Youtube Star Gets Raves For Covering Divas’ Pop Songs

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Youtube Star Gets Raves For Covering Divas’ Pop Songs
by Alexis Andrews - December 12, 2008

Youtube star Charice Pempengco with producer David Foster

I was watching Good Morning America recently and had the chance to see a sixteen-year-old rising Filipina singer, Charice Pempengco, perform. The girl had such an impressive big voice; I had goosebumps listening to her sing her own rendition of Whitney Houston songs with producer David Foster on the piano.

Pempengco first came into international attention via Youtube. A fan of hers had posted a video of one of her performances in the Philippines, and it became so popular that, six months later, TV icon and comedienne Ellen Degeneres personally invited her to perform on the former’s show. Since then she has risen to popularity and appeared on such shows as the Oprah Winfrey Show, the birthday concert of Andrea Bocelli in Italy, the Paul O’Grady Show, a birthday tribute to David Foster in Las Vegas, a concert tour of Celine Dion in Madison Square Garden, Macy’s 150 Years Anniversary Celebration, and – most recently – Good Morning America. Exploring the edges of pop, R&B, and soul songs with her unbelievable vocal chords, Pempengco cites Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, and Celine Dion as her foremost musical influences.

Well – it’s obvious enough anyway. After the GMA show, I looked up Pempengco on Youtube and found more videos of her performing her idols’ pop songs. It’s hard to imagine how anyone so young can be so talented. My favorites include:

And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going. This is a song from the Broadway musical, Dreamgirls, and it has also been produced by Foster. Originally released in 1982 as a 7” single, this show tune has been performed most notably by such artists as Jennifer Holliday, Jennifer Hudson, Whitney Houston, and Bonnie Tyler. “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” was the song that Pempengco performed in her first appearance at the Ellen Degeneres Show.

The Prayer. This is originally a duet by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli. It was released in 1999 by Columbia and Epic Records, performing well at the Adult Contemporary charts, and then won nominations for the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals and the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1999. Pempengo performed the song with Andrea Bocelli himself, during the operatic pop tenor’s birthday concert in Italy.

I Will Always Love You. Who doesn’t know this song? It is one of the best-selling singles of all time, thanks to Dolly Parton – who had written the record and been the one to first record it – and Whitney Houston – who immortalized it as the soundtrack to the romance film, The Bodyguard. I Will Always Love You has been performed by Pempengco on many medleys of Whitney Houston songs.

Because You Loved Me. This is yet another hit pop song produced by David Foster, this time for Celine Dion as well as a soundtrack for the film, Up Close and Personal. It has been covered by such artists as Johnny Mathis, Michael Ball, Jane McDonald, and Clay Aiken. Pempengo had sung this Celine Dion single in a duet with Dion herself, in Madison Square Garden during the Canadian singer’s Taking Chances world tour.

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