Singers of Filipino Heritage
Here are a few singers active in Hollywood, Broadway and/or the international entertainment industry who are part-Filipino or of Filipino heritage. Considering the history of the Philippines, any Filipino can claim Chinese, Hispanic and/or Spanish ancestry as well and technically not be lying.
Nicole (Valiente) Scherzinger is the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls. She was born in 1978 in Honolulu to a Filipino father and a Hawaiian/Russian mother. Her father left when she was a baby and she has taken on the surname of her stepfather.
Vanessa Anne Hudgens is a biracial actress whose mother was born in the Philippines. Her most famous roleis that of Gabriella Montez in Disney's High School Musical series.
Honolulu-born Jasmine Trias may have placed a mere third in the third season of American Idol, but she's risen to the top of popularity charts in Hawaii and among Filipinos. When she returned to the Philippines, she got to meet the president and was signed to endorse McDonalds and Hapee toothpaste, among others.
Tony-winner Lea Salonga is a Filipina singer and actress who honed her skills in Manila before starring in London and Broadway musicals and providing her voice to Disney animated features.
Latino singer Enrique Iglesias is of dual heritage -- his father is the Spanish singing legend Julio Iglesias and his mother the Manila-born Filipina journalist/socialite Isabel Preysler.
American Idol third season finalist Camile Velasco was born in the Philippines and her family later moved to Hawaii.
Jasmine Villegas is a young pop singer famous for singing the Star-Spangled Banner before sporting events, particularly the fights of Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao.