[article] Girl Power in Asian Pop Scene

[nmskalmn]

Girl Power in Asian Pop Scene

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

KWANGJU _ Whether they are performing pop, dance or rock music, top Asian female artists showed they’re more than just beautiful faces at the third Asia Song Festival last Friday.

Kitchie Nadal is one of the most popular singers in the Philippines. At 26, Nadal does not only have a unique melodic voice, but she also composes her music and writes poetic lyrics.

Definitely not one of those music industry manufactured pop princesses, Nadal is in control of what kind of music she wants to do, and she wants to stay ``real.'' ``(In the music industry) it’s so sad because that you’re expected to be someone you’re not. You have to compromise, but I don’t want that,'' she told The Korea Times.

Nadal said she does not want to be constrained by labels such as pop or rock singer.

``I don’t want to be labeled. It’s like I’m putting limits on myself,'' she said.

In the future, Nadal wants to bring her brand of Filipino music to the rest of Asia, but she’s still waiting for the right opportunity.

On the other hand, Hong Kong pop diva Kelly Chen may be known to Asian audiences as an actress, but she has sold millions of pop albums in the Mandarin Chinese-speaking market.

In a separate interview, Chen said she would like to expand her music career to the rest of Asia but admits it will take a lot of time and effort.

``I would like to conquer other Southeast Asian countries, but I would need to spend time for it. It is difficult to go around because of my schedule,'' Chen said.

Chen said she finds there are not as many challenges for female singers as for female actresses.

``There are not so many barriers as a singer. Music is universal. But as an actor, there are many movies that require male leads but there are not much stories that require female leads,'' she said.

Japanese pop superstar Koda Kumi is known for her sexy and stylish image and has recently received the MTV Japan best female singer award.

``At first, I was conscious about this image, but I really exerted effort to bring out myself, since I have this complexion, slim body and fashion of my own, which I think is my charm. When they say I’m sexy, I just take it as ‘that’s me.’ I enjoy what I’m doing,'' she said, during the Asia Song Festival news conference on Thursday evening

Tanya Chua, a singer-songwriter from Singapore, said she also wants to share her folk music with other Asian audiences. Chua, who combines Chinese and English lyrics in her songs, recently won the best female singer award at Taiwan’s Golden Melody Awards.

Girl Power in Asian Pop Scene

[jeffycue]

hahaha! kitchie nadal! ive seen her a couple of times walking down our college halls... she's a good singer but am not really into opms... hehehe.

[Keishi]

Yay for Ku. Eventhough I don't get the point why she is in that article. I mean, she's manufactured. O.O

[immel]

The "founders" of Girl Power was manufactured.

Don't know what the requirement for you to be manufactured is, Koda had been going for a long time before she finally broke through, was it thanks to manufactured improvements? I don't know.

Um.. what does it take for a star to be manufactured? Britney Spears anyone?

[Keishi]

I don't know. Like...losing weight and become anorexic?

[immel]

You need to go inside a tall dark building that have tall white letters saying Become Manufactured on top of it, and when you exit on the other side, if you do, manufacturing will have happened.

[Psychotic_X]

Originally Posted by ChrisKay

Yay for Ku. Eventhough I don't get the point why she is in that article. I mean, she's manufactured. O.O

*gasps* she ain't manufactured!! she's awesome!!
She's in the article because she's a role model to girls in Japan... She's all about girl power...

[Keishi]

immel
Psychotic_X Isn't manufactured means that you are forced to do things by your record company? Wasn't that how the present Ku is achived? By manufactured?

Whatever. End it here.

[immel]

avex does definately manufacture female artists, by definition.

Originally Posted by dictionary.com

man‧u‧fac‧ture  /ˌmænyəˈfæktʃər/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[man-yuh-fak-cher] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation noun, verb, -tured, -tur‧ing.
–noun
1. the making of goods or wares by manual labor or by machinery, esp. on a large scale: the manufacture of television sets.
2. the making or producing of anything; generation: the manufacture of body cells.
3. the thing or material manufactured; product: Plastic is an important manufacture.
–verb (used with object)
4. to make or produce by hand or machinery, esp. on a large scale.
5. to work up (material) into form for use: to manufacture cotton.
6. to invent fictitiously; fabricate; concoct: to manufacture an account of the incident.
7. to produce in a mechanical way without inspiration or originality: to manufacture a daily quota of poetry.

But yeah, it's only a word, some find it negative, some do not care.

When the word is used in the music industry it seems to have become an insult, if the artist is capable and good at what he/she is doing, does it matter?

I listen to music, be it manufactured or not. I'm a fan of artists, be they manufactured or not.

[orenji_jaro]

oo~ sugoi kitchie nadal is in korea times suge~!!!! i got her first album, my friend let me lsitened to her and even i dont undrstand i liek it, i always lvoe world music ^^