Filipina singing
star eyes U.S.
Tour starts here
By John Berger
at the Blaisdell
Special to the Star-BulletinIt's been 35 years since an Asian recording artist made serious noise on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The Rocky Fellers of Manila reached No. 16 with "Killer Joe" early in 1963. Japan's Kyu Sakamoto hit No. 1 for three weeks with "Sukiyaki " later that year.
Regine Velasquez would like to put Asia back on the Hot 100.
"Asians are making it as movie stars but not as singers. I used to think 'It's not going to be that hard once they hear me,' but even in the Philippines it took me a long time to get to where I am. The competition is very hard (there) so I'm hoping that something will happen for me (in the United States). It's a dream, but if doesn't happen to me in the next five years I'm still happy where I am, " Velasquez said after an informal press conference Tuesday. The 28-year-old Filipina superstar makes her Hawaii concert debut tomorrow night.
Although her present fan base outside the Philippines consists almost entirely of expatriate Filipinos, Velasquez' most recent album, "Retro," could provide her entry into the mainstream American music scene. Velasquez presents her favorite oldies in imaginative new arrangements, such as the Main Ingredient's bouncy 1974 hit, "Just Don't Want To Be Lonely," reworked as introspective acoustic piano lounge music.
"Doing 'Retro' was really fulfilling," she said, "I picked the arrangers and asked them to use their imaginations and try different things (then) I tried to put my feelings in to what they created and maintain the attitude they were going at."
A spokesman for the promoter says that Velasquez's albums aren't distributed here but will be available at the concert.
Velasquez has varied tastes in music, admitting to liking everything from rap and alternative rock to Barbra Streisand and reggae. She enjoys new sounds and new ideas. "For the last three or four years I haven't recorded any Tagalog albums 'cause my (English) albums are being released all over Asia," she said, adding, "This year I'm planning to do a local Filipino album, but I'll be recording it in Los Angeles to get a different sound," she said.
In concert
Who: Regine Velasquez
