source : www.ning.com.my (Official Site)


Brief Profile

About Ning

Ning started singing professionally at the age of six by recording radio and television jingles and began formal studies in voice at the age of nine under the renowned Indonesian opera linguist and soprano Siti Chairani for five years. In that time, she also sang with the National Choir at the Akademi Seni Kebangsaan, and was offered a full scholarship in music at the prestigious Vienna Conservatoire.

Ning crossed over into the commercial scene in 1994 and became a recording artiste under various international labels (Sony, BMG, AMS Records Japan, and currently WEA), where she recorded within the genres of pop and R&B. Her discography includes nine full albums and numerous compilations. Ning has also won various industry awards and prizes, and has performed in the UK, France, China, Indonesia, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Monte Carlo, Monaco.

Ning is best known for her live stage performances, an extensive repertoire and her versatility especially in cross-over projects. She is also an actor and has taken roles in a musical, six major films, a short film and several tele-movies.

Beside singing and acting, Ning is also a violinist and played 1st violin in the National Youth Orchestra in her teens. She is also the brand ambassador for TIME, Ssangyong, IMEDEEN, F1, The Singapore Tourism Board, Curlers & Trimmers, Yuzari Batik, and has strong brand associations with Christian DIOR couture, Christian DIOR parfums, the Carat Club and REDKEN. She was recently appointed the Judo Ambassador by the Judo Association of Selangor to create awareness of self–defence for women and the Periwinkle Month 2004 Ambassador for MAKNA (Malaysian Council for Cancer)

Discography

• 1993 — Dekat Padamu (Sony)
• 1994 — Ning (Sony)
• 1995 — Teguh (BMG)
• 1997 — Ke Sayup Bintang (BMG)
• 1997 — Always (BMG)
• 1999 — Pujaan Ku (BMG)
• 2001 — Natural Woman (AMS Records,Japan)
• 2003 — Selagi Ada... (Warner)
• 2004 — Erti Petermuan (Warner)

Awards

• 1991 — Voice of Asia
• 1991 — Best Artiste Development Award
• 1993 — AIM Awards Best New Artiste
• 1993 — AIM Awards Album of the Year
• 1994 — AIM Awards Best Pop Album
• 2003 — Anugerah ERA Choice Female Vocalist
• 2004 — AIM Song of The Year (Selagi Ada Cinta)
• 2005 — AIM Song of The Year (Awan Yang Terpilu ) 
• 2005 — AIM Awards Best Pop Album (Erti Pertemuan)  
• 2005 — AIM Awards Best Cover Album (Erti Pertemuan)
• 2005 — AIM Awards Best Video Clip (Awan Yang Terpilu)

Films

• 1997 — Gemilang
• 1998 — Maria Mariana 2
• 1999 — Bara
• 2000 — Mimpi Moon
• 2001 — Malaikat Di Jendela
• 2003 — Azura 2003 (Telemovie)
• 2005 — Lady Boss

Theatre

• 1996 — The Storyteller

• Planet Ning
• Ning's Fan-tasy Land
• The Asian Black Soul
• Intermission with Ning
• Erti Pertemuan
• Dekat Pada Ning
• C'est La Ning
  

Vocal Profile

• Voice type: Contralto
• Highest note: E5 (You Don't Know My Name)
• Lowest note: C3 (The Life)
• Vocal Range: [approx.]2.5 octaves (C3-E5)
• Longest Note:
  

Biography

Family and musical background

Alicia was born to an Italian mother, Terri Augello, and a Jamaican father, Craig Cook, and was raised in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York City. Keys began playing piano when she was seven. She learned classical music by playing composers such as Beethoven, Mozart, and Chopin, who was her favorite composer. She wrote her first song "Butterflyz" at the age of fourteen; the song can be found on her debut album. Keys' mother was the one who most supported her during the time she was developing her talents. Keys' mother and father separated during her early childhood, thus she was raised by her mother during her formative years. However, Keys has now reconciled her relationship with her father[1].

Education

Keys graduated as valedictorian from the Professional Performing Arts School, a public high school in Manhattan at the age of sixteen. She briefly attended Columbia University on a scholarship before devoting herself to a full-time musical career. Following her mentor Clive Davis to his newly-formed J Records label, she released her debut album Songs in A Minor in 2001, the title being a reference to both her classical aspirations and to the fact that she wrote most of the songs at a very young age.

Professional music career

Songs in A minor (2001): The Debut

Songs In A Minor (2001)

Alicia burst onto the music scene in June 2001 with her debut release Songs In A Minor on Clive Davis’ J Records. Songs in A Minor was a commercially successful album when it debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 selling over 235,000 copies in its first week and going on to sell more than 10 million units worldwide symbolizing the international impact she has as an artist. [2]. Its first single "Fallin'" was a huge hit as well, gaining airplay on many different radio formats and spending six weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Keys also gained visibility with her resolute performance of Donny Hathaway's "Someday We'll All Be Free" at the America: A Tribute to Heroes televised benefit concert following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. A subsequent single, "A Woman's Worth", made the Top 10 as well. With the album she won five Grammy Awards in 2002, including Best New Artist and Song of the Year for "Fallin'".

Because she wrote her own songs and played several instruments very well, consumers saw Keys as an original voice at a time when the musical marketplace was flooded with pop bands that were little more than an attractive front for the creative energies of others. As such, she established a large fanbase of devoted fans, making her one of the most popular artists of the early years of the 21st century. Critical reviews were mostly positive. Keys' work had a sound similar to 1970s soul singers such as Curtis Mayfield and Marvin Gaye along with hip hop influences like those apparent in neo soul artists such as Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, and D'Angelo. However some critics went further by accusing her of outright plagiarism, especially in the case of her single "Fallin'", which interpolates James Brown's "It's A Man's World" right down to the string arrangement.

The Diary of Alicia Keys (2003)

The Diary of Alicia Keys (2003).

After relentless touring, Alicia followed up her successful debut with The Diary of Alicia Keys, released in December 2003. The album was hailed by critics and debuted at #1 selling over 618,000 copies its first week of release in the United States. The Diary of Alicia Keys has currently sold 7 million copies worldwide[3]. "You Don't Know My Name" and the soulful "If I Ain't Got You" both became Top 5 hit singles, with the later "Karma" also receiving attention.

At the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards Keys led Lenny Kravitz and Stevie Wonder in a stomping rave-up of Wonder's "Higher Ground". At the 2005 Grammy Awards, she gave performance of the album's second single, "If I Ain't Got You", and then joined Jamie Foxx and Quincy Jones in a rendition of "Georgia On My Mind", the Hoagy Carmichael song made famous by the late Ray Charles. That night she went home with four Grammy Awards (Best R&B Album for The Diary of Alicia Keys; Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "If I Ain't Got You"; Best R&B Song for "You Don't Know My Name"; and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "My Boo" with Usher).

MTV Unplugged (2005)

Alicia Keys Unplugged (2005)

Keys performed and taped her installment of the "MTV Unplugged" series in July [4] at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, which is due for a release on CD and DVD. During this live session, Keys added brand-new arrangements to her original songs such as "A Woman's Worth" and "Heartburn", and performed a few choice covers. Part of Keys' audience also included her guest performers, she collaborated with several top acts such as rappers Common and Mos Def for "Love It or Leave It Alone", reggae artist Damian Marley for "Welcome to Jam Rock" and Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine for a cover of the Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses".

In addition to a cover of "Every Little Bit Hurts", previously performed by female greats like Aretha Franklin and Brenda Holloway, Keys also unveiled two new original songs: "Stolen Moments", which she co-wrote with soul legend Al Green, and "Unbreakable". Keys' "MTV Unplugged" album is due Oct. 11, 2005 via J Records. The set is led by the new single "Unbreakable", which impacted U.S. radio outlets on Sept. 12 [5][6].

Miscellaneous

• Keys became an Honorary Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. on September 24, 2004.

• Besides being a musician, she is a soon-to-be actress; Keys will play piano wunderkind Philippa Schuyler in an upcoming movie entitled Composition in Black and White. She is also in talks to play a ruthless assassin alongside Ben Affleck in a movie entitled Smokin Aces source.

• In July 2005, Alicia keys was voted the second most powerful artist in the pop industry, she was pipped from the #1 position by fellow R&B star Usher in the Los Angeles Times 2005 Pop Power List, reports The Sun. The list was compiled by 21 industry bigwigs including producers Jermaine Dupri, Rick Rubin and rap mogul Russell Simmons.

The Top 10 included: 1. Usher 2. Alicia Keys 3. Coldplay 4. Eminem 5. Beyonce Knowles 6. Justin Timberlake 7. Outkast 8. 50 Cent 9. Kanye West 10. Dr Dre.

• Keys is dating producer Kerry "Crucial" Brothers.

Discography

Albums

Awards and nominations

For more details on this topic, see Alicia Keys' Awards and Nominations.

See also

• List of best-selling music artists
• List of number-one hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (US)
• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart

External links

• Official Homepage
• Alicia Keys at the Internet Movie Database

Céline Marie Claudette Dion OC, OQ (born March 30, 1968) is a popular vocalist from Québec, Canada. Her music has been influenced by pop, rock and soul, and from humble beginnings she has risen to become one of the best-selling female artists of all time, with worldwide record sales surpassing 200 million.

Vocal Profile

• Voice type: Lyric Mezzo-Soprano
• Highest note: C6 (LIVE performance in "Fly") ,
• Lowest note: F3, G3
• Vocal Range: 2.4 octaves (F3-C6)
• Longest Note: 20 seconds
• Highest Note In Chest Voice : G5 ("Sorry For Love","All By Myself")
  
  
  

Early life and career beginnings

Dion was the youngest of 14 children, born to Adhemar and Therese Dion in Charlemagne, a small town 30 miles east of Montréal, Québec, Canada. This Roman Catholic family often faced material deprivation and austerity, but it was filled with love and music and the family persevered.

Dion honed her musical talents by singing with her siblings from the age of five in the small club belonging to her parents. On weekends, the entire family performed and entertained the local population. At 12, together with her mother and one of her brothers, she composed her first song "Ce n'etait qu'un rêve" ("It Was Only a Dream"), which her brother Michael sent to René Angélil, a manager, whose name he had found on the back of an album by Ginette Reno, a popular Francophone singer. Angélil was brought to tears by Dion's beautiful voice and immediately decided to make her an international success.

Angelil mortgaged his home to help finance her career and in 1981, they released her first record in her native French language, "La Voix du bon Dieu" ("The Voice of God"), which made her an instant star in Québec as it became a local #1 single. This recognition would soon spread worldwide, as the following year she won the gold medal at the Yamaha World Song Festival in Tokyo, along with the Musician's Award for Top Performer. In 1983, she became the first Canadian ever to receive a Gold Record in France.

Commercial Success

At 18, Dion saw Michael Jackson performing on television and she told Angelil that she wanted to be a star like him. Dion then underwent a physical transformation to remake her image; she cut her hair, and had her teeth capped to cover up the incisors that had caused a Québec humor magazine to dub her "Canine Dion." [1] She was also sent off to an English language school to polish her language and this would later enable her to break into the anglophone North American market.

Incognito

In 1987, she produced the album Incognito, which became a huge success in francophone Canada. She enjoyed superstar status, receiving numerous Felix Awards and multiple sales. She was approached by Swiss songwriters Atilla Þereftuð and Nella Martinetti, and was chosen to represent Switzerland in the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest, singing "Ne partez pas sans moi". By winning the contest in Dublin on April 30, 1988, she received a large boost to her career in Europe and she also gained recognition in other areas worldwide, such as the USSR, the Middle-East, Japan, and Australia.

