In mathematics, a power of two means a number of the form 2^''n'' where ''n'' is an integer, i.e. the result of exponentiation with as base the number two and as exponent the integer ''n''.

In a context where only integers are considered, ''n'' is restricted to non-negative values, so we have 1, 2, and 2 multiplied by itself a certain number of times.

Because two is the base of the binary numeral system, powers of two are common in computer science. Written in binary, a power of two always has the form 100…0 or 0.00…01, just like a power of ten in the decimal system.

Expressions and notations

Verbal expressions, mathematical notations, and computer programming expressions using a power operator or function include: : 2 to the power of n : 2 power n : power(2, n) : pow(2, n) : 2^''n'' : 2 ^ n : 2 ** n

Computer science

Two to the power of ''n'', written as 2^''n'', is the number of ways the bits in a binary integer of length ''n'' can be arranged; depending on the integer type these may represent partly positive and partly negative numbers and zero, or just non-negative ones. Either way, one less than a power of two is often the upper bound of an integer in binary computers. As a consequence, numbers of this form show up frequently in computer software. As an example, a video game running on an 8-bit system might limit the score or the number of items the player can hold to 255—the result of using a byte, which is 8 bits long, to store the number, giving a maximum value of 2⁸ − 1 = 255.

Powers of two are often used to measure computer memory. A byte is now considered to be eight bits (an octet, resulting in the possibility of 256 values (2⁸). (The term ''byte'' has been, and in some case continues to be, used to be a collection of bits, typically of 5 to 32 bits, rather than only an 8-bit unit.) The prefix ''kilo'', in conjunction with ''byte'', may be, and has traditionally been, used, to mean 1,024 (2¹⁰). However, in general, the term ''kilo'' has been used in the System International to mean 1,000 (10³. Binary prefixes have been standardised, such as ''kibi''' meaning 1,024. Nearly all processor registers have sizes that are powers of two, 32 or 64 being most common.

Powers of two occur in a range of other places as well. For many disk drives, at least one of the sector size, number of sectors per track, and number of tracks per surface is a power of two. The logical block size is almost always a power of two.

Numbers which are not powers of two occur in a number of situations such as video resolutions, but they are often the sum or product of only two or three powers of two, or powers of two minus one. For example, 640 = 512 + 128, and 480 = 32 × 15. Put another way, they have fairly regular bit patterns.

Mersenne primes

A prime number that is one less than a power of two is called a Mersenne prime. For example, the prime number 31 is a Mersenne prime because it is 1 less than 32 (2⁵). Similarly, a prime number (like 257) that is one more than a power of two is called a Fermat prime; the exponent will itself be a power of two. A fraction that has a power of two as its denominator is called a dyadic rational. The numbers that can be represented as sums of consecutive positive integers are called polite numbers; they are exactly the numbers that are not powers of two.

The first 72 powers of two

= = = = = = = = = = =

20	|align="right"| 1	bgcolor="white" rowspan=12		212	= >	bgcolor="white" rowspan=12		224	= >	bgcolor="white" rowspan=12		236	= >	bgcolor="white" rowspan=12		248	= >	bgcolor="white" rowspan=12		260	= >
21	|align="right"| 2	213		225		237		249		261
22	|align="right"| 4	214		226		238		250		262
23	|align="right"| 8	215		227		239		251		263
24	|align="right"| 16	216	= >	228	= >	240	= >	252	= >	264	= >
25	|align="right"| 32	217		229		241		253		265
26	|align="right"| 64	218		230		242		254		266
27	|align="right"| 128	219		231		243		255		267
28	|align="right"| 256	220	= >	232	= >	244	= >	256	= >	268	= >
29	|align="right"| 512	221		233		245		257		269
210	|align="right"|1,024	222		234		246		258		270
211		223		235		247		259		271

One can see that starting with 2 the last digit is periodic with period 4, with the cycle 2 4 8 6, and starting with 4 the last two digits are periodic with period 20. These patterns are generally true of any power, with respect to any base. The pattern continues, of course, where each pattern has starting point 2^''k'' length the multiplicative order of 2 modulo 5^''k''.

Powers of 1024

The first few powers of 2¹⁰ are a little more than those of 1000: {| |2¹⁰||=||align="left"|1 024||≈ 10³||align="right"|(2.3% error) |- |2²⁰||=||align="left"|1 048 576||≈ 10⁶||align="right"|(4.6% error) |- |2³⁰||=||align="left"|1 073 741 824||≈ 10⁹||align="right"|(6.9% error) |- |2⁴⁰||=||align="left"|1 099 511 627 776||≈ 10¹²||align="right"|(9.1% error) |- |2⁵⁰||=||align="left"|1 125 899 906 842 624||≈ 10¹⁵||align="right"|(11.2% error) |- |2⁶⁰||=||align="left"|1 152 921 504 606 846 976||≈ 10¹⁸||align="right"|(13.3% error) |- |2⁷⁰||=||align="left"|1 180 591 620 717 411 303 424||≈ 10²¹||align="right"|(15.3% error) |} See also IEEE 1541-2002.

Powers of two whose exponents are powers of two

Because data (specifically integers) and the addresses of data are stored using the same hardware, and the data is stored in one or more octets (2³), double exponentials of two are common. For example,

: 2¹ = 2 : 2² = 4 : 2⁴ = 16 : 2⁸ = 256 : 2¹⁶ = 65,536 : 2³² = 4,294,967,296 : 2⁶⁴ = 18,446,744,073,709,551,616 : 2¹²⁸ = 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,768,211,456 : 2²⁵⁶ = 115,792,089,237,316,195,423,570,985,008,687,907,853,269,984,665,640,564,039,457,584,007,913,129,639,936.

Several of these numbers represent the number of values representable using common computer data types. For example, a 32-bit word consisting of 4 bytes can represent 2³² distinct values, which can either be regarded as mere bit-patterns, or are more commonly interpreted as the unsigned numbers from 0 to 2³² − 1, or as the range of signed numbers between −2³¹ and 2³¹ − 1. Also see tetration and lower hyperoperations. For more about representing signed numbers see two's complement.

