Vina Morales

Vina Morales stands out among Philippine pop performers through her parallel success as an actress and recording artist, each discipline bringing her formal recognition. Born Sharon Marejno on October 17, 1975, she entered show business in 1986 as a child actress yet continued to sing, interpreting Filipino standards alongside Carpenters material. Her first album, Easy to Love, appeared in 1995; instead of adopting the restrained style favored by many peers, Morales chose brighter, more upbeat tracks that signaled strong potential. The following year the Awit Awards, regarded as the Philippine counterpart to the Grammys, named her Best Female Recording Artist. Her 1999 release No Limit later earned that same ceremony’s Best Album of the Year honor. In 2001 she declined an eight-million-peso endorsement deal for hard liquor. Shortly afterward she survived a serious collision in Quezon City, Philippines, when her car struck the rear of a cement mixer. She subsequently joined her ASAP co-hosts, the Hunks, for a U.S. tour; the weekly variety program ranks among the country’s most-watched. Also in 2001 she issued the dance-focused Total Control, which departed from prior work by aiming at global listeners through English-language songs penned by Pinoy writers and sleek, nightclub-ready productions.