Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

GONE were the days when a Filipino in Las Vegas would painstakingly search audio stores or music download websites to hear sentimental Tagalog songs.

These days, a Vegas Pinoy only needs to tune in to KLAV 1230am every Sunday at 3pm to hear nostalgic songs that bring them back to their homeland and to decades past.

And who better to deliver these kinds of songs than "the Philippine’s sentimental songstress" herself, Imelda Papin. Her Vegas-based weekly radio program has brought this experience possible to Filipino residents of this city, which she also calls her home.

"Las Vegas is my second home," Ms. Papin told Asian Journal in a recent interview. "I really love Las Vegas," she declares. Such made her decide to spend her third decade as a performer in this corner of the globe.

It was back in the early 80s when Imelda wowed audiences and radio listeners in the Philippines with her powerful voice and passionate rendition of songs. "One would be brought to tears because you can feel the lyrics of the songs with her voice," a fan had said. Her varied vocal range did not fail to impress crowds in Hong Kong and Bangkok earning her another title: "Asia’s queen of songs".

Before conquering Asia, and even Metro Manila, Ms. Papin started her career in a remote fishing village at the southern part of Luzon island in the Philippines. It was actually a regional singing contest that took young Imelda Papin and her family from their hometown to the country’s capital, Manila.

More than thirty years later, Ms. Papin still evokes the same feelings with her audiences, this time in the global entertainment scene. Las Vegas-based Pinoys are lucky that Asia’s queen of songs chose this city as the base of her international music career.

"Vegas is the seat of entertainment in the world, this is my favorite city," Ms. Papin said during the interview. "If you make it here you make it anywhere in the entertainment scene," she added.

She has been living in Las Vegas for only three years but this former Philippine favorite and Asia’s queen of songs have already made it in the entertainment capital of the world. This is not only with her radio show but with several successful concerts as well.

The latest Las Vegas concert was held at Orleans Hotel last year. Both Filipinos and non-Filipinos alike flocked to the show and witnessed Ms. Papin’s passionate performance with international musicians Peggi Blu, Oren Waters and Mariano Gonzales. Her sisters Gloria and Aileen Papin and daughter Maffi also performed with her.