XAVIERIAN: Music Icon of the Philippines

Lea Salonga (born on Feb. 22, 1971)is an actress and singer from the Philippines and the first ever-Filipino who has achieved international recognition.

She began her professional music career at the age of ten when she recorded her first album, Small Voice, which received a gold record. She had also hosted her ow

n musical television show, Love, Lea, and opened for Stevie Wonder during his concerts in Manila. At age 13, she won three Aliw Awards in the Philippines for Best Child Entertainer from 1981 to 1893.

Her biggest breakthrough came when she was selected to play the leading role of Kim in the new musical Miss Saigon in 1989. The play, set during the final days of the Vietnam War, tells the story of Kim, a poor Vietnamese girl, and Chris, an American soldier who fall in love. For this performance, Lea Salonga was given the Laurience Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical or Entertainme

nt for the year 1989/1990. From its original London home, Miss Saigon moved to Broadway. Lea Salonga subsequently garnered Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards.

In 1993, Lea Salonga

played the role of street waif Eponine in the Broadway production of Les Misérables, then flew to Los Angeles to perform the song A Whole New World (of Disney's Aladdin) at the 65th Annual Academy Awards, where the song won an Oscar. In the same year she released her self-titled international debut album with Atlantic Records, which has gone platinum and gold in parts of Southeast Asia.

Lea also was the singing voice of Jasmine for Aladdin (1992) and Fa Mulan for Mu

lan (1998), films by Disney.

Lea said in a Philippi

ne news interview that through whatever she had done, the image of the Filipino was made a little more positive, and that somehow, the Filipino was given the chance to smile and be proud.

Indeed, she is the greatest music icon of the Filipinos; a symbol of success of the Philippines. She is an inspiration, which makes Filipinos realize that dreams are attainable. Lea becomes the epitome of the world-class Filipino as she goes out there and represents the rich cultures and heritage of the Philippines and shows to the world the hidden yet incredible talents of the Filipinos in the the music arena. She gives hope and Filipino pride a new face. She has opened the doors for other singers in the country to also be discovered in the world music scene. She has proved to other people that Philippines is not just a country of islands and islets but also a haven of musical talents.