Dion's first English-language album, Unison, released in 1990, expanded her international recognition with the breakthrough top five single, "Where Does My Heart Beat Now". The album also earned Dion her first certification from RIAA as it went platinum in America. However, her real international breakthrough came when she recorded the title track for the soundtrack to the animated Disney hit movie Beauty and the Beast with Peabo Bryson. The song topped the US charts for five weeks and earned her an Academy Award for "Best Song Written for a Motion Picture or Television" and a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. Shortly after her Unison album was released, Dion acted in a television mini-series called Des fleurs sur la neige (Flowers on the Snow). She portrayed a young woman named Elisa who lived a very difficult, abused life. Dion enjoyed her role and has since expressed interest in acting in a motion picture.

Celine Dion

Dion's 1992 eponymous album also featured the single "Beauty and the Beast." That album produced four more hit singles; "Love Can Move Mountains," "Water From The Moon," "If You Asked Me To" and "Did You Give Enough Love." The album went 2× platinum in America and 6× platinum in Canada, and won her many awards including Juno Awards and the World Music Award for being the "World's Best selling Canadian Female Recording Artist of the Year".

Apart from her rising success, there were also changes in Dion's personal life, as Angelil would make the transition from manager to lover. However, fearful that the public would find the 26-year difference between their ages perturbing, the relationship was kept a secret.

The Colour of My Love.

In late 1993, Dion fearlessly indicated to the public for the first time that she was in love with her manager, René Angélil. In the dedication section of her third English-language album, The Colour of My Love, Dion named Angélil "the colour of [her] love". Eventually, they became engaged, and married in December 1994. The wedding was widely watched on television across Canada. The couple would soon have a son, René-Charles Angélil (born January 2001). The album itself would go on to be certified 6× platinum in America. Hits included a cover of Jennifer Rush's "The Power of Love", which topped the US charts for four weeks, and "When I Fall In Love". In the UK, she received massive success as fans took well to "Think Twice". The song and album stayed at the top of their respective charts for five consecutive weeks, with "Think Twice" spending two more weeks atop the charts. It surpassed the million mark to become the fourth million-selling single ever in the UK, by a female artist.

In 1995 Dion recorded a collection of Carole King songs called Tapestry Revisited, In My Life (a collection of Beatles songs in tribute to producer George Martin).

In keeping with her French roots, Dion continued to release French albums between her English language recordings. These include the albums Dion chante Plamondon and Céline Dion à l'Olympia, 1994, and D'eux (known as The French Album in the United States) in 1995.

In March 1996, the monster hit, Falling Into You, was released. It spawned hits such as the title track, "It's All Coming Back to Me Now", a remake of Eric Carmen's "All by Myself", and the chart-topper "Because You Loved Me". The album topped the charts in 11 countries, and won the Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best Pop Album at the 39th annual Grammy Awards ceremony. It became her biggest selling LP to date; it has been certified 11× platinum in America and has sold about 30 million copies worldwide.

That year, Dion was also asked to perform at the opening ceremonies of the Atlanta Olympics. She performed the theme song, "The Power of the Dream" accompanied by composer David Foster and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

"My Heart Will Go On"

Dion followed Falling Into You with her 1997 release Let's Talk About Love. Though it was a tough act to follow, Let's Talk About Love actually matched the success of its predecessor. The album was recorded in London, New York and Los Angeles and featured a host of special guests, including some of popular music's greatest vocalists; Barbra Streisand, the Bee Gees, and world renowned classical vocalist Luciano Pavarotti, as well as many great songwriters and producers.

Let's Talk About Love.

'Let's Talk About Love' was released on the same day as the soundtrack of the 1997 motion picture Titanic. Both albums featured the theme song, "My Heart Will Go On," written by James Horner and produced by James Horner and Walter Afanasieff. At first she was reluctant to record "My Heart Will Go On"; her husband/manager and James Horner had to convince her. My Heart Will Go On became the all-time best-selling orchestral soundtrack in recording history. The album went on receive Diamond status in America and won Dion innumerable local and international awards, such as many Juno Awards, and two Grammy's (the song itself won four, but two were presented to the songwriters) in 1999, and three World Music Awards for being the "World's Best Selling Pop Artist of the Year", "World's Overall Best Selling Recording Artist of the Year" and "World's Best Selling Canadian Recording Artist of the Year". She also received countless awards for her achievements from Europe and Asia. In 1998, she received many honors from her home country; she was appointed Officer of the Order of Canada for outstanding contribution to the world of contemporary music and Officer of the National Order of Quebec. A year later, she was inducted into the Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame.

Following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, Dion participated on a double-CD set in commemoration.

At her career peak, Dion was asked to perform on VH1's "Divas Live" special with such superstars as Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Gloria Estefan, and Shania Twain, solidifying her status as one of the biggest divas of contemporary music.

Keeping busy in the studios, Dion released the holiday album These Are Special Times in 1998 and it went on to become one of the biggest selling of its kind. The chart topper, "I'm Your Angel", a duet with R. Kelly came from this album, as well as "The Prayer," a duet with Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli, wich was recorded for the 1998 animated film Quest for Camelot.

All the Way...A Decade of Song

In 1999, Dion released the album All the Way...A Decade of Song. This contained a collection of her previous hit singles, such as "Beauty And The Beast", "The Power Of Love," "Because You Loved Me," "I'm Your Angel,"and the classic "My Heart Will Go On", plus seven new songs including "Thats The Way It Is", a remake of Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" , her remake with Frank Sinatra, "All The Way" (which she dedicated to her husband), and "Then You Look at Me" (from Bicentennial Man, also written by Horner and Jennings). An accompanying DVD with videos and live performances was also released. On that album, she also told the public that she was taking an hiatus from the music industry to enjoy her family.

Discography

For more details on this topic, see Celine Dion discography.

Awards & Accolades

For more details on this topic, see Celine Dion's Awards.

Career achievements

• Celine Dion has sold over 47 million albums in America (according to RIAA), and 40 million albums in Europe, (making her the best selling female artist in Europe) according to IFPI. With over 180 million albums and over 35 million singles sold across the globe, she ranks as one of the best-selling female artists in music history.

• Dion is the most successful artist in Canadian music history.

• On September 15, 2004, Dion received a Diamond Award at the World Music Awards show, for selling over 175 million albums during her career. Only one other female artist, Mariah Carey, has ever received the award.([3])

• Has an estimated wealth between $320 million to $400 million (Hello magazine, 2002).

• In 1998 she was honoured by two governments in two days: on 30 April, her home province made her an officer of the National Order of Quebec, and on 1 May she became an officer of the Order of Canada.

• She received a star on the Canadian Walk of Fame in Toronto on 25 June 2003, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2004.

• "My Heart Will Go On" has become the all-time best-selling orchestral soundtrack in recording history.

• The French Album has sold over nine million copies worldwide, making it the biggest selling French-language album of all time.

• In the US, Dion, Britney Spears, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Shania Twain, and the Dixie Chicks are the only female artists with multiple Diamond (shipped over 10 million copies) albums.

• On UK singles top Céline has: 2 No. 1s, 13 "Top 10" and 23 "Top 40" singles. On UK albums top: 5 No. 1, 10 "Top 10" and 14 "Top 40" albums.

• On US The Billboard Hot 100 singles top Céline has: 5 No. 1s, 10 "Top 10" and 24 "Top 100" singles. On US The Billboard 200 albums top Céline has: 4 No. 1s and 9 "Top 10" albums.

• Céline Dion performed the hit single of the film Titanic, the second best-selling CD of the 1990s, and her albums Falling into You and Let's Talk About Love are both in the third position, having sold more than 30 million copies each.

• In the United States, Céline Dion's song "I Drove All Night" from the "One Heart" album was used from 2003-2004 in an advertising campaign for DaimlerChrysler's Chrysler Group. The song in the advertising campaign was used exclusively for the Chrysler brand.
  

source : Celine Dion  Wikipedia

Anggun Cipta Sasmi (April 29, 1974, Jakarta, Indonesia) is a singer. Her name means "Grace born out of a dream".

Biography

At a young age, Anggun decided to become an entertainer like her father, Darto Singo. During her early years, she was influenced with rock sound by listening to native Javanese arists and the rock & roll icon, Elvis Presley. She was educated in Catholic schools because her father wanted Anggun to have high quality education. Anggun began performing at age 7 and recorded her first album two years later. By the time Anggun was 17, she was a successful national rock star.

Anggun began to feel unsatisfied with her success in Asia and at 19, she left Indonesia in hopes of breaking through in the European music charts. Anggun and her first husband moved first to London, then moved to Paris, France where Anggun met music producer Erick Benzi. Benzi was quite impressed by Anggun's talent and immediately offered to work with her on her new album. Benzi persuaded Anggun to move away from her original rock influences and experiment with more sensual and romantic sound. Anggun's smooth new style would prove an immediate success in France. Her first French album, Au Nom de la Lune not only skyrocketed Anggun to fame in France, the album was also a major hit in her native country, Indonesia. Her second album Desirs Contraires proved to be a worldwide hit as well.

In 1998, Anggun toured in the Lilith Fair with Sarah McLachlan and other musicians. And in 2000, Anggun received an invitation from the Vatican asking her to perform at a Christmas concert where she sang her rendition of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" for the Pope, John Paul II.

Her duet with an Italian rockstar, Piero Pelù, entitled Amore Immaginato reached #1 in the National Italian Airplay Charts for over two months. Anggun was also part of the charity driven project Gaia.

During one of the many extensive tours Anggun had done throughout Asia, she met her first husband Michel Georgea, a French engineer in Borneo. At first Anggun's parents did not approve her marriage but they finally relented. Eventually Anggun and Michel got divorced and Anggun is now married to Oliver Maury, a Canadian.

Anggun is now fluent in French, as well as English, and her mother tongue Indonesian. She currently splits her time between Montreal, Canada and Paris.

In 2005 a new album, titled Luminescence, was released. The difference of this album compared with the previous ones is that both the French and English version share the same title. Anggun's first single from the French album is Être Une Femme. The video for the "Femme" single was shot in Barcelona, Spain and made its debut on French TV at the end of 2004.

Charity Work

Anggun has been involved with several charities and received some awards, including:

• Awarded by the France's Culture Minister the prestigious distinction of "Chevalier des Arts et Lettres" for her worldwide achievements and her support to the French culture.
• Accepted the role of Spokeperson for the UN (United Nations) 'Year of Microcredit' to create awareness and help the needies all over the world.
• Appointed as the ambassador of Audemars Piguet. [1]

Covers

Anggun's songs that have been covered by other artists include:

• Céline Dion covered "Tu Nages" in her French album "1 fille & 4 types"
• Sarah Brightman covered Anggun's "Snow on the Sahara" as a bonus track on her album "Live from Las Vegas."

Discography

• Dunia Aku Punya, in Indonesian (1986)
• Anak Putih Abu-Abu, in Indonesian (1991)
• Nocturno, in Indonesian (1992)
• Anggun C. Sasmi... Lah!!!, in Indonesian (1993)
• Yang Hilang, in Indonesian (1994)
• Au Nom De La Lune, in French (1997)
• Snow on the Sahara (1998)
• Desirs Contraires, in French (2000)
• Chrysalis (2000)
• Anggun (2000)
• Open Heart Original Sountrack (2002)
• Luminescence (2005)

Multimedia

Singles

• Neige au Sahara (1997)
• La Rose des Vents (1997)
• Au Nom de La Lune (1997)
• La Ligne des Sens (1997)
• Snow on Sahara (1998)
• A Rose in the Wind (1998)
• Un Geste D'Amour (2000)
• Derriere La Porte (2000)
• Still Reminds Me (2000)
• Chrysalis (2000)
• Summer in Paris with DJ Cam (2002)
• Deep Blue Sea with Deep Forest (2002)
• Être Une Femme (2005)
• Cesse les pluies (2005)
• In Your Mind (2005) (International)

Mariah Angela Carey (born on March 27, 1970 in Huntington, New York) is an American popular music singer and composer, who rose to prominence in the 1990s, where she became America's most successful recording artist for that decade, according to Billboard magazine. The World Music Awards recognized her as the world's biggest-selling artist of the 1990s^[1], and in 2000, the show declared her the best-selling female pop artist of all time.

Carey's music has been influenced by Rhythm and blues, Pop, Gospel, Hip Hop, dance, Soul and Rock. Her singing and songwriting are structured around her wide-ranging voice, which spans five octaves; she frequently uses melismas, and her vocal swoops and trills and jumps between octaves are easily recognizable features of her sound. She has produced every one of her ten studio albums with the exception of her debut and directed music videos. Since 1999, she has occasionally worked as an actress and supports a variety of charitable organizations.

Voice

Carey recorded a G#7 during a live performance of "Emotions" at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards, and again on the popular Arsenio Hall Show.

Carey is credited as having a five-octave vocal range; she can cover all the notes from the alto range leading to those of a coloratura soprano [85]. Her vocal trademark is her ability to hit high notes in the whistle register. Carey has often been incorrectly been credited as having a 7 or even 8-octave vocal range. It has been suggested that Carey's publicists falsely claimed this at the start of her career [86], although it may also be a misstatement of the fact that Carey frequently accesses the whistle register, especially the notes situated in the seventh octave. So far her highest note is a G#7— five and a half steps above C7, the highest note on a standard keyboard — which she hit in live performances of "Emotions", at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards, and at the famous Arsenio Hall show. Her performance trademark is making fluttering motions with her left hand while she sings. Voice teachers have commented that this actually helps one's singing technique.

Carey's voice has come under scrutiny from many critics who believe that she does not effectively communicate the message of her songs. Rob Tannenbaum, a critic who reviewed her 1992 album "Emotions" comments "Carey has a remarkable vocal gift, but to date, unfortunately, her singing has been far more impressive than expressive." [87] Other critics often denounce her high notes, classing them as "dogwhistles" or gimmicks, stating that her singing is so overwrought with melisma, and 'octave hops' that it takes away from the true meaning of the songs.

However, Carey's voice is rated as one of the greatest ever among pop singers [88]. In 2003, she was voted as having the Greatest Voice in music in MTV's and Blender Magazine's countdown of "The 22 Greatest Voices In Music", placing her ahead of such rivals as Whitney Houston (#3), Christina Aguilera (#5) and Céline Dion (#9).

Carey's vocal style has influenced a generation of singers, including Christina Aguilera and Beyoncé Knowles as well as many American Idol competitors.

Vocal Profile

• Vocal timbre: Full Dramatic Coloratura Soprano
• Highest notes: G#7 (Live performance of "Emotions" at the 1991 MTV VMA's), F7 (In the song "All In Your Mind")
• Lowest notes: A2, B2 (In the song "My All", "Melt Away"), G#2 ("You and I)
• Vocal range: 5 octaves (G#2-G#7)
• Longest note: 20 seconds (In the song "Lead The Way".)
• Highest note in chest quality voice : G#5 ("Loverboy", "Through the rain" LIVE).
  

Awards and accolades

For a list of awards, see List of Mariah Carey Awards and Accolades.

For a list of Grammy awards and nominations, see Grammy Nominations for Mariah Carey.

Discography

• For Carey's detailed albums discography, see Mariah Carey albums discography.
• For her detailed singles discography, see Mariah Carey singles discography.
• For a list of her songs, see List of songs by Mariah Carey.
• For a list of her unreleased songs, see List of unreleased songs by Mariah Carey.
• For a list of Carey's official music videos, see Videography of Mariah Carey.

References

• Rottenberg, Josh. Mariah Carey Interview. Glamour Magazine. November, 1999. Retrieved July 11, 2005.
• Mariah Carey. Rock On The Net. Retrieved July 9, 2005.
• Lamb, Bill. Q. What Are Mariah Carey's #1 Hits?. About.com. Retrieved July 22, 2005.
• Chartlogs & Sales Statistics. MariahDaily.com. Retrieved August 20, 2005.

External links

• Mariah Carey at TV.com
• MariahCarey.com - official site.
• Honey B. Fly - official fan club.
• Rare-Lyrics - Mariah Carey lyrics.
• All Music Center - Mariah Carey lyrics.
• Mariah Carey at the Internet Movie Database
• Mariah Carey at Live 8
•  

Overview

 

Jaclyn Victor

Jaclyn a/p Joshua Thanaraj Victor (b. December 4, 1978) was the winner of the first season of Malaysian Idol, and has since become a successful singer.

Victor, popularly known as Jac, is the first to gain the title of Malaysian Idol, a singing competition that was spawned from the "Idol" series that started off as Pop Idol in the U.K..

Victor overcame many obstacles in life before achieving fame. Her dad had passed away when she was just nine years old, and her mother, Maggie Victor, had to take three jobs simultaneously in order to support her four children. At eighteen, Jaclyn started singing in clubs and hotel lounges in order to help support the family.

In 2004, along with ten thousand others, Jac auditioned for Malaysian Idol. Impressed by her strong voice and personality, the panel of judges put her through to the next round. Upon landing a final thirty-third spot, Jac perfomed live, earning praise from the judges for her performance of "Superwoman", which was also received very well by Malaysians as she accumulated the most votes that evening, becoming the seventh person to reach the top twelve.

In the first spectacular, the theme for the week was "Song from your Pop Idol". Jac chose a song in her own language, "Keliru". Her performance took her through to the next round.

The second theme was "Song from your Classic Idol". Jac's choice was "When I Fall in Love".

 

Dream

After another double elimination, Jac was back next week performing a "Song from the 80s", Chaka Khan's "I Feel for You". She went on to the "Rock Show" with a performance of "Sweet Child o' Mine"

The last six contestants included Nikki, Dina, Andrew, and Saipul. Jac  performed an effortless "Lady Marmalade". On the results show, she found herself in the bottom two for the first time (with Nikki, who performed "Emotion"), but she survived the elimination.

After reaching the last three, her chances only improved after her performance of Alicia Keys' "If I Ain't Got You". During the finale, Jac sang "Gemilang", a piece composed by Aubrey Suwito. Her interpretation of the newly written song prompted Kak Jee to declare that a star was born.

Jac finally won the competition, earning 76% of the audience vote in the final contest against Dina Nadzir. As the newly-crowned Malaysian Idol, she performed "Gemilang" again.

Jac's single, "Gemilang", set a new Malaysian record. Her album achieved gold status within weeks of going on sale. Her previously-released album Dream, sold out within days, despite the sudden 390% increase in price. She won the "Best Newcomer Award" on Hitz.FM and "Best New Artist" in Anugerah Bintang Popular.

Since winning, Victor has appeared in numerous television and talk shows such as Pillow Talk and Muzik-Muzik. She has also performed "Gemilang" at a Tsunami Concert held to aid victims of the recent Asian tsunami disaster. She has performed in duets with Hazami, Taufik Batisah, and Akedemi Fantasia's second winner, Zahid.

Discography

Inilah Jac

Dream
Gemilang (2004)
Wajah (2005) CD Single
Inilah Jac (2006)

Award

External links

• The Official Fan Club of Jaclyn Victor
• Jaclyn Victor Complete MP3 Database
• The Jaclyn Victor fanlisting
• Jaclyn Victor at Malaysian Idol
• Malaysia R&B Soul site