Regine Velasquez (born April 22, 1970), also known as Asia's Songbird, is a ballad, jazz, pop, pop rock, and r&b singer, philanthropist, actress, model, entrepreneur, and record producer from the Philippines. 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. 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 , Mandy Moore, Brian McKnight, Ronan Keating, Stephen Bishop, Jim Brickman, Peabo Bryson, Jeffrey Osborne, Dave Koz , Lea Salonga, Grasshopper, Coco Lee, and Michel Legrand.
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. 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' made a highly-successful media crossover and has spunned successful television outings and chartbuster films.
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) and technical ability.
