Regina Encarnacion Ansong Velasquez (born April 22, 1970), nicknamed Asia's Songbird, is a multi-awarded Filipino singer and actress.
Velasquez is well-known for her belting prowess which has been noted for its incredible range, power, technical ability and also for her versatility and reinvention. She possesses a 5-6 octave vocal range and is classified as a Lyric Coloratura Soprano. She has received critical acclaim and commercial success for her singing, hosting and acting endeavors. Her professional career started when she won the grand prize in a nationally televised singing contest. Velasquez made her debut in 1986 under the guidance of entertainment mogul Ronnie Henares and was initially marketed as a pop singer. Following her success in the Asia Pacific Song Festival, a series of subsequent successful records in the region consolidated her position as one of Asia's biggest selling performers. Her success and popularity has yielded several top-selling singles, multi platinum certifications and a blockbuster movies. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.