Mishka Adams
February 16, 20062005 AWIT AWARDS ‘Best Performance by a New Female Recording Artist’ nominee,
20-year-old Mishka Adams started singing at around 13 when her mother (famed Filipino sculptor Agnes Arellano-Adams) taught her old folk songs.
Her interest in jazz came at the age of ten when she started saxophone lessons. At the age of 14 she was singing jazz standards with the school jazz trio. Mishka took to the music and styles of legendary jazz chanteuses Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday.
After eight years of boarding school in England and finishing her ‘A’ levels at Canterbury, United Kingdom, she flew back to the Philippines to continue her studies at UP Diliman College of Music – Major in saxophone.
Mishka was introduced at a major event “Jazz in Time” presenting UK sax legend Courtney Pine O.B.E. and Candid’s prime guitarist Cameron Pierre. Her impeccable rendition of Billie Holiday’s signature song ‘God Bless the Child’, earned her the admiration of the audience.
Candid Philippines asked for her demo, which was immediately submitted to Nieves Pascua-Bates. Her ‘video folio’ (courtesy of the British Council) was also sent to the UK for the final approval of Candid-UK CEO Alan Bates. In barely two weeks, the independent label signed the young artist, extending a multi-record deal which puts Mishka Adams alongside other world renowned jazz artists like American Jazz Diva Stacey Kent, English saxophonist Jim Tomlinson and singer Jamie Cullum.
AWIT AWARDS, the local equivalent of Grammy, also bestowed the young jazz chanteuse 2 more nominations including Best Album Package and Best Jazz Recording for her original ‘War of the Skies’ and ‘Mama’s Garden’.