Some selected powers of two

; 2⁸ = 256 :The number of values represented by the 8 bits in a byte, also known as an octet. (The term byte is often defined as a collection of bits rather than the strict definition of an 8-bit quantity, as demonstrated by the term kilobyte.) ; 2¹⁰ = 1,024 : The binary approximation of the kilo-, or 1,000 multiplier, which causes a change of prefix. For example: 1,024 bytes = 1 kilobyte (or kibibyte). : This number has no special significance to computers, but is important to humans because we make use of powers of ten. ; 2¹² = 4,096 : The hardware page size of Intel x86 processor. ; 2¹⁶ = 65,536 : The number of distinct values representable in a single word on a 16-bit processor, such as the original x86 processors. : The maximum range of a short integer variable in the C, C++, C#, and Java programming languages. ; 2²⁰ = 1,048,576 : The binary approximation of the mega-, or 1,000,000 multiplier, which causes a change of prefix. For example: 1,048,576 bytes = 1 megabyte (or mibibyte). : This number has no special significance to computers, but is important to humans because we make use of powers of ten. ; 2²⁴ = 16,777,216 : The number of unique colors that can be displayed in truecolor, which is used by common computer monitors. : This number is the result of using the three-channel RGB system, with 8 bits for each channel, or 24 bits in total. ; 2³⁰ = 1,073,741,824 : The binary approximation of the giga-, or 1,000,000,000 multiplier, which causes a change of prefix. For example, 1,073,741,824 bytes = 1 gigabyte (or gibibyte). : This number has no special significance to computers, but is important to humans because we make use of powers of ten. ; 2³² = 4,294,967,296 : The number of distinct values representable in a single word on a 32-bit processor. Or, the number of values representable in a doubleword on a 16-bit processor, such as the original x86 processors. : The range of an int variable in the Java and C# programming languages. : The minimum range of a long integer variable in the C and C++ programming languages. : The total number of IP addresses under IPv4. Although this is a seemingly large number, IPv4 address exhaustion is imminent. : The total number of IPv6 addresses generally given to a local Internet registry. ; 2⁴⁰ = 1,099,511,627,776 : The binary approximation of the tera-, or 1,000,000,000,000 multiplier, which causes a change of prefix. For example, 1,099,511,627,776 bytes = 1 terabyte (or tebibyte). : This number has no special significance to computers, but is important to humans because we make use of powers of ten. ; 2⁶⁴ = 18,446,744,073,709,551,616 : The number of distinct values representable in a single word on a 64-bit processor. Or, the number of values representable in a doubleword on a 32-bit processor. Or, the number of values representable in a quadword on a 16-bit processor, such as the original x86 processors. : The range of a long variable in the Java and C# programming languages. : The total number of IPv6 addresses generally given to a single LAN or subnet. : One more than the number of grains of rice on a chessboard, according to the old story, where the first square contains one grain of rice and each succeeding square twice as many as the previous square. ; 2¹²⁸ = 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,768,211,456 : The total number of IP addresses available under IPv6. ; 2^43,112,609 − 1 = 316,470,269, …, 697,152,511 : The largest known prime number . It has 12,978,189 digits.

Fast algorithm to check if a positive number is a power of two

The binary representation of integers makes it possible to apply a very fast test to determine whether a given positive integer ''x'' is a power of two:

:positive ''x'' is a power of two $\backslash scriptstyle\backslash Leftrightarrow$ (''x'' & (''x'' − 1)) equals zero.

where ''&'' is a bitwise logical ''AND'' operator. Note that if ''x'' is 0, this incorrectly indicates that 0 is a power of two, so this check only works if ''x'' > 0.

Examples: {|border="0" |----- | −1 | = |1…111…1 | | −1 | = |1…111…111…1 |----- | x | = |0…010…0 |width="150px"| | y | = |0…010…010…0 |----- | x − 1 | = |0…001…1 | | y−1 | = |0…010…001…1 |----- | x & (x − 1) | = |0…000…0 | | y & (y − 1) | = |0…010…000…0 |} Proof of Concept: Proof uses the technique of contrapositive. Statement S: If x&(x-1) = 0 and x is an integer greater than zero then x = 2^k (where k is an integer such that k>=0).

Concept of Contrapositive: S1: P -> Q is same as S2: ~Q -> ~P In above statement S1 and S2 both are contrapositive of each other. So statement S can be re-stated as below S': If x is a positive integer and x ≠ 2^k (k is some non negative integer)then x&(x-1) ≠ 0 Proof: Since x ≠ 2^k then at least two bits of x are set.(Let's assume m bits are set.) Now bits of x - 1 are obtained by inverting all the bits of x upto first set bit of x is reached (from right hand side, this set bit inculsive). Now, we observe that expression x & (x-1) has all the bits zero upto the first set bit of x and since x & (x-1) has remaining bits same as x and x has at least two set bits hence predicate x & (x-1) ≠ 0 is true.

Fast algorithm to find a number modulo a power of two

As a generalization of the above, the binary representation of integers makes it possible to calculate the modulos of a non-negative integer (''x'') with a power of two (''y'') very quickly:

:''x'' modulo y $\backslash scriptstyle\backslash Leftrightarrow$ (''x'' & (''y'' − 1)).

where ''&'' is a bitwise logical ''AND'' operator. This bypasses the need to perform an expensive division. This is useful if the modulo operation is a significant part of the performance critical path as this can be much faster than the regular modulo operator.

Algorithm to convert any number into nearest power of two number

The following formula finds the nearest power of two, on a logarithmic scale, of a given value $x\; >\; 0$:

:$2^\{\backslash mathrm\{round\}[\backslash log\_2\; (x)]\}$

Computer pseudocode: pot = 2^roundup(log2(npot));

This should be distinguished from the nearest power of two on a linear scale. For example, 23 is nearer to 16 than it is to 32, but the previous formula rounds it to 32, corresponding to the fact that 23/16=1.4375, larger than 32/23=1.3913.

If $\backslash scriptstyle\; x$ is an integer value, following steps can be taken to find the nearest value (with respect to actual value rather than the binary logarithm) in a computer program: # Find the most significant bit $\backslash scriptstyle\; k$, that is set (''1'') from the binary representation of $\backslash scriptstyle\; x$, when $\backslash scriptstyle\; k\; \backslash ,=\backslash ,\; 0$ means the least significant bit # Assume that all bits are zero. Then, if bit $\backslash scriptstyle\; k-1$ is zero, the result is $\backslash scriptstyle\; 2^k$. Otherwise the result is $\backslash scriptstyle\; 2^\{k+1\}$.

A C++ version of this code for the unsigned integer type T would be: template T nearestpower2(T v) { int k; if (v == 0) return 1; for (k = sizeof(T) * 8 - 1; ((static_cast(1U) << k) & v) == 0; k--); if (((static_cast(1U) << (k - 1)) & v) == 0) return static_cast(1U) << k; return static_cast(1U) << (k + 1); }

Algorithm to round up to power of two

Sometimes it is desired to find the least power of two that is not less than a particular integer, ''n''. The pseudocode for an algorithm to compute the next-higher power of two is as follows. If the input is a power of two it is returned unchanged.

n = n - 1; n = n | (n >> 1); n = n | (n >> 2); n = n | (n >> 4); n = n | (n >> 8); n = n | (n >> 16); ... n = n | (n >> (bitspace / 2)); n = n + 1;

Where ''|'' is a binary or operator, ''>>'' is the binary right-shift operator, and bitspace is the size (in bits) of the integer space represented by n. For most computer architectures, this value is either 8, 16, 32, or 64. This operator works by setting all bits on the right-hand side of the most significant flagged bit to ''1'', and then incrementing the entire value at the end so it "rolls over" to the nearest power of two. An example of each step of this algorithm for the number 2689 is as follows:

! Binary representation	! Decimal representation
0101010000001	2,689
0101010000000	2,688
0111111000000	4,032
0111111110000	4,080
0111111111111	4,095
1000000000000	4,096

As demonstrated above, the algorithm yields the correct value of 4,096. It should be noted that the nearest power to 2,689 happens to be 2,048; however, this algorithm is designed only to give the ''next highest'' power of two to a given number, not the nearest power of two.

