Vanessa Fernandez
Encyclopedia
Vanessa Mary Fernandez (born 17 October 1982) is a singer and radio presenter from Singapore. She released several albums with the now defunct hip-hop groups, Urban Xchange and Parking Lot Pimp and is now more popularly known by her moniker, Vandetta, (sometimes Miss Vandetta) on Mediacorp Radio’s 987fm.
Young Company. Ng asked her to join the established theatre group and she went on to perform in several musicals including Re:Mix, penned by Singapore Idol
judge and music veteran, Dick Lee
, as well as 24 Hours, penned by Haresh Sharma for The Necessary Stage
in 1998. Fernandez continued in The Singapore Repertory Theatre for several years but eventually left as she put more time into school and pursuing music.
In 2000, Fernandez was asked by rapper and producer, Terry Lee, to join a group that later became known as Urban Xchange. Lee had initiated the group in order to audition for a Coca-Cola commercial. Having recently met Lee through, Kevin Verghese (Kenny Pereira in Singapore film cult-classic, Army Daze
), and working together on several performances at Zouk
, Fernandez agreed to join Lee. The group also comprised Munir Alsagoff, Trisno Ishak, Firdaus Bahri, Michaela Therese, Humaa and Kimberly Olsen. Fernandez and Therese have a long-standing history having been part of the same church choir. The two, together with a friend and Fernandez’s cousin, joined local television talent search series, Rollin’ Good Times and won the “girl group” competition.
Urban Xchange fronted Coca-Cola
’s “Life Tastes Good” campaign and released two albums after being signed to Universal Music Singapore/Malaysia. Following the high profile campaign the group received limited success in the region, contributing “When I Grow Up I Wanna Be Like Jackie Chan” to the Asian edition of the Rush Hour 2
soundtrack, featured on a remix of Brian McKnight’s “When You Wanna Come” on the Asian repack of Superhero, and performing alongside American pop singer, Stacie Orrico
as well as Malaysian rap group, Too Phat
, at the 2003 MTV Asia Music Awards
.
The group stayed together, shuttling back and forth between Singapore and Malaysia, frequenting the latter for various publicity performances. However, in 2004, at age 21, Fernandez decided to return to school. She enrolled in Mass Communication
at Ngee Ann Polytechnic
. In her second year, Fernandez took a semester off to resume music with some of the members of Urban Xchange and the addition of Jeremy Green a.k.a J.G., a rapper and college friend of Terry Lee from San Francisco. Lee suggested the group rebrand as Parking Lot Pimp, in order to explore a new sound and style. Parking Lot Pimp was signed to EMI Music Southeast Asia who released their album, Welcome To Our Frequency. After a year in the studio, the group embarked on a series of promotions, one involving a showcase of EMI talent in Thailand, where Australia’s Missy Higgins
and UK’s Jay Sean also performed. The group was also the first Asian artists featured on MTV Asia’s now-defunct Advance Warning, a programme that showcased up-and-coming artists. Unfortunately, barely a year in, Fernandez, along with Munir Alsagoff and Trisno Ishak, left Parking Lot Pimp due to personal and professional differences.
Fernandez used to host the programme AM Jam! from 6-10am with Divian Nair on 987fm. She left Mediacorp Radio’s 987fm in December 2010 and is pursuing her music career. Although she still has a nightly radio show on Singapore based sonar.sg .
Childhood and early career
Vanessa Fernandez was born in Singapore on 17 October 1982 to an Indian father, Victor Fernandez, and a Chinese mother, Jennifer Tan. She has a younger brother, Joseph. Fernandez was exposed to music and singing at an early age. Her father’s family is very musical although none of them ever took to music professionally (with the exception of her cousin, Alemay Fernandez). Fernandez started singing in the church choir at the age of 12 and at 16, while studying at CHIJ St. Joseph’s Convent, scored a leading role in her secondary school musical directed by Wendy Ng, then the Artistic Director of the Singapore Repertory TheatreSingapore Repertory Theatre
The Singapore Repertory Theatre is the first Singapore-based professional theatre group which was founded in 1993. It is reputed to be the leading English language theatres in whole of Asia...
Young Company. Ng asked her to join the established theatre group and she went on to perform in several musicals including Re:Mix, penned by Singapore Idol
Singapore Idol
Singapore Idol is a television show on Channel 5 of MediaCorp TV. It is a competition among undiscovered singers in Singapore. Like others in the Idol series, it is modelled after Pop Idol. The current judges are singer/songwriter Dick Lee and record producers Florence Lian and Ken Lim. Previous...
judge and music veteran, Dick Lee
Dick Lee
Richard "Dick" Lee Peng Boon is a Singaporean pop singer, composer, songwriter, and playwright. He is best known as a Singapore Idol judge, but often too as spokesperson for the New Asian generation....
, as well as 24 Hours, penned by Haresh Sharma for The Necessary Stage
The Necessary Stage
The Necessary Stage is a non-profit theatre company with charity status in Singapore. Formed in 1987 by current Artistic Director Alvin Tan, The Necessary Stage has been identified as one of the Major Arts Companies by the National Arts Council. The company is also the organiser and curator of the...
in 1998. Fernandez continued in The Singapore Repertory Theatre for several years but eventually left as she put more time into school and pursuing music.
In 2000, Fernandez was asked by rapper and producer, Terry Lee, to join a group that later became known as Urban Xchange. Lee had initiated the group in order to audition for a Coca-Cola commercial. Having recently met Lee through, Kevin Verghese (Kenny Pereira in Singapore film cult-classic, Army Daze
Army Daze
Army Daze is a 1996 Singaporean comedy movie based on the 1987 theater play of the same name by Singaporean writer Michael Chiang...
), and working together on several performances at Zouk
Zouk
Zouk is a style of rhythmic music originating from the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe & Martinique. Zouk means "party" or "festival" in the local Antillean Creole of French, although the word originally referred to, and is still used to refer to, a popular dance, based on the Polish dance, the...
, Fernandez agreed to join Lee. The group also comprised Munir Alsagoff, Trisno Ishak, Firdaus Bahri, Michaela Therese, Humaa and Kimberly Olsen. Fernandez and Therese have a long-standing history having been part of the same church choir. The two, together with a friend and Fernandez’s cousin, joined local television talent search series, Rollin’ Good Times and won the “girl group” competition.
Urban Xchange fronted Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
’s “Life Tastes Good” campaign and released two albums after being signed to Universal Music Singapore/Malaysia. Following the high profile campaign the group received limited success in the region, contributing “When I Grow Up I Wanna Be Like Jackie Chan” to the Asian edition of the Rush Hour 2
Rush Hour 2
Rush Hour 2 is a 2001 martial arts action comedy film. This is the second installment in the Rush Hour film series. A sequel to the 1998 film Rush Hour, the film stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker who respectively reprise their roles as Inspector Lee and Los Angeles police detective James Carter...
soundtrack, featured on a remix of Brian McKnight’s “When You Wanna Come” on the Asian repack of Superhero, and performing alongside American pop singer, Stacie Orrico
Stacie Orrico
Stacie Joy Orrico is a Contemporary Christian and R&B singer-songwriter and occasional actress. In 1998, she signed to ForeFront Records when she was 12 years old, and recorded her first album Genuine , which sold 13,000 in the first week of release.After her first album she signed to a new record...
as well as Malaysian rap group, Too Phat
Too Phat
Too Phat is a Malaysian hip-hop duo, consisting of Joe Flizzow and Malique Ibrahim .-Career:...
, at the 2003 MTV Asia Music Awards
MTV Asia Awards 2003
The MTV Asia Awards 2003 in Singapore hosted by Shaggy and Coco Lee.-Favorite Pop Act:*A1*Blue*Destiny's Child*No Doubt*Westlife-Favorite Rock Act:*Coldplay*Creed*Linkin Park*Oasis*Red Hot Chili Peppers-Favorite Video:...
.
The group stayed together, shuttling back and forth between Singapore and Malaysia, frequenting the latter for various publicity performances. However, in 2004, at age 21, Fernandez decided to return to school. She enrolled in Mass Communication
Mass communication
Mass communication is the term used to describe the academic study of the various means by which individuals and entities relay information through mass media to large segments of the population at the same time...
at Ngee Ann Polytechnic
Ngee Ann Polytechnic
Ngee Ann Polytechnic , is an institute of higher learning in Singapore, founded in 1963 as Ngee Ann College with 116 students...
. In her second year, Fernandez took a semester off to resume music with some of the members of Urban Xchange and the addition of Jeremy Green a.k.a J.G., a rapper and college friend of Terry Lee from San Francisco. Lee suggested the group rebrand as Parking Lot Pimp, in order to explore a new sound and style. Parking Lot Pimp was signed to EMI Music Southeast Asia who released their album, Welcome To Our Frequency. After a year in the studio, the group embarked on a series of promotions, one involving a showcase of EMI talent in Thailand, where Australia’s Missy Higgins
Missy Higgins
Melissa "Missy" Morrison Higgins is an Australian pop singer-songwriter, musician and actor. Her No. 1 albums in Australia are The Sound of White and On a Clear Night , and her Top Ten singles are "Scar", "The Special Two", "Steer" and "Where I Stood". From a musical family in...
and UK’s Jay Sean also performed. The group was also the first Asian artists featured on MTV Asia’s now-defunct Advance Warning, a programme that showcased up-and-coming artists. Unfortunately, barely a year in, Fernandez, along with Munir Alsagoff and Trisno Ishak, left Parking Lot Pimp due to personal and professional differences.
Radio career
Fernandez completed her diploma in Mass Communication, graduating with merit, and was scouted by Mediacorp Radio’s 987fm to become a producer/presenter. Initially she part-timed for the company and eventually was offered a regular weekday slot between 1-4pm in 2008. The show was titled, Vandetta in the P.M. The following year, Fernandez was asked to join Daniel Ong and Mister Young (Young Teng Leong) on morning drive time. A show helmed by three DJs was then unprecedented on 987fm. Their show AM Mayhem ran for a year. Subsequently, Fernandez returned to a solo show again this time between 10am-1pm. The show was titled, The V Spot.Fernandez used to host the programme AM Jam! from 6-10am with Divian Nair on 987fm. She left Mediacorp Radio’s 987fm in December 2010 and is pursuing her music career. Although she still has a nightly radio show on Singapore based sonar.sg .