Concert & Movie Memorabilia

Regina Encarnacion Ansong Velasquez (born April 22, 1970), also known as Asia's Songbird, is a ballad, jazz, pop, pop rock, and r&b singer, actress, model, entrepreneur, and record producer from the Philippines. more...

Outside the Philippines, she is known for the song "In Love with You" sung with Hong Kong's Jacky Cheung. She has also collaborated with international artists including Paul Anka, David Hasselhoff, 98 Degrees , Mandy Moore, Brian McKnight and Michel Legrand.

Early life and family, 1970–1983

Regine Velasquez was born to a poor family in Manila, Philippines on April 22, 1970, the first child of Teresita and Gerry Velasquez. They later moved to Hinundayan, Southern Leyte. There she studied at Henundayan Central School.

At six years old, Velasquez joined an amateur singing contest, singing Buhat Nang Kita'y Makilala. She did not know how to read at that time, so her father would sing it to her and she would memorize the lyrics. She lost that contest, but was given a special award for the brave performance. With the support of her parents, Velasquez joined various singing competitions in provinces around the country. Out of 200 competitions she entered, Velasquez won 67 of them. At nine years old, she and her family moved to Bulacan, where she continued her elementary education at Balagtas Central School. She later studied at St. Laurence High School, the school to which she attributes her good English diction. She also credits her singing talent to her father, who would submerge her in water up to her neck and have her do vocal exercises to strengthen her voice.

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