A C++ version of this code for the signed integer type T would be: template T nexthigher(T k) { k--; for (int i=1; i> i; return k+1; }

For unsigned integers, the code would be: template T nexthigher(T k) { if (k == 0) return 1; k--; for (int i=1; i> i; return k+1; }

Note: CHAR_BIT is defined in

Other properties

The number of vertices of an n-dimensional hypercube is 2ⁿ. Similarly, the number of (n − 1)-faces of an n-dimensional cross-polytope is also 2ⁿ and the formula for the number of x-faces an n-dimensional cross-polytope has is $\backslash scriptstyle\; 2^x\{n\backslash choose\; x\}$.

The sum of the reciprocals of the powers of two is 2. The sum of the reciprocals of the squared powers of two is 1⅓.

See also

Integer binary logarithm

References

Category:Integer sequences Category:Integers

ca:Potència de dos da:Toerpotens es:Potencia de dos eo:Nenegativa entjera potenco de 2 fr:Puissance de deux ko:2의 거듭제곱 it:Potenza di due ja:2の冪 no:Toerpotens simple:Power of two fi:Kahden potenssit sv:Tvåpotens zh:2的幂

Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
name	Cariza Yamson Seguerra
birth date	September 17, 1983
birth place	Manila, Philippines
occupation	Actress, Singer-songwriter, Guitarist
yearsactive	1987-present
website	}}

Cariza Yamson Seguerra better known as Aiza Seguerra (born 17 September 1983) is a Filipino actress, singer-songwriter and guitarist. She traces her roots from Calauag, Quezon.

Aiza started out as a contestant in Eat Bulaga!'s Little Miss Philippines 1987 and later a child star. After a few years of acting and a string of movies under her belt, her appeal as a child star lessened. She later made a comeback with her single, ''Pagdating ng Panahon'' (When the Time Comes).

Biography

She first appeared as a three-year-old contestant of Eat Bulaga!'s Little Miss Philippines. She subsequently became part of the show from 1987 to 1997.

She has appeared in more than 30 movies and TV shows to date. As a child star, she often got the cute roles and was selected as Vic Sotto ’s daughter in countless movies. She portrayed the role of Aiza Kabisote, daughter of Enteng Kabisote in Okey Ka Fairy Ko! from 1987 to 1997. She only appeared in six movies for Regal Films. At 14 she competed in Bong Revilla's Invitational Shootfest '98, and has won several awards in the sport.

Aiza reinvented herself in her late teens by showing her talent in music. She sings and plays the guitar. Her single ''Pagdating ng Panahon'' became a major hit in 2001 and it enabled her to start a music career.

Aiza won The Singing Bee on July 8, 2008 after Rachel Alejandro gave up her throne as defending champion due to other engagements. She defeated her co-contestant singer Bituin Escalante. Seguerra won P1,040,000 for a second time on July 10, raising her total winnings now to P 2,080,000.

Seguerra's new 10-track album features revivals of old hits - "Open Arms," "Time After Time," "Somewhere Over The Rainbow," "At Last," "Vincent," "Smooth Operator," "Home," "Journey," and "Longer." Aiza had also performed in Singapore for the Singapore Repertory Theatre presentation of the stage play "Avenue Q."

Personal life

Seguerra is the only daughter of Mr. Decoroso "Dick" Seguerra (of Calauag, Quezon) and Mrs. Caridad "Caring" Yamson-Seguerra (of Bicol Region).

She studied in Operation Brotherhood Montessori Center and later enrolled at the College of Fine Arts and Design of the University of Santo Tomas and acquired a college degree.

On August 18, 2007, Seguerra announced that she is a lesbian. She is currently in a long-term relationship with girlfriend Chen Sarte.

TV series

! Year	! Title	! Role	! TV Network
2010		Resident Judge	ABS-CBN
2010	Maalaala Mo Kaya: Kwintas	Myla	ABS-CBN
2010	Diz Iz It	Herself, as a judge in the segment "DiZ iZ Zayawan".	GMA Network
2009–Present	ASAP (variety show)	Herself, as a member of the group "Sessionistas"	ABS-CBN
2009	Isang Lahi	Cora Apurado	ABS-CBN
2009	Star Circle Kid Quest: Search for the Kiddie Idol- Sesson 3 (via Ruffa and Ai TV Program)	Council	ABS-CBN
2008	Pinoy Dream Academy: Little Dreamers	Resident Juror	ABS-CBN
2008		Contestant	ABS-CBN
2008	All Star K!	Contestant	GMA Network
	Tok! Tok! Tok! Isang Milyon Pasok!	Contestant	GMA Network
2007	Ysabella	Alex Mendoza	ABS-CBN
2006	Maalaala Mo Kaya: Juice	Baduday	ABS-CBN
2004	Hanggang Kailan	Gina	GMA Network
2004	Starstruck Kids	Starstruck Council	GMA Network
2002	Maalaala Mo Kaya: Songbook	Theresa/Atet	ABS-CBN
1987–1989; IBC, 1989–1994;	ABS-CBN, 1995–1996; GMA	Okay Ka, Fairy Ko!	Aiza Kabisote	IBC, ABS-CBN, GMA Network
1987–1989; RPN, 1989–1995;	ABS-CBN, 1995–1997; GMA	Eat Bulaga!	Herself	RPN, ABS-CBN, GMA Network

Other TV Guestings

! Date/Year	! TV Show	! Role	! TV Network
August 2009	Myx Presents: Aiza Seguerra: Live!	Aiza presents her newest live album at Teatrino Promenade	Myx
September 6, 2008	Salamat Dok!: Leukemia o Kanser Sa Dugo	Guest(Diet Police)/Season 18, Episode 11	ABS-CBN
April 1, 2008	Boy & Kris: Boy & Kris Episode # 182	Celebrity guests share their memorable summer experience.	ABS-CBN
May 10, 2008	That's My Doc: That's My Doc Episode # 40	Guest(Maria Elena)/Season 2, Episode 3	ABS-CBN
March 13, 2008		Contestant	ABS-CBN
September 18, 2007	Star Myx: Aiza Seguerra	Host, Guest celebrities gets to pick their top 5 music videos.	MYX
August 28, 2005	Laban o Bawi - Season 2005	Celebrity Guest	GMA
August 19, 2005	Kumikitang Kabuhayan: Philippine Eagle Conservation	Celebrity Guest, Naughty Strings Co-Owner	ABS-CBN

Filmography

! Year	! Title	! Role	! Director	! Producer/Company
2010	Si Agimat at si Enteng Kabisote	Aiza Kabisote
2009		Herself as performer (cameo)	Bb. Joyce E. Bernal	Spring Film Production
2009	Isang Lahi: Pearls from the Orient	Cora Apurado	J.P. Tanchanco	Tanchanco Trimedia Productions
2007	Enteng Kabisote 4: Okay Ka Fairy Ko...The Beginning of the Legend	Aiza Kabisote	Tony Y. Reyes	M-Zet Productions & OctoArts Films
2006	Enteng Kabisote 3: Okay ka, Fairy Ko: The Legend Goes on and on and on	Aiza Kabisote	Tony Y. Reyes	M-Zet Productions & OctoArts Films
2005	Enteng Kabisote 2: Okay Ka Fairy Ko: The Legend Continues	Aiza Kabisote	Tony Y. Reyes	M-Zet Productions & OctoArts Films
2004	Enteng Kabisote: Okay ka, Fairy Ko: The Legend	Aiza Kabisote	Tony Y. Reyes	M-Zet Productions & OctoArts Films
2002	Singsing ni Lola	Karen	Uro Q. dela Cruz	Regal Films
2001	Bahay ni Lola		Uro Q. dela Cruz	Regal Films
1997	Shake Rattle & Roll 6	Lilian	Maurice Carvajal & Anton Juan	Regal Films and MAQ Productions
1997	Computer Combat	Tammy	Junn P. Cabreira	MAQ Productions
1997	Manananggal in Manila	Timmy	Mario O'Hara	MAQ Productions & Regal Films
1995	Isang kahig, tatlong tuka... (Daddy ka na, Mommy ka pa!)		Jun Aristorenas	M-Zet Productions & Mahogany Pictures
1994	Paano na? Sa mundo ni Janet	Jing-Jing	Jose Carreon	Good Harvest Unlimited
1993	Hulihin: probinsiyanong mandurukot	Doray	Efren Jarlego	Regal Films
1993	Rocky Plus V	Toyota/Kulit	Tony S. Cruz	M-Zet Productions
1992	Shake Rattle & Roll 4	Nikkie	Peque Gallaga & Lore Reyes	Regal Films
1992	Aswang	Katlyn	Peque Gallaga & Lore Reyes	Regal Films
1992	Daddy Goon	Jennifer		Regal Films
1992	Dobol Dribol	Pepay	Tony S. Cruz	Regal Films
1992	Okey ka, fairy ko! II	Aiza Kabisote	Tony Y. Reyes
1991	Okey ka, fairy ko!	Aiza Kabisote	Tony Y. Reyes & Bert de Leon	Regal Films
1991	Goosebuster		Tony Y. Reyes	Regal Films
1990	I Have 3 Eggs		Luciano Carlos	Regal Films
1990	Papa's Girl	Angelita	Luciano Carlos	Regal Films
1990	Twist: Ako si ikaw, ikaw si ako	Chikinini	Efren Jarlego	Regal Films
1989	Aso't pusa		J. Erastheo Navoa	Viva Films
1988	Me and Ninja Liit	Butchiki	Junn P. Cabreira	Regal Films
1988	Good morning, titser
1988	Petrang Kabayo at ang Pilyang Kuting	Sugar	Luciano Carlos	Regal Films
1988	Super Inday and the Golden Bibe	Snow White	Luciano Carlos	Regal Films
1988	Wake Up, Little Susie	Susie	Luciano Carlos	Regal Films

Discography

! Year	! Title	! Producer	! Certification	! Notes
2010	Perhaps Love	Star Records/S2S Pte. Ltd.		Also released in Asian Countries
2009	AIZA SEGUERRA: Live!	Star Records	Gold	The first live album; includes a video CD
2008	Open Arms	Star Records/S2S Pte. Ltd.	Platinum	Also released in Asian Countries
2007	Para Lang Sa'Yo	Star Records	Gold	Inspired by soap opera Ysabella
2004	Covers Uncovered	Vicor Records
2003	Sabi Ng Kanta	Vicor Records	Gold
2003	A First! Live in Concert	Vicor Records	Gold
2002	The 25th of December	Vicor Records
2002	Pinakamamahal	Vicor Records	2x Platinum
2001	Pagdating Ng Panahon	Vicor Records	5x Platinum	Her song "Pagdating ng Panahon" won for the Best Pop Recording,	Best Produced Record of the Year, and	"Song of the Year award" in Awit Awards
1995	Little Star	Alpha Records

Awards

! Year	! Organization	! Category/Recipient(s)	! Result
2009	Awit Awards	Best Performance By a Female Recording Artist	For the song: Open Arms	Won
2009		PLATINUM FEMALE AWARDEE	For the album: Open Arms	Won
2009	Star Awards for Music	Acoustic Artist of the Year	For the album: Open Arms	Won
2009	MYX Music Awards	Favorite MYX Live Performance	Won
2002	Awit Awards	Best Performance by a Female Recording Artist	For the song: Pagdating ng Panahon	Won
2002	Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences Award (FAMAS)	Best Theme Song, for Pagdating ng Panahon Movie(2001)	For the song: Pagdating ng Panahon	Won
2002	Asian TV Awards	Best Dramatic Performance by an Actress	For: Maalaala Mo Kaya: Songbook	Won
2001	Quezon Medalya Ng Karangalan	Special Award	For: Music and Arts	Won
1993	Awit Awards	'''Best Performance By A Child/Children Recording Artist/s	For: Kahit Mayaman, Kahit Mahirap (Alpha Records)	Won
1992	Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences Award (FAMAS)	Best Child Performer	For: Okay ka, fairy ko! Part 2	Won
1992	Philippine Movie Press Club's Movie	Child Performer of the Year	For: Aswang	Won
1991	Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences Award (FAMAS)	Best Child Actress	For: Okay ka, fairy ko!	Won
1989	Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences Award (FAMAS)	Best Child Actress	For: Aso't pusa	Won
1988	Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences Award (FAMAS)	Best Child Actress	For: Wake Up Little Susie	Nominated

Theater

! Year	! Title	! Theatre	! Role
2002	The Rocky Horror Show	Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Towers	Eddie/Dr. Scott
2007	Avenue Q	Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Towers & Singapore Repertory Theatre	Gary Coleman
2010	Avenue Q	Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati.	Gary Coleman

References

External links

Category:People from Manila Category:People from Quezon City Category:Filipino actors Category:Filipino child actors Category:Filipino film actors Category:Filipino television actors Category:Filipino television personalities Category:Filipino female singers Category:Filipino pop singers Category:Filipino songwriters Category:Lesbian musicians Category:LGBT people from the Philippines Category:Living people Category:University of Santo Tomas alumni Category:1983 births

es:Aiza Seguerra tl:Aiza Seguerra

Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
name	Celine Dion
background	solo_singer
birth name	Céline Marie Claudette Dion
birth date	March 30, 1968
origin	Charlemagne, Quebec, Canada
instrument	Vocals
genre	Pop, dance-pop, pop rock, soft rock, adult contemporary
occupation	Singer, songwriter-composer, actress
years active	1980–present
label	Sony Music Canada, Epic, 550, Columbia
networth	over US$250 million (Jan. 2007)
website
associated acts	Andrea Bocelli, R. Kelly, Peabo Bryson, Barbra Streisand, the Bee Gees, Luciano Pavarotti }}

Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , (; born March 30, 1968), is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record. In 1990, she released the English-language album ''Unison'', establishing herself as a viable pop artist in North America and other English-speaking areas of the world.

Dion had first gained international recognition in the 1980s by winning both the 1982 Yamaha World Popular Song Festival and the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest. Following a series of French albums in the early 1980s, she signed on to CBS Records Canada in 1986. During the 1990s, with the help of Angélil, she achieved worldwide fame after signing with Epic Records and releasing several English albums along with additional French albums, becoming one of the most successful artists in pop music history. However, in 1999 at the height of her success, Dion announced a hiatus from entertainment in order to start a family and spend time with her husband, who had been diagnosed with cancer. She returned to the top of pop music in 2002 and signed a three-year (later extended to almost five years) contract to perform nightly in a five-star theatrical show at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas.

Dion's music has been influenced by genres ranging from rock and R&B; to gospel and classical. While her releases have often received mixed critical reception, she is renowned for her technically skilled and powerful vocals. Dion is the best-selling Canadian artist of all time, is the second best-selling female artist in the US during the Nielsen SoundScan era, and is the only female artist to have two singles sell more than a million copies in the UK. In addition, her 1995 album ''D'eux'', is the best-selling French-language album of all time. In 2004, after surpassing 175 million in album sales worldwide, she was presented with the Chopard Diamond Award at the World Music Awards for becoming the best-selling female artist of all time. According to Sony Music Entertainment, Dion has sold over 200 million albums worldwide.

Life and career

Childhood and early beginnings

The youngest of 14 children born to Adhémar Dion and Thérèse Tanguay, both of French-Canadian descent, Celine Dion was raised a Roman Catholic in a poverty-stricken, but, by her own account, happy home in Charlemagne, Quebec, Canada. Music had always been a part of the family (Dion was named after the song ''Céline'', recorded by French singer Hugues Aufray two years before her birth), as she grew up singing with her siblings in her parents' small piano bar called ''Le Vieux Baril''. From an early age Dion had dreamed of being a performer. In a 1994 interview with ''People'' magazine, she recalled, "I missed my family and my home, but I don't regret having lost my adolescence. I had one dream: I wanted to be a singer."

At age 12, Dion collaborated with her mother and her brother Jacques to compose her first song, "Ce n'était qu'un rêve" ("It Was Only a Dream"). Her brother Michel Dondalinger Dion sent the recording to music manager René Angélil, whose name he discovered on the back of a Ginette Reno album. Angélil was moved to tears by Dion's voice, and decided to make her a star. In 1981, he mortgaged his home to fund her first record, ''La voix du bon Dieu'' ("The Voice of the Good God"), which later became a local number-one hit and made Dion an instant star in Quebec. Her popularity spread to other parts of the world when she competed in the 1982 Yamaha World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo, Japan, and won the musician's award for "Top Performer" as well as the gold medal for "Best Song" with "Tellement j'ai d'amour pour toi" ("I Have So Much Love for You").

By 1983, in addition to becoming the first Canadian artist to receive a gold record in France for the single "D'amour ou d'amitié" ("Of Love or of Friendship"), Dion had also won several Félix Awards, including "Best Female performer" and "Discovery of the Year". Further success in Europe, Asia, and Australia came when Dion represented Switzerland in the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest with the song ''Ne partez pas sans moi'' (''Don't Go Without Me'') and won the contest by a close margin in Dublin, Ireland. However, American success was yet to come, partly because she was exclusively a Francophone artist. At eighteen, after seeing a Michael Jackson performance, Dion told Angélil that she wanted to be a star like Jackson. Though confident in her talent, Angélil realized that her image needed to be changed in order for her to be marketed worldwide. Dion receded from the spotlight for a number of months, during which she underwent dental surgery to improve her appearance, and was sent to the École Berlitz in 1989 to polish her English.

In 1989, during a concert on ''Incognito Tour'', Dion injured her voice. She consulted the otorhinolaryngologist William Gould. He gave her an ultimatum: have surgery on her vocal cords, or not utilize them at all for three weeks. The album was largely influenced by 1980s soft rock music that quickly found a niche within the adult contemporary radio format. ''Unison'' also hit the right notes with critics: Jim Faber of ''Entertainment Weekly'' wrote that Dion's vocals were "tastefully unadorned", and that she never attempted to "bring off styles that are beyond her". Stephen Erlewine of ''Allmusic'' declared it as, "a fine, sophisticated American debut." Singles from the album included "(If There Was) Any Other Way", "The Last to Know", "Unison", and "Where Does My Heart Beat Now", a mid-tempo soft-rock ballad which made prominent use of the electric guitar. The latter became her first single to reach the top-ten on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100, peaking at number-four. The album established Dion as a rising singer in the United States, and across Continental Europe and Asia.

In 1991, Dion was also a soloist in ''Voices That Care'', a tribute to American troops fighting in Operation Desert Storm. Dion's real international breakthrough came when she duetted with Peabo Bryson on the title track to Disney's animated film ''Beauty and the Beast'' (1991). The song captured a musical style that Dion would utilize in the future: sweeping, classically influenced ballads with soft instrumentation. Both a critical and commercial hit, the song became her second U.S. top-ten single, and won the Academy Award for Best Song, and the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. "Beauty and the Beast" was featured on Dion's 1992 self-titled album, which, like her debut, had a strong rock influence combined with elements of soul and classical music. Owing to the success of the lead-off single and her collaboration with Foster and Diane Warren, the album was as well received as ''Unison''. Other singles that achieved moderate success included "If You Asked Me To" (a cover of Patti LaBelle's song from the 1989 movie ''Licence to Kill'') which peaked at number-four on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100, the gospel-tinged "Love Can Move Mountains", and "Nothing Broken But My Heart".

As with Dion's earlier releases, the album had an overtone of love. Also during this time, Dion released the Francophone album ''Dion chante Plamondon'' in 1991. The album consisted mostly of covers, but included 4 new songs, which included "Des mots qui sonnent", "Je danse dans ma tête", "Quelqu'un que j'aime, quelqu'un qui m'aime" and "L'amour existe encore". It was originally released in Canada and France during the 1991–1992 period, but then got an international release in 1994, the first French Celine Dion album to do so. "Un garçon pas comme les autres (Ziggy)" became a smash hit in France, reaching number-two and being certified gold. In Quebec, the album was certified Gold the day it was released.

By 1992 ''Unison'', ''Céline Dion'', and media appearances had propelled Dion to superstardom in North America. She had achieved one of her main objectives: wedging her way into the Anglophone market and achieving fame. However, while she was experiencing rising success in the U.S., her French fans in Canada criticized her for neglecting them. She would later regain her fan base at the Félix Award show, where, after winning "English Artist of the Year", she openly refused to accept the award. She asserted that she was—and would always be—a French, not an English, artist. Apart from her commercial success, there were also changes in Dion's personal life, as Angélil, who was twenty-six years her senior, transitioned from manager to lover. However, the relationship was kept a secret as they both feared that the public would find their relations inappropriate.

Popularity established: 1993–1995

In 1993, Dion announced her feelings for her manager by declaring him "the colour of [her] love" in the dedication section of her third English-language album ''The Colour of My Love''. However, instead of criticizing their relationship as Dion had feared, fans embraced the couple. Eventually, Angélil and Dion married in an extravagant wedding ceremony in December 1994, which was broadcast live on Canadian television.

As it was dedicated to her manager, the album's motif focused on love and romance. It became her most successful record up to that point, selling more than six million copies in the U.S., two million in Canada, and peaking at number-one in many countries. The album also spawned Dion's first U.S., Canadian, and Australian number-one single "The Power of Love" (a remake of Jennifer Rush's 1985 hit), which would become her signature hit until she reached new career heights in the late 1990s. The single "When I Fall in Love", a duet with Clive Griffin, achieved moderate success on the U.S. and Canadian charts, and was nominated for two Grammy Awards, winning one. ''The Colour of My Love'' also became Dion's first major hit in Europe, and in particular the United Kingdom. Both the album and the single "Think Twice" simultaneously occupied the top of the British charts for five consecutive weeks. "Think Twice", which remained at number-one for seven weeks, eventually became the fourth single by a female artist to sell in excess of one million copies in the UK, while the album was eventually certified five-times platinum for two-million copies sold.

Dion kept to her French roots and continued to release many Francophone recordings between each English record. Generally, they achieved more credibility than her English-language works. She released ''À l'Olympia'', a live album that was recorded during one of Dion's concerts at the Paris Olympia in 1994. It had one promotional single, a live version of "Calling You", which peaked at seventy-five on the French Singles Chart. She also recorded a bilingual version of Petit Papa Noël with Alvin and the Chipmunks for the 1994 holiday album ''A Very Merry Chipmunk''. ''D'eux'' (also known as ''The French Album'' in the United States), was released in 1995, and it would go on to become the best-selling French-language album of all time. The album was mostly written and produced by Jean-Jacques Goldman, and amassed huge success with the singles "Pour que tu m'aimes encore" and "Je sais pas". "Pour que tu m'aimes encore" reached number 1 in France and stayed at the top position for twelve weeks. It was later certified Platinum in France. The single also reached the top ten in the UK and Ireland, a rare accomplishment for a French song. The second single off the album, "Je sais pas", reached number-one on the French Singles Chart as well and was certified Silver in France. These songs would later become "If That's What It Takes" and "I Don't Know" on Dion's next English album, ''Falling into You''.

During the mid-1990s, Dion's albums continued to be constructed on the basis of melodramatic ballads, but also with up-tempo pop and adult contemporary themed music. She collaborated with talented craftsman such as Jim Steinman and David Foster who helped her devise more adult contemporary songs. While critical reviews fluctuated, Dion's releases performed increasingly well on the international charts, and in 1996 she won the World Music Award for "World’s Best-selling Canadian Female Recording Artist of the Year" for the third time. By the mid-1990s, she had established herself as one of the best-selling artists in the world.

Worldwide commercial success: 1996–1999

''Falling into You'' (1996), Dion's fourth English-language album, presented the singer at the height of her popularity, and showed a further progression of her music. In an attempt to reach a wider audience, the album combined many elements, such as complex orchestral sounds, African chanting and elaborate musical effects. Additionally, instruments like the violin, Spanish guitar, trombone, the cavaquinho and saxophone created a new sound. The singles encompassed a variety of musical styles. The title track "Falling into You" and "River Deep, Mountain High" (a Tina Turner cover) made prominent use of percussion instruments; "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" (a remake of Jim Steinman's song) and a remake of Eric Carmen's "All by Myself" kept their soft-rock atmosphere, but were combined with the classical sound of the piano; and the number-one single "Because You Loved Me", which was written by Diane Warren, was a ballad that served as the theme to the 1996 film ''Up Close & Personal''.

''Falling into You'' garnered career-best reviews for Dion. While Dan Leroy wrote that it was not very different from her previous work, and Stephen Holden of ''The New York Times'' and Natalie Nichols of the ''Los Angeles Times'' wrote that the album was formulaic, other critics, such as Chuck Eddy of ''Entertainment Weekly'', Stephen Thomas Erlewine of ''AMG'' and Daniel Durchholz, lavished the album as "compelling", "passionate", "stylish", "elegant" and "remarkably well-crafted". ''Falling Into You'' became Dion's most critically and commercially successful album: it topped the charts in many countries and became one of the best-selling albums of all time. In the United States, the album reached number-one, and was later certified 11x Platinum for over 11 million copies shipped. In Canada, the album was certified diamond for over one million copies shipped. The IFPI certified ''Falling into You'' 9x Platinum, an accolade that has been given to only two other albums in history, with one of the two being Dion's own album, ''Let's Talk About Love''. The album also won Grammy Awards for Best Pop Album, and the academy's highest honor Album of the Year. Dion's status on the world stage was further solidified when she was asked to perform "The Power of the Dream" at the opening ceremonies of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. In March 1996, Dion launched the Falling into You Tour in support of her new album, giving concerts around the world for over a year.

Dion followed ''Falling into You'' with ''Let's Talk About Love'' (1997), which was publicized as its sequel. The recording process took place in London, New York City, and Los Angeles, and featured a host of special guests, such as Barbra Streisand on "Tell Him"; the Bee Gees on "Immortality"; and world-renowned tenor Luciano Pavarotti on "I Hate You Then I Love You". Other musicians included Carole King, Sir George Martin, Bryan Adams and Jamaican singer Diana King, who added a reggae tinge to "Treat Her Like a Lady". As with ''Falling into You'', ''Let's Talk About Love'' was a major success for Dion, reaching number-one all over the world, attaining platinum status in twenty-four sales territories, and becoming Dion's fastest selling album of her career. In the United States, the album topped the chart in its seventh week of release, and was later certified 10x Platinum in the U.S. for over 10 million copies shipped. In Canada, the album sold 230,212 copies in its first week of release, which became, and still is, a record. It was eventually certified diamond in Canada for over 1 million copies shipped. The most successful single from the album became the classically influenced ballad "My Heart Will Go On", which was written and composed by James Horner and Will Jennings, and produced by Horner and Walter Afanasieff. Serving as the love theme for the 1997 blockbuster film ''Titanic'', the song topped the charts across the world, and became Dion's signature song; as well as winning the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Song. The song also gave Dion two Grammy Awards for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" and the most coveted "Record of the Year", (the song itself won four awards, but two were presented to the songwriters). "My Heart Will Go On" and "Think Twice" made her the only female artist in the UK to have two singles to sell more than a million copies. In support of her album, Dion embarked on the Let's Talk About Love Tour between 1998 and 1999.

Dion ended the 1990s with three more extremely successful albums—the Christmas album ''These Are Special Times'' (1998), the French-language album, ''S'il suffisait d'aimer'', and the compilation album ''All the Way... A Decade of Song'' (1999). On ''These Are Special Times'', Dion became more involved in the writing process. She co-wrote the song, ''Don't Save It All For Christmas Day'' along with Ric Wake and Peter Zizzo. The album was her most classically influenced yet, with orchestral arrangements found on virtually every track. "I'm Your Angel", a duet with R. Kelly, became Dion's fourth U.S. number one single, and another hit single across the world. ''All the Way... A Decade of Song'' drew together her most successful hits coupled with seven new songs, including the lead off single "That's the Way It Is", a cover of Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", and "All the Way", a duet with Frank Sinatra. The album itself was also extremely successful worldwide, reaching number-one in the United States for three weeks. The album was later certified 7x Platinum in the U.S. for 7 million copies shipped. ''All the Way... A Decade of Song'' also topped the charts in the UK, Canada, and Australia. Her last French-language studio album of the 1990s, ''S'il suffisait d'aimer'', was very successful as well, topping the charts in every major French-speaking country, including France, Switzerland, Belgium Wallonia, and Canada. By the end of the 1990s, Celine Dion had sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, and had won a slew of industry awards. Her status as one of the music industry's biggest pop divas was further solidified when she was asked to perform on VH1's ''Divas Live'' special in 1998, with superstars Aretha Franklin, Gloria Estefan, Shania Twain and Mariah Carey. That year she also received two of the highest honours from her home country: "Officer of the Order of Canada for Outstanding Contribution to the World of Contemporary Music" and "Officer of the National Order of Quebec". A year later she was inducted into the Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame, and was honoured with a star on Canada's Walk of Fame.

During this time, the pop-rock genre that was more noticeable in her earlier releases, was replaced by a more adult contemporary feel. However, the theme of "love" remained in most of her releases, which led to some critics dismissing her music as banal. Other critics, like Elysa Gardner and Jose F. Promis, praised her vocals during this period, describing it as a "technical marvel". However, others, like Steve Dollar, who reviewed ''These Are Special Times'', stated that Dion is a "vocal Olympian for whom there ain't no mountain—or scale—high enough."

Career break: 2000–2002

After releasing and promoting thirteen albums during the 1990s, Dion stated that she needed to settle down, and announced on her latest album ''All the Way... A Decade of Song'', that she needed to take a step back from the spotlight and enjoy life. Angélil's diagnosis with throat cancer also prompted her to hiatus. While on break, Dion was unable to escape the spotlight. In 2000, the ''National Enquirer'' published a false story about the singer. Brandishing a picture of Dion and her husband, the magazine misquoted Dion, printing the headline, "Celine — 'I'm Pregnant With Twins!'" Dion later sued the magazine for more than twenty million dollars. The editors of the ''Enquirer'' printed an apology and a full retraction to Dion in the next issue, and donated money to the American Cancer Society in honor of Dion and her husband. A year after the incident, after undergoing fertility treatments, Dion gave birth to a son, René-Charles Dion Angélil, on January 25, 2001, in Florida. Following the September 11, 2001, attacks, Dion returned to the music scene, and in a televised performance sang "God Bless America" at the benefit concert America: A Tribute to Heroes. Chuck Taylor of ''Billboard'' wrote, "the performance... brings to mind what has made her one of the celebrated vocalists of our time: the ability to render emotion that shakes the soul. Affecting, meaningful, and filled with grace, this is a musical reflection to share with all of us still searching for ways to cope." In December 2001, Dion published her autobiography, ''My Story, My Dream'' which chronicled her rags to riches story.

Return to music: 2002–2003

Dion's aptly titled ''A New Day Has Come'', released in March 2002, ended her three-year break from the music industry. The album was Dion's most personal yet, and established a more mature side of Dion with the songs "A New Day Has Come", "I'm Alive", and "Goodbye's (The Saddest Word)", a change that resulted from her new-found maternal responsibilities, because, in her own words, "becoming a mother makes you a grown-up." She stated, "''A New Day Has Come'', for Rene, for me, is the baby. It has everything to do with the baby...That song "A New Day Has Come" represents very well the mood I'm feeling right now. It represents the whole album." ''A New Day Has Come'' debuted at number one in over 17 countries, including the United Kingdom and Canada. In the United States, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, with first week sales of 527,000 copies; marking her first number one debut on the chart. It was eventually certified 3x Platinum in the United States, and 6x Platinum in Canada.

While the album was commercially successful, critical reviews suggested that it was "forgettable" and the lyrics were "lifeless". Both Rob Sheffield of ''Rolling Stone'' magazine, and Ken Tucker of ''Entertainment Weekly'', stated that Dion's music had not matured during her break, and classed her music as trite and mediocre. Sal Cinquemani of ''Slant'' magazine called the album "a lengthy collection of drippy, gooey pop fluffer-nutter." The first single off the album, ''A New Day Has Come'' peaked at No.22 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, being an airplay-only release. On the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks, however the song spent 21 consecutive weeks at number 1, breaking the record for the longest span at the top. The previous record holders were Phil Collins' ''You'll Be in My Heart'' and Dion's own ''Because You Loved Me,'' both of which lasted nineteen weeks at number 1. During 2002, she performed for many benefit concerts, the famous VH1 Divas Live, a concert to benefit the VH1 Save The Music Foundation, alongside Cher, Anastacia, Dixie Chicks, Mary J. Blige, Whitney Houston, Cyndi Lauper, Shakira and Stevie Nicks.

Drawing inspiration from personal experiences, Dion released ''One Heart'' (2003), an album that represented her appreciation for life. The album largely consisted of dance music—a deviation from the soaring, melodramatic ballads, for which she had once been given mixed reception. Although the album achieved moderate success, ''One Heart'' was met with mixed criticism, and words such as "predictable" and "banal" appeared even in the most lenient reviews. A cover of the 1989 Cyndi Lauper hit "I Drove All Night", released to launch her new advertising campaign with Chrysler, incorporated dance-pop and rock and roll. The advertising deal itself, however was met with mixed criticism, with some stating that Dion was trying to please her sponsors. However, people like Bonita Stewart, who was the director of Chrysler Group Marketing Communications stated that "Chrysler was taken by how her appeal crossed ethnic lines." She also added, "She brings sophistication, refinement, romance and passion to the brand."

After ''One Heart'', Dion released her next English Language studio album, ''Miracle'' (2004). ''Miracle'' was a multimedia project conceived by Dion and photographer Anne Geddes, and had a theme centering on babies and motherhood. The album was filled with lullabies and other songs of maternal love and inspiration, the two most popular being covers of Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" and John Lennon's "Beautiful Boy". The reviews for ''Miracle'' were mixed. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic.com gave the album three of out five stars, stating, "The worst you can say about the record is that there are no surprises, but the audience for this record doesn't want surprises; they want comfort, whether it arrives in polished music or artsy photos of newborns, and Miracle provides both, which makes it appealing for those expectant or new mothers in Dion's audience. Chuck Taylor of ''Billboard'' magazine wrote that the single "Beautiful Boy" was "an unexpected gem" and called Dion "a timeless, enormously versatile artist", Chuck Arnold of ''People'' Magazine, however, labeled the album as excessively sentimental, while Nancy Miller of ''Entertainment Weekly'' opined that "the whole earth-mama act is just opportunism, reborn". ''Miracle'' debuted at number four on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart and number one in Canada , and was eventually certified platinum by the RIAA.

The Francophone album ''1 fille & 4 types'' (''1 Girl & 4 Guys''), released in October 2003, fared better than her first two releases, and showed Dion trying to distance herself from the "diva" image. She recruited Jean-Jacques Goldman, Gildas Arzel, Eric Benzi, and Jacques Veneruso, with whom she had previously worked on two of her best-selling French albums ''S'il suffisait d'aimer'' and ''D'eux''. Labeled "the album of pleasure" by Dion herself, the album cover showed Dion in a simple and relaxed manner, contrary to the choreographed poses usually found on her album covers. The album achieved widespread commercial success in France, Canada, and Belgium where it reached number one. In France, the album debuted at number one and was later certified 2x platinum after selling over 700,000 copies. Critic, Stephen Erlewine of ''AllMusic'' wrote that Dion's vocals "are back at top of their game" and that she was "getting back to pop basics and performing at a level unheard in a while."

Though her albums were commercially successful, they did not achieve the sales or the reception of her previous works. Albums like ''The Collector's Series, Volume One'' (2000), and ''One Heart'' (2003) did not perform as well critically. Her songs received less airplay as radio became less embracing of balladeers like Dion, Carey, and Houston, and was focused on more up-tempo, Urban/Hip-hop songs. However, by 2004, Dion had accumulated sales of more than 175 million albums worldwide, and received the Chopard Diamond Award from the World Music Awards for her achievements. According to the official World Music Awards website, the award is rare; it's not even "presented every year" and an artist can only be presented with the award for selling "over 100 million albums during their career."

''A New Day... Live in Las Vegas'': 2003–2007

In early 2002 Dion had announced a three-year, 600-show contract to appear five nights a week in an entertainment extravaganza, ''A New Day...'', at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas. This move was seen as "one of the smartest business decisions in years by any major recording artist". She conceived the idea for the show after seeing ''O'' by Franco Dragone early in her break from recording, and began on March 25, 2003, in a 4,000-seat arena designed for her show. Many stars attended opening night including Dick Clark, Alan Thicke, Kathy Griffin, and Justin Timberlake, who hosted the television special. The show, put together by Dragone, was a combination of dance, music, and visual effects. It included Dion performing her biggest hits against an array of dancers and special effects. Reviewer Mike Weatherford felt that, at first, Dion was not as relaxed as she should be, and at times, it was hard to find the singer among the excessive stage ornamentations and dancers. However, he noted that the show had become more enjoyable, due to Dion's improved stage-presence and simpler costumes.

The show was also well-received by audiences, despite the complaints of expensive tickets; the show routinely sold out until its end in late 2007. Ticket prices averaged $135.33. The show was choreographed by Mia Michaels, who is a world renowned choreographer. According to ''Pollstar'', Dion sold 322,000 tickets and grossed US$43.9 million in the first half of 2005, and by July 2005, she had sold out 315 out of 384 shows. By the end of 2005, Dion grossed more than US$76 million, placing sixth on ''Billboard's Money Makers list for 2005''. ''A New Day...'' was the 6th biggest selling tour in America in 2006. Because of the show's success, Dion's contract was extended into 2007 for an undisclosed sum. On January 5, 2007 it was announced that the show would end on December 15, 2007, with tickets for the period after October 2007 having gone on sale from March 1. During its entire run, the show accumulated a total gross of $400 million, while being seen by nearly 3 million fans. The ''Live in Las Vegas - A New Day...'' DVD was released on December 10, 2007 in Europe and the following day in North America.

Back to studio and world tour: 2007–2009

Dion's latest French language album, ''D'elles'' ''(About Them)'', released on May 21, 2007, debuted at the top of the Canadian album charts, selling 72,200 copies in its first week. It marked her tenth number-one album in the SoundScan era, and her eighth to debut at the top position. In Canada, the album has been certified 2× platinum, and within the first week had already shipped half a million units worldwide. ''D'Elles'' also reached No. 1 in France and Belgium. The first single "Et s'il n'en restait qu'une (je serais celle-là)" (meaning "And If There Was Only One Woman Left (I Would Be That One)") debuted at the top of the French singles chart a month earlier. She released her latest English album ''Taking Chances'' on November 12 in Europe, and on the November 13 in North America. Her first English studio album since 2003's ''One Heart'', it features pop, R&B;, and rock inspired music. Dion has collaborated with John Shanks and ex-Evanescence guitarist Ben Moody, as well as Kristian Lundin, Peer Astrom, Linda Perry, Japanese singer Yuna Ito, and R&B; singer-songwriter Ne-Yo. Dion stated, "I think this album represents a positive evolution in my career ... I'm feeling strong, maybe a little gutsier than in the past, and just as passionate about music and life as I ever was." She launched her year-long worldwide Taking Chances Tour on February 14, 2008 in South Africa, performing 132 dates in stadiums and arenas across five continents.

The Taking Chances Tour was a great success in the United States, reaching the Number 1 spot on the ''Billboard'' Boxscore and it sold out every concert in the U.S. and Canada. In addition, she appeared on Idol Gives Back for a second year in a row. Céline Dion was nominated for six Juno Awards in 2008, leading the group of Canadians to receive this honour,and adding to her 53 previous nominations. Her nominations included Artist of the Year, Pop Album of the Year (for ''Taking Chances''), Francophone Album of the Year (for ''D'elles'') and Album of the Year (for both ''Taking Chances'' and ''D'elles''). The following year, Dion was nominated for 3 Juno Awards including the Fan Choice Award, Song of the Year (for ''Taking Chances''), and Music DVD of the Year (for ''Live in Las Vegas — A New Day...'')

On August 22, 2008, Celine Dion presented a free show, exclusively francophone, outside on the Plains of Abraham, in Quebec City, Canada, for the 400th anniversary of Quebec City. The celebration gathered approximately 490,000 people (total with TV broadcast). The concert, called ''Céline sur les Plaines'', was released on DