Filipino pop star visits Finney

We don't get pop/dance concerts that often in Finney Chapel, so this weekend makes for something new. Filipina American pop artist Jocelyn Enriquez is putting on a show tonight as a part of this year's Asian Pacific American Conference. Judging by the seductive advertisement for her performance, this is not the standard Oberlin act. Nontheless, it promises to be a upbeat, funfilled evening.

Enriquez hails from San Francisco and was discovered in 1993 by Classified Records, and has been on the rise to stardom ever since. At the tender age of 21, she has already completed two full length albums. She has toured throughout the US and opened for the likes of The Fugees, LL Cool J and Crystal Waters. She now records under a joint venture between Classified and Tommy Boy and is geared up to grow out of her teen sensation status.

Her latest album, Jocelyn, shows that Enriquez makes it a point of keeping it real. One of the songs on the album, entitled "Kailanman," is sung in Tagalog, one of the many languages of the Philippines. "Being one of the first Filipino pop artists is a very important thing for me," says Enriquez. Her cultural pride and success make for an inspiring presence at this year's conference.

Enriquez has been singing since she was a toddler. Her official singing career began by studying with The San Francisco Girls Chorus and The San Francisco Opera Company. However, she fell in love with the pop genre as a result of growing up to the sounds of Olivia Newton John, Whitney Houston and Madonna. Influences aside, Enriquez is trying to create her own sound. "I know image is important, but I have to say that I'm not trying to be anything but myself," Enriquez says, "that's how I live my life true to my dreams and myself."

Jocelyn Enriquez will perform tonight at Finney Chapel at 8 p.m. Tickets are $5 with OCID, $8 for others.