The Philippines is home to a strong music culture. A common household item in Filipino households is the karaoke machine. Many have been introduced to music from a young age and it is no wonder that the Philippines has produced so many notable singers. Filipino singing talents are very much a powerhouse in the region and globally, and are thriving. Top 10 of Asia looks at its list (in alphabetical order) of the top 10 electrifying Filipino singers.
Jed Madela
Jed Madela is a singer, recording artist, songwriter and TV Host. He made waves during the 2005 World Championship of Performing Arts (WCOPA) also known as the talent Olympics held annually in Hollywood, California USA. He won the Grand Champion Vocalist of the World title and the coveted title of Grand Champion Performer of the World. 8 years later, he became the first Filipino artist to be inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Performing Arts. Jed Madela is currently enjoying full house concerts in the Philippines and around the world. He is also a mainstay of ABS CBN’s noontime show ASAP, and a mentor and judge of reality TV shows, Your Face Sounds Familiar and Tawag ng Tanghalan on Showtime. He mentors aspiring artists to make it on the world stage through the WCOPA.
Jona Viray
Dubbed as the “Philippines’ Soul Princess” by Philippine media and critics, Jonalyn “Jona” Roxas Viray is a Filipino singer and occasional actress. She is the first Pinoy Pop Superstar Grand winner. She was the lead singer of trio girl-group La Diva, alongside Maricris Garcia and Aicelle Santos with whom she shared success following her career as a solo artist. The trio earned a string of hits with their rendition of songs such as “I’m Yours”, “Angels Brought Me Here”, “Apologize” and “Stand up For Love”. They were chosen to sing the Philippine National Anthem at the Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto boxing match in Las Vegas as well as the theme song of Philippine remake of the Mexican telenovela, Rosalinda.
Julie Anne San Jose
Julie Anne San Jose is a multi-awarded musician, recording artist and performer from the Philippines. She is best known for her roots as a member of child musical group, “Sugarpop”, record-breaking sales of her self-titled debut album, addictive song covers, versatile musical performances and heartfelt renditions of Philippine television theme songs. She is also well-known for her unique contribution to Original Pilipino Music (OPM) through modern ballad, pop and R&B songs. San Jose’s distinct voice quality helped her gain numerous supporters as proved by sold-out concerts and records. She is a sought-after artist for musical partnerships because of her expertise and professionalism.
KZ Tandingan
Kristine Zhenie Lobrigas Tandingan, better known as KZ Tandingan, is a Filipino singer and rapper. She rose to prominence following her win on the first season of The X Factor Philippines in 2012. Before she joined The X Factor Philippines, Tandingan was part of a local acoustic band. She became known internationally when she joined Singer 2018, a popular singing competition aired on HBS, China’s second biggest television network. She has released notable songs in the Philippines such as “Darating Din”, “Mahal Ko o Mahal Ako” and “Two Less Lonely People in the World”, which peaked at number 2 on the Philippine Hot 100 in 2017. Tandingan is one of the members of the Filipino girl group DIVAS along with Yeng Constantino, Kyla and Angeline Quinto.
Marcelito Pomoy
Marcelito “Mars” Pomoy is known for his ability to sing in both tenor and soprano. He is the grand winner of the second season of Pilipinas Got Talent. Singing in both vocal ranges is not unique but Marcelito can not only sing in both vocal ranges but he can switch instantly from one to the other. He has also been known all over the world for his unique talent. He has recently been invited to one of the most famous talk shows in the USA and all over the world—the Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Melanie “Kyla” Alvarez
Melanie “Kyla” Alvarez, better known by her stage name Kyla, is a Filipino R&B singer-songwriter, occasional actress and presenter. Kyla began her career in 2000 under OctoArts EMI Philippines and rose to prominence with the release of her second single “Until Now”. Known in the Philippines as “the Queen of R&B”, her work has earned her several achievements. She is considered as one of the first pioneers of R&B music in the country.
Morissette Amon
Johanne Morissette Daug Amon better known by her stage name, Morissette, first rose to prominence when she finished runner-up on TV5’s Star Factor at the age of 14. She competed in the first season of ABS-CBN’s The Voice of the Philippines in 2013, where she became part of Sarah Geronimo’s team. Morissette became a recording artist of Star Music in early 2014 and released her first album, a self-titled album called Morissette, in March 2015. From 2016 until its breakup in 2018, she was one-fourth of the popular singing group “Birit Queens”. She had her first major solo concert, which sold out, at the Music Museum in 2016. Morissette Amon is known for a vocal range that spans four octaves and two notes.
Sarah Geronimo
Sarah Asher Tua Geronimo is a singer and actress. She already had a lot of experience from age 4 to 9 appearing on several television programmes and even performing during Pope John Paul II’s visit. Geronimo’s career in music really blew up in 2002 at the age of 14 after winning the television singing contest, Star for a Night. She then signed with music label Viva Records and rose to fame with the release of her debut album Popstar: A Dream Come True (2003) which became a multi-platinum record. Since then, Geronimo has released multi-platinum records and performed in sold out shows and concerts with the support of millions of fans. Geronimo’s music was generally categorized as pop until the release of her tenth studio album Expressions (2013), when she added R&B and dance into her style.
Sheryn Regis
A gifted soprano often acclaimed for her range and technical ability, Regis’ first appeared in Philippine television’s longest-running noontime show, Eat Bulaga, on its “Birit Baby” segment back in 2002 where she became a grand finalist at 23 years old. In 2003, she secured a place as a grand finalist in ABS-CBN’s reality singing competition, “Star in a Million”. She was the judges’ favorite and placed consistently in the top performances every week, eventually reaching the Grand Champion Night on January 3, 2004. She won the Texter’s Choice Award but placed only as a runner-up. Regis was immediately inundated with numerous TV offers, product commercial endorsements and concerts in the Philippines and different parts of the world. To date, she has recorded four solo albums with platinum and gold awards, as well as numerous collaborations with different Filipino artists. Her recent stints in the last quarter of 2019 include being the featured celebrity in ASAP Natin To, I Can See Your Voice, Casino Filipino’s La Musikandia Nationwide series of shows, Wish 1075, Umagang Kay Ganda, Letters and Music and other radio and TV guest appearances. She continues to do solo concert tours around the USA and Canada.
Yeng Constantino
Josephine Eusebio Constantino-Asuncion is a pop diva singer-songwriter, occasional actress and host. In 2006, she won the title “Grand Star Dreamer” in the inaugural season of Pinoy Dream Academy. After that, she launched her debut album Salamat, containing 10 songs, seven of which were original compositions by Constantino. The album would go on to be a “3x Platinum Record”. Constantino would go on to release 5 more highly successful albums. She is known as the “Rockoustic Princess” of the Philippines.