Indonesian singer/songwriter, Anggun Cipta Sasmi

To date, Anggun Cipta Sasmi has become the most successful Asian artist outside Asia. She has sold approximately 3 million copies of records worldwide and  her success has spread throughout Europe as well as several parts of Asia. 

Anggun says, 

I dreamed of an international career, but the American and English record companies weren’t going to come to Indonesia looking for a new talent, when there is so much available in their own countries. So, I had to bring my talent to the West. 

Anggun Cipta Sasmi is an Indonesian singer/songwriter with French citizenship. Having already had tremendous success in her homeland Indonesia since she was 12, she decided to pursue an international career and left Indonesia in 1994.  After a year in London, she settled in Paris, France and met producer Erick Benzi, who later helped her sign a record deal with Sony Music France and recorded her first French album, Au Nom de la Lune, in 1996. Her name means “A grace born out of a dream” which is definitely a true statement about this remarkable singer.

Anggun left Indonesia in 1995 and started her singing career in France, where she recorded her first french album, in 1996 ,called Au Nom de la Lune. In 2005 she released her new last album Luminescence. Her first single from the French album is Etre Une Femme and the second single Cesse La Pluie (translated asSaviour) was featured in the film “Transporter II”

Today, Anggun has sold about 3 million copies of records worldwide and has become the most successful Asian artist outside Asia; she is particularly well known in Europe .
Anggun has been involved with several charities and received several awards such as “Best International Artist” at 2006 Indonesian Music Awards.

Recent news:
As I heard from my sources, Anggun is working her way over to make it big in America so keep a look out!

Source:
Official Website
Wikipedia
IMDB

Teen idol, All-American Scholar, actress, model, singer, Tae Kwon Do black belt, Brenda Song

 

 

 

 

Brenda Song become an international teen idol in 2006 after she starred in Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior–one of Disney Channel’s top rated original movies with 5.7+ million viewers on premiere night.

Others may know her as London Tipton, the spoiled hotel heiress on the T.V. show “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody”–a show that received the highest rates for any Disney production.

Brenda, a California-native, has a Hmong dada and a Thai American mother (adopted by a Hmong family). Her paternal grandparents were part of the Xiong clan.

Brenda holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and was named an All-American Scholar in ninth grade. She also earned a high school diploma at the age  of 16. She won an Asian Excellence Award nomination for “Outstanding Newcomer” and three wins at the Young Hollywood Awards.

Brenda Song was named by TV Guide as on “The 13 Hottest Young Stars To Watch.” She ranked ninth in Netscape’s “Top 10 Pretty Petites in Entertainment” and CosmoGIRL! and Popstar! Magazine named her “Queen of Disney.” Askmen.com named her “Actress of the Year.” Despite her success, Brenda remains grounded, according to Time, Brenda is one of three Disney starlets who have not been involved in the Hollywood party girl scene (along with Hilary Duff and Raven-Symoné).

“Besides Hollywood grand-openings and award shows, I try to stay away from the parties. It’s so easy to be swept away from that whole scene because it’s expected of you. I’ve never drank or smoked in my entire life.

Brenda is currently in a Disney series called “Pass the Plate,” which is a multicultural series produced in 10 countries. It aims to inspire kids and tweens to lead a healthier lifestyle by sharing cultural and historical facts about food and cooking.

Source

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pass_the_Plate

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brenda_Song

http://television.aol.com/insidetv/2007/12/17/top-tv-tween-stars/

http://www.brendasongsite.com/

“Hong Kong’s Michael Jackson”, Aaron Kwok

Aaron Kwok has been dubbed “Hong Kong’s Michael Jackson” for his onstage dancing displays. As one of Asia’s most prominent popstars, he has won over a hundred music awards and performed at over 200 solo concert.
More recently, he’s moved into acting. Aaron won the Best Actor Award at the 43rd Golden Horse Awards on November 24, 2006 for his role in the film After This Our Exile.

Growing up, he worked at a jewelery story because his dad wanted Aaron to eventually take over the family business.

He gained instant popularity after a memorable Taiwanese motorcycle  commercial and he jumped onto the music scene with his now famous song Loving You Forever (對你愛不完)…and into the hearts of screaming girls everywhere.

Source

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Kwok

Image from: http://www.aaronkwokmusic.com/news.html

“Pride of Taiwan,” Taiwanese Singer A-Mei

Singer A-mei, also known as the “Pride of Taiwan”, achieved mega commercial success and has since become one of the biggest musical sensations in the Mandarin-speaking world, She first joined the entertainment business in the televised “Five Lights Singing Contest” on TTV in 1994. After losing the competition on her first try, her ill father suggested,

You definitely can sing, and you perform songs beautifully. Why don’t you enter the competition again to show that you have a talent for music?

This time A-mei won the competition but tragedy struck when her father passed away before her victory. A-mei was later rediscovered by popular singer/producer Chang Yu-Sheng after a stint of sinking in local pubs.

In an interview with Time magazine, the writer describes A-mei’s as “a sultry, soulful shade you would see at midnight.” A-mei asks,

Did I make you feel blue, baby? [...] because I want you to feel like you’ve been swallowed up by blueness [...] Tomorrow I want to sing red, the color of a cut when it first bleeds. And after that, green, like wet grass.”

One part of the interview at resonanted with me was the ending:

Like most Taiwanese, she would rather get on with life than talk endlessly about identity: Puyuma, Taiwanese, Chinese, who cares? And when she is really stuck for a word or a phrase or a thought, she simply tosses her head back and throws out a tune.

Because, for the tribal daughter and proud Taiwanese, music is what sustains her. Above all else, A-Mei was born to sing, just sing.

Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A-Mei

http://www.time.com/time/asia/features/heroes/amei.html