| Claressa Monteiro A formidable talent and on stage presence which melds subtle glamour and hight-octane exuberance, Claressa Monteiro is fast emerging as Singapore's most exciting jazz export with the landmark release of her debut album 'Now & Then' (Universal/EmArcy). Claressa was the jazz vocalist of choice to endorse Sennheiser microphones in 2001 becoming its first Asian jazz singer endorsee. She is also Singapore's first Ambassador for Swiss luxury watch maker Ebel. An appointment made by LVMH Watch & Jewelry. Her smooth honey-coated vocals enthrall loyal fans and is fast gaining new ones with a modern jazz style that is easy on the ear. In 2002 alone, she performed at the Mont Blanc Business Woman of The Year Awards, Time Magazine's Travel Awards, Mediacorp Radio's Ear Awards and the National Heritage Board's Benefactors Gala. Claressa has also performed at key events which include the launch of Standard Chartered Bank's Platinium Card, Jaegar LeCoultre's 70th Anniversary of the Reverso, the official announcement of OCBC Bank's merger and CItibank's Gala Dinner for its highest nett worth clientele. In 2003, Claressa was the only singer presented at the Singapore Quality Awards alongside two other artiste's highlight for excellence in their chosen genre. The singer's unique talent has seen her in featured appearances at the Singapore Arts Festival, the CHIJMES Annual Jazz Festival-Singapore, the Heineken Jazz Under the Stars-Singapore, The Heineken Hanoi Jazz Festival in Vietnam and the Asian Jazz Yatra in Mumbai, India. Headlining her own concerts for the very first time in 2002, her sparkling exuberance and masterful delivery earned her rave reviews. Channel News Asia pronounced her Singapore's most prominent jazz vocalist and Channel 5 featured her in the premier episode of 'Ladies First' in its first 'Woman On Top' segment. 2003 also marks Claressa's move to a new label, EMI Music and the unveiling of both a new image and a new musical direction. Her new CD release "Words Can't Describe" is released in November. From Giorgio Armani's choice of the singer as the epitome of the 'Sensi' woman to her stellar performance at the 8th Annual CHIJMES Jazz Festival, Claressa Monteiro is the chanteuse du jour. |
| "Showtime!" they say |
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