most versatile artists in the country and has received both critical acclaim and commercial success for her singing, hosting, acting endeavors.

In 2000, Velasquez embarked on her biggest and most ambitious concert outing, R2K Concert, which was hailed as one of the greatest shows by an Asian performer in the last twenty-five years. She was heralded as the Box Office Queen by the Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Scholarship Foundation the following year for the theatrical success of her film Pangako Ikaw Lang. By that time, Velasquez was in the forefront of popular culture. In addition to her commercial accomplishments, she is well-known for her belting prowess which has been noted for its range, power (see vocal belting), technical ability and also for her versatility and reinvention.

Contents

Biography

1970–1986: Early life and discovery

Velasquez was born to a humble family in Manila, Philippines on April 22, 1970. She was the first child of Teresita and Gerry Velasquez. In search of better living conditions, her family moved to Hinundayan, Southern Leyte. She studied at the Hinundayan Central School.

Music was always a big part in the Velasquez clan having parents who were both musically inclined. Instead of reading her a bedtime story, her father would sing Frank Sinatra songs to lull her to sleep. Her mother played the guitar and the family would gather around singing popular songs they hear on the radio. At a very young age, Velasquez already knew that she wanted to be a singer. She then began informal training for singing and credits this to her father, who would submerge her in water up to her neck and have her do vocal exercises to strengthen her lung power. Her mother taught her how to become an effective performer by teaching her how to move on stage and emote while interpreting a song. Before she learned how to read, her father would sing to her and she would memorize the lyrics. At the age of six, Velasquez joined an amateur singing competition, her piece was Buhat Nang Kita'y Makilala (Since I Met You). She did not win, nonetheless, she given a special award for being the youngest contender. Velasquez joined various singing competitions in provinces around the country. By the time she was nine years old, Velasquez and her family moved to Bulacan, where she continued her elementary education at Balagtas Central School. She later studied at St. Laurence High School, the institution to which she attributes her good English diction. Joining these competitions was a costly "hobby" but her parents showed resourcefulness by designing and sewing her gowns by themselves. They made use of what materials they have and recycled her old gowns by combining them to create new ones. Out of the approximately two hundred (approx. 200) competitions she joined, Velasquez won sixty-seven (67) of them.

At the age of fourteen, Velasquez entered the senior division of Ang Bagong Kampeon, a television show singing competition featuring aspiring young talents, hosted by Bert "Tawa" Marcelo and Asia's Queen of Songs, Pilita Corrales. Velasquez auditioned with the song Saan Ako Nagkamali (Where Did I Go Wrong), a song picked by her father. The judges were amazed that such a young and petite girl can fill the entire room with the power of her voice and express so much emotion in her rendition of the song. She won eight (8) straight weeks as the weekly champion and competed in the finals where she was proclaimed as the first grand champion of the show. Her winning piece was George Benson's In Your Eyes. Part of her winnings was a recording contract with Octoarts where she recorded the single Love Me Again under the name of Chona Velasquez (Chona, being her nickname). She became a member of the Organization ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit (OPM), an organization of Filipino singers. She then started performing in music lounges all over Metro Manila where some members of OPM helped her out by giving her advice and even loaning their gowns to her for her performances.

1986–1987: Early commercial success

Through her recording contract, Velasquez got the chance to meet fellow Octoarts artist Pops Fernandez. Fernandez was one of the biggest names in the industry during that time and on February 16, 1986 she invited Velasquez to guest on Penthouse Live! which was a popular musical variety show for primetime television hosted by Fernandez and her then husband Martin Nievera. Ronnie Henares, the show's producer saw Velasquez' performance and immediately offered her a managerial contract which she graciously accepted. When Nievera found out that her real name was Regina, he suggested that she drop Chona and use Regine as her screen name. That same year, her father resigned from his job as a construction estimator to fully attend to his daughter's rising career.

In 1987 Velasquez signed a contract with Vicor Records and released her self-titled debut album at the age of seventeen. The album contained unforgettable hits like "Kung Maibabalik Ko Lang", "Isang Lahi" and "Urong Sulong", anchoring her place in the Philippine music scene.

Velasquez also ventured into television. Her first regular musical variety show was Triple Treat with Keno, Randy Santiago, and Gino Padilla. In 1988, she was included in the Sunday variety show Teen Pan Alley with Janno Gibbs and Bing Loyzaga. Velasquez and Gibbs has collaborated in several projects including a musical Kenkoy At Rosing and has recorded the hit revival Magkasuyo Buong Gabi. Both singers have appeared in several concerts together.

1988–1991: International exposure

Velasquez represented the Philippines in the Asia-Pacific Singing Contest, an international singing competition held in Hong Kong. On December 23, 1989 she was declared the grand champion with her powerful rendition of broadway hits, You'll Never Walk Alone from Carousel and And I'm Telling You from Dreamgirls. Her win sky-rocketed her from Filipino celebrity to Asian music superstar; from then on, she was hailed as Asia's Songbird.

Her victory has made Velasquez a household name and also garnered her the respect and support of highly acclaimed composers and musicians in the Philippine music industry. Soon she released a string of successful albums starting with Nineteen 90 which spawned the highly successful single "Narito Ako", her first collaboration with Ogie Alcasid entitled, I Have To Say Goodbye, and the duet Please Be Careful With My Heart with multi-awarded singer/composer Jose Mari Chan.

In 1990, Cameron Mackintosh Group, creators of the musicals Les Miserables and Miss Saigon auditioned Velasquez and others in New York. She was offered the role of Kim but Velasquez declined, citing inadequate theatrical experience.

Her very first solo concert was held at the Folk Arts Theater and was entitled 'Regine at Nineteen'. The concert was produced by Kuh Ledesma, Velasquez' mentor and was guested by Gary Valenciano. The standing-room-only crowd was so impressed that they gave her eight standing ovations that night; she was dubbed the 'Standing Ovation Queen' for sometime.

Performing at the legendary Carnegie Hall, one of the most illustrious music centers in the world, is a dream that most musicians aspire for.  An old joke about a tourist asking for directions in New York goes, "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?", and somebody answers, "Practice, practice, practice..."  If that's the case, vocalizing while submerged neck deep in the waters of Southern Leyte must have been very effective.  Regine's debut United States solo concert at the ripe age of 20 was held at the Main Hall of the prestigious venue on October 11, 1991.  The show was entitled Narito Ako Sa New York (Here I Am in New York), in reference to her Tagalog hit single Narito Ako.  To top it off, the concert was even selected as part of the 100 events crowning Carnegie Hall's Centennial celebration. Velasquez is the only Filipino chanteuse whose name appears in the Hall's Centennial Series and she is the first Filipino to stage a solo concert in the prestigious music hall.

This historic event was not just a milestone in Regine's career but also a triumph for every Filipino. "As memorable as it can be! [...]", recalls concert producer Alice Martinez, "At the start of the concert, Regine walked-in singing 'Narito Ako' in a flowing red bustier gown draped with a floor length cape, ala Audrey Hepburn [...] and the whole audience just stood up with thunderous ovations. It was a really unforgettable evening."[link]

The success of the album Nineteen 90 was succeeded by the release of the award-winning Tagala Talaga which is comprised of her rendition of classic Filipino compositions by Ryan Cayabyab, Levi Celerio, Nonong Pedero, Willy Cruz, George Canseco, Louie Ocampo and Freddie Aguilar.

1993–1998: Asian stardom

The year 1993 saw the release of her fourth record Reason Enough, which attained platinum status. It featured songs such as Sana Maulit Muli, Babalikang Muli, and her duet with Gary Valenciano, Slip Away. It also included a collaboration with music legend Paul Anka, called It's Hard to Say Goodbye (which was later on recorded by Celine Dion).

Velasquez's first Asian studio album was Listen Without Prejudice, released in 1994 under Polygram Records. The album featured the hit In Love with You with Jacky Cheung, Follow the Sun, What Kind of Fool Am I, and Reason Enough. Its sales totalled over 300,000 units throughout East Asia. Two further best-selling albums were released in the region: My Love Emotion, which featured the cult favorite You've Made Me Stronger, composed by Trina Belamide. The album doubled the success of her preceding album and even had a special alternate cover and bonus cut for its Japan Release. Her next album was entitled Retro, which contained covers (revival cuts) of hits from the 70's. The album also contained the accoustic version of Dance With Me, a duet with Velasquez' mom, Teresita Velasquez,who has been popularly dubbed as "Mommy V" by people in show business.

By 1996, Velasquez recorded her first Christmas album, entitled Love Was Born on Christmas Day which marked her final album under Polycosmic Records. She also ended her management contract with Primeline, Inc., and decided to manage her own career. She signed up with Viva Records and released her multi-platinum R&B and hiphop oriented album Drawn, which was produced by Mark Feist who has worked with other R&B artists such as Shanice and Destiny's Child. It featured a self-made hand-sketched portrait of Velasquez on its album cover. The album comprised a mix of original and cover tracks with an R&B flair. Hard-hitting songs like How Could You Leave, I'll Never Say Goodbye, and fast upbeat songs like Once In A Lifetime and Messin' With My Head celebrated her finesse vocal power and versatilty. The only Filipino track in the album, Ikaw (You), was the theme song of her movie with matinee idol Aga Muhlach. The single Emotions was produced by Mark Feist, who later produced the Destiny's Child cover of the same song in 2001 with little variation. Velasquez also developed more sexy image, distancing herself from her former demure image.

1999–2004: Regine reigns

Velasquez' popularity showed no signs of ceasing, she ushered the new millennium when she sang the Philippine Millennium Anthem aptly called Written In The Sand atop the Manila Peninsula hotel, which was broadcasted live all over the world. She then released an album entitled R2K which stands for Regine 2000, a fitting theme patterned from the symbol Y2K which was a massive cause of hysteria prior to the coming of 2000. The album consisted revival cuts from international artists and spawned a sixtuple platinum award, with hits such as On the Wings of Love, Fallin, I'll Never Love This Way Again I Don't Want to Miss a Thing. She then embarked on a major solo concert entitled R2K Concert. The visual spectacle was one of the most ambitious concerts in Philippine history and was hailed as one of the greatest shows by an Asian performer in the last twenty-five (25) years.

Two years later, with a couple of movies and several hit concerts in between, she returned to the studio and released an all original album befittingly titled Reigne, a play of letters from her name. The album also achieved enormous success with hits like To Reach You, Dadalhin, and Sa Aking Pag-iisa.

She continued to juggle her singing, film, television, and advertising career, and has reaped numerous awards and accolades for it. In 2002, she was awarded a Best Actress award for television in her dramatic role of a troubled retarded thirty-year-old woman seeking acceptance and love. It was the same year where she staged the Bantay Bata Benefit concert, One Night with Regine, set at the majestic stairs of the Philippine National Museum, the concert was recognized by a Malaysian tabloid as it's number one pick for the most promising concert event in Asia. Its also the same concert that won her the Best Musical Special at the 2003 Asian Television Awards, besting other notable nominees like MTV Music Awards. That same year, Velasquez' MTV Asia special entitled Speak Your Mind was nominated for the UNICEF Child Rights Awards. The production, along with forty-six (46) nominees from ten (10) countries, were highly commended for their explicit agendum on child welfare. Velasquez' special documented on the plight of numerous street and homeless children swarming the streets of Metro Manila, and in an effort to protect and safekeep the rights of these children.[link]

Regine became the first recipient of the MTV Favorite Artist Award (Philippines) in 2002. During the awards ceremony held in Singapore, Velasquez surprised her fans when she shared the stage with Mandy Moore, one of the hosts for the show, for a special performance of Moore's hit song Cry. She was the recipeint of the award for two consecutive years.

For 2003, she reunited with concert king Martin Nievera to topbill in what was to be the mother of all back-to-back concerts. The Martin Nievera and Regine Velasquez World Concert Tour was a definite triumph, a fusion of two music royalties whom individually could sell-out "standing room only" arena concerts. The first quarter of 2004 saw Regine and co-artist, singer-songwriter Ogie Alcasid in a much-anticipated back-to-back concerts simply tagged The Songbird and the Songwriter. People pretty much had an idea of what to expect from the singers since they have been constantly working on songs for Velasquez' soundtrack albums in the past.

December 2004 was Velasquez' return to major solo concert performance. She successfully staged another set of back-to-back concert performances regally titled Reigning Still. The show was triumphant amidst a series of typhoons that ravaged Manila and nearby provinces. Reigning Still wasn't a culmination of Velasquez' career, it was a bridge to a new level in her career – maturity – in performance and in work. She moved on with the event and for two consecutive nights, Regine conquered the coliseum again on her own. The concert was not full to its maximum capacity on the first night (considering that Manila's streets are still flooded at that time) but the second night was a real full house. Never mind since it has been declared Sold Out two weeks before the concert which means even if people didn't make it, tickets were already bought and sold. That's very important especially that Velasquez donned the hat of producer and director. The concert was a showcase of what Velasquez has learned in her craft through the years. It is a spectacle of her running concepts, ideas and style where you can see a Velasquez touch in every detail of it. The concert though was more pop in nature, high spirited, experimental and upbeat, following the trend of recent concerts by Britney Spears, Janet Jackson, and Christina Aguilera

2005–present: Eventual prominence

In 2005, Velasquez and singer Pops Fernandez teamed-up for a back-to-back concert entitled Queens On Fire, which was a pre-valentine presentation for Filipino fans because Regine and Pops had never staged a back-to-back concert in the Philippines, mostly they were tours abroad. As regularly expected, Regine and Pops brought the concert abroad for an eight-city U.S. tour. She also had her concert at Aliw Theatre in the whole month of November and December. Together with her special guest are Jonalyn Viray and the Comedy Concert Queen Ai-Ai Delas Alas.

She released another album comprised of cover songs which was aptly titled Covers. This time it featured OPM classics of male singers like Basil Valdez, Martin Nievera, Gary Valenciano, Ogie Alcasid, Side A, True Faith, and Ariel Rivera. It added a female touch to songs specifically written for men and Velasquez masterfully created another pop-culture phenomenon. This album broke records when it reached platinum status barely five days after its release date. Velasquez, who also had her soundtrack album Kailangan Ko'y Ikaw (What I Need Is You) in 2000 achieve gold status merely two days from its release, continued to live up to her "Platinum Touch", a referrence to all of her records that attained platinum status.

The year 2006 marks her 20th anniversary in the music industry. She started the year with a bang by releasing her 14th album Covers: Volume 2. Her most ambitious production to date, the album is made up of foreign pop favorites presented with innovative arrangements from rnb/hip hop, jazz, pop rock, pop ballad, and blues showcasing her musical versatility. Regine in the album is the superb interpreter who takes on well-established favorites and gives them her own twist. The album contains sixteen (16) cuts which are all revivals, her first single is Hold Me In Your Arms, which was originally popularized by Southern Sons. It also includes the song a mellow version of Head Over Feet by Alanis Morissette, a big-band style rendition of Straight Up by Paula Abdul, and the remake of Sheena Easton's So Much in Love done in R&B quiet storm style featuring Vince Alaras of Southborder. Velasquez showed her experimental side through the songs Call Me and Head Over Feet which proved that she can be very effective in the contemporary rock genre. For February, she staged a very special Valentine concert at the Araneta Coliseum entitled Forever After. It's a romantic concert-musical set in fairyland co-starring Ogie Alcasid, Rico Puno and the Comedy Concert Queen Ai Ai Delas Alas. Spring of 2006 was slated for the North American leg of last year's highly successful concert Queens on Fire 2006 with Pops Fernandez. May 2006 is the start for the international tour for the fantaconcierto hit "Forever After" which is scheduled to stage in key US cities and in Europe. The European tour will include a performance at London's Wembley Arena.

Controversies

Velasquez's career has not been without its share of intrigues. Early in her rise to fame she was rumoured to have undergone plastic surgery by having her nose redone; she denied this, saying that redoing her nose would have altered the sound of her voice. Talk about this issue continued to resurface, but has vanished over time.

In 2000, she was involved in a visa row, being accused of people smuggling after reports of unknown individuals not part of her U.S. Tour entourage were accompanied unbeknownst to her, to be then left behind in America. Her U.S. visa was revoked, and she would never be able to return to American soil. But in just under a year, the case was resolved through the help of immigration lawyer Michael Gurfinkel. It was in April 2005 when Velasquez gave the first interview about her plight five years before, on TFC's premiere of the show Citizen Pinoy, also hosted by Gurfinkel. She talked about how she should have been aware of every detail in her entourage, she was keen on the fact that she ought to be more cautious over her personnel and crew.

Velasquez has been criticized for imitating Mariah Carey's singing style and fashion sense including her butterfly trademark which was featured on her album cover of R2K showing it as a tattoo on her lower back. Her music video of her signature song On the Wings of Love has also been inspired with butterflies similar to what Mariah has. She has admitted that she looks up to Mariah and is one of her biggest influence in the entertainment industry next to Barbra Streisand.

In mid 2000, ABS-CBN News posted a rumor about Mariah Carey's derogatory remark on Velaquez that took place in an interview with MTV Asia VJ Donita Rose. According to the article, Carey admired Velasquez' vocal prowess but later on quoted her as "a brown monkey who can sing". It was later confirmed, however, that no such interview ever occurred in the first place.

Velasquez also became a topic of hot discussion over rumors linking her to her friend and co-artist Ogie Alcasid who is married to Miss Universe 1994 finalist Michelle Van Eimeren. This was fairly attributed to the fact that the two singers work together in a weekly variety TV Show and did a series of concerts in the Philippines and abroad. Again, both singers shoved off any truth to the rumors and Van Eimeren issued a statement saying that nothing is going on between Regine and Ogie and that her family is peacefully happy and intact.

Summer of 2004, Velasquez was sued by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) for underdeclaration of her income tax returns. The government branch filed a tax evasion case against Velasquez for omitting to pay an estimated Php 3 million in 2003 for her alleged failure to disclose her earnings from a modelling and talent contract with Nestle Philippines.[link]. However, on February 7, 2006, The Deparment of Justice dismissed the tax evasion case on counts of technicality because the Bureau of Internal Revenue deprived Velasquez of due process by not notifying her about her tax deficiency before charging her with tax evasion.[link]

More so, Regine's sexual provocative revealing outfits were also a subject of media scrutiny and was said to have gotten the attention of the Movie and Television Regulation Board.

Multimedia artist

Music was only the first arena for her success. As a spokesperson, she helped increase the presence of American fast-food chains like KFC and Wendy's in Asia. As an actress, she appeared in a number of Filipino films that benefited greatly from Regine's popularity. She has also hosted various TV shows. She has also embarked on a successful series of reality singing constests. She has also done dramatic roles. She played the lead role in her own soap opera for primetime where she played a woman searching for her soulmate and is torn between two men vying for her love. She also started her own record label called Songbird Music where she helps budding singers start their own career. She has produced songs for Gabby Eigenmann, Roselle Nava and Sarah Geronimo. She did a duet with young balladeer Erik Santos with a song in his album titled "Bakit Ba Iniibig Ka" to which's music video ends with the two singers in a sweet lip-lock. Her flair for fashion and her fashion icon status led her to embarking a successful line of elegant and chic clothings branded as Regine where she herself draws and conceptualises the designs. She recently published Regine: The Book, a coffee-table book comprising a five-year memento of her portraits. In addition to her advertising work, Velasquez launched her own clothing line called Reigne where she sits as the main designer for the upscale and chic gowns and dresses. Her line became one of the most successful entrepreneurial ventures by an artist and includes many different types of clothing for young women, including tees, coats, tops and many other products apart from the scanty gowns patterned from her style.

The Philippine Department Of Tourism and partners Smart Telecommunications, Jollibee Food Corp., Shell Philippines and Pfizer has launched its biggest travel advocacy campaign calledI Love the Philippines, Biyahe Na. The latest scheme, with a new theme, slogan, and jingle, is being promoted mainly through print, radio, and television advertisements. Colorful drop banners domain thoroughfares of major cities and destinations across the Philippines. It has selected Regine Velasquez to record the song and serve as the official product endorser. The television advertisement paraded a montage of Philippine destinations with Velasquez in every backdrop.

Film career

Velasquez has molded a productive and rewarding career in music and commercial endorsement, but she wasn't delimited to that alone. Eventually, her status has paved the way for her successful crossover to film. She has carved her way into doing movies and has starred in a string of blockbuster movies which her star power alone was a force to be reckoned with.

In 1987, she got her first movie role as the grand-daughter of a mafia clan involved in crimes in the film The Untouchable Family. It didn't showcase much of Regine's popularity as one of today's biggest and bankable actress, but it was an appropriate start. She soon ventured into comedy films where she got an extra boost as one of the leads. Her 1988 film Pik Pak Boom with contemporaries Dingdong Avanzado, Herbert Bautista and Bing Loyzayga was a "Friends"-like flick. She then co-starred with comedians Joey de Leon and the late Rene Requistas in the flick Elvis and James where she plays a nerdy music aficionado and the love interest of the two.

Her film career took a quick hiatus, but she returned to the big screen in 1996 for her very first lead role in the film Wanted Perfect Mother where she plays a feisty vagrant club-singer who becomes nanny to four children at the same time falling for their widowed dad. Her next movie in 1997 entitled Do Re Mi, is a musical comedy about three friends in the midst of their grueling and sometimes hilarious attempts to land a record deal and become a full-pledge singing group. She plays a radio disc jockey and the mediator for her two overtly different friends. 1998 was the release of Honey Nasa Langit Na Ba Ako where Regine plays a ghost, she was a soon-to-be-bride who dies in a car accident days before her big day. She desperately tries to tag her way into finding the perfect woman for her lonely husband.

1998 was her big team-up with matinee idol Aga Muhlach in the romantic film Dahil May Isang Ikaw which was well-received. With albums, concerts and television shows here and there, Velasquez still had room for doing enormously successful films. In 2000, she starred opposite bad boy of Philippine cinema, Robin Padilla in Kailangan Ko'y Ikaw, a film about a popular female star who falls in love with an ordinary fan of hers. She then reunited with Aga Muhlach in 2001 for their second romantic offering Pangako Ikaw Lang which spawned Regine the highly coveted Box-Office Queen award from the Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Scholarship Foundation, a prestigious award-giving body honoring the year's best.

Velasquez did two more romantic films in 2002 and 2003 called Ikaw Lamang, Hanggang Ngayon with respected and award-winning actor Richard Gomez and Pangarap Ko ang Ibigin Ka this time with another award-winning actor Christopher de Leon. It was on December 2003 when Velasquez debuted in her first Sci-fi, fantasy film Captain Barbell where she plays the love interest of the crime fighting Philippine superhero.

Voice and singing style

Velasquez is perhaps best remembered today for her ability to sing effortless and exceptional sustained vocal belting and can do crescendo or decrescendo while holding a very high note for many seconds. She is credited as having a 3.5 octave vocal range that requires head voice using her chest register. She is skillfully adept in hitting very high notes and can reach from sixth octave in full chest voice or when she shifts to falsetto or rarely whistle register. She is classified as a Lyric Coloratura Soprano. She had a rare facility in this register, and was capable of executing vocal acrobatics in this technique while in the key of her highest pitch. She has exhibited her belting and sheer lung power while singing onstage sitting in lotus position and even while being suspended up on a harness in mid-air (like what she did in her R2K Concert singing On The Wings of Love and Butterfly.

Her highest hit note so far is F6 (on the song More Than Words Can Say a duet with David Hasselhoff which she sung in whistle register).Her highest in full voice is B5 and D6 on the song reasons when she pulled the word "why" and C6 on her live rendition of Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing" when she pulled the word "arms" (stay in my arms if you dare) and in the song Once In A Lifetime from her Drawn album. B5 and F#5 (while singing Light Of A Million Mornings), Her lowest note by far is a C3.

She credits her vocal skills from her father's training technique wherein she was performing vocal exercises while submerged neck-deep in the ocean to strengthen her diaphragm and build up her vocal cords and lungpower. This paved the way for a genre of belting for female singers in Philippines music. Her vocal style has been heard in many female singers, and has influenced the likes of Kyla, Nina Girado, Sheryn Regis, Sarah Geronimo, Rachelle Ann Go and Jonalyn Viray.

Despite of having a great voice, some criticize Velasquez use of her vocals on her late 1990's and early 2000's being as oversinging, screaming and yelling rather than singing. In spite of these comments, many famous musicians and composers admire her vocal prowess.

Katha Awards

Guillermo Mendoza Foundation

External links

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