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WHAT a girl wants and what a girl needs, at least in the case of pop diva Christina Aguilera, is a little down time following her grueling 35-city United States tour that started four months ago. Christina comin’
on over tomorrow
for weekend bashBy Tim Ryan
Star-BulletinAguilera, 19, makes her long-awaited Hawaii debut when she performs Saturday night in the first concert at the Stan Sheriff Center at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa.
Aguilera arrives in Hawaii tomorrow with an entourage of 60, which will head to Ko Olina resort. And following Saturday night's concert the petite performer reportedly will head to the World Cafe for a private party. Then on Sunday, Aguilera has rented a private home -- location unknown -- for another bash.
Anticipation of Aguilera's concert has been running high, with Honolulu radio stations promoting huge ticket giveaways and meet-and-greet sessions with fans.
And like most end-of-tour concerts -- Jimmy Buffett's phenomenal two-encore performance at the Blaisdell Arena last Saturday night among them -- Aguilera's is expected to be especially festive.
Despite several media requests for interviews, Aguilera's management never officially declined, they simply didn't return telephone calls. The concert was sold out the day tickets went on sale.
If her recent concerts are an indication, here's what the audience can expect.
Aguilera, dressed in white from head to toe, will open with the moaning line from "Genie in a Bottle." She'll also sing several songs from her debut album and from her all-Spanish album.
Dancers will do lots of break-dance moves while Aguilera struts the length of the stage in grinding dance moves for songs like "Come on Over" and "What a Girl Wants."
Aguilera has a few costume changes, mostly variations on halter tops and tight lace-up pants.
The rest of her repertory has been described as 9/10ths Mariah Carey and 1/10th Madonna, with pop-gospel hymns, gushy ballads and trim dance tunes.
Aguilera packs a big, sultry voice in her skinny, girlish frame. She was born in Staten Island, N.Y., to a military father and a musician mother who played violin and piano. Her father, Fausto, was born in Ecuador; her mother, Shelly, in America.
As an Army serviceman, her father moved around a lot, forcing the family to frequently pull up roots. The family lived in Japan and Texas, eventually settling in Wexford, Pa., where at 8, Aguilera began taking singing seriously.
During this time Aguilera's parents separated; she lived primarily with her mother.
Aguilera's first break came on Al Masini's "Star Search."
"I remember she was very little and cute," Masini said from his East Oahu home. "I thought she was talented, but so were so many other young hopefuls like Britney (Spears, who also competed on "Star Search"). "Christina seemed to have star quality."
A TV show audition led to a stint on Disney's "The New Mickey Mouse Club," where Spears also appeared.
That show led to Aguilera contributing a song to the "Mulan" soundtrack, and her current record deal. Practically overnight, Aguilera's popularity exploded.
Her tour of Latin American countries became a major factor in her desire to record a Spanish CD, even though she is not fluent in the language. According to her managers, the singer has a full-time Spanish tutor.
In concert
Who: Christina Aguilera
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