Fans, lend me your karaoke. The "Jukebox Queen" Jessa Zaragoza is coming to town.
The music diva is set for her first Dubai performance at a three-night musical series starting tonight. She will be joined by Brazilian model Daiana Menezes.
Organisers said Zargoza will be performing tracks from her latest album Jessa Sings the Great Musical Icons. Her singer-composer husband, Dingdong Avanzado, told reporters recently that although Zaragoza is known as a traditional Filipino singer, he is proud that she is branching out and "has potential to sing other kinds of songs". Her latest album will sample the likes of Madonna, Elvis Presley, Air Supply, The Police, Blondie and Diana Ross.
Zaragoza, 31, broke into Philippine showbusiness at the age of 13 when she had a stint on the local TV show That's Entertainment. She appeared in numerous shows and films in the early '90s but only rose to fame with the 1997 release of her single, Bakit Pa? (What for?)
Bakit Pa? became a craze in the Philippines and helped her bag the Best Selling Female Recording Artist of the year award. The song was such a success that Zaragoza was dubbed the "phenomenal diva" and the song was made into a film, with her starring alongside heartthrobs Diether Ocampo and Troy Montero.
Now, the singer is concentrating on her singing career, appearing in live shows in the Philippines and abroad. Last month, she was busy touring the Philippines to promote her latest album, wowing fans in Manila, Tacloban and Iloilo. Earlier this year, she completed her European tour, with concerts in Vienna, Zurich, Milan and Amsterdam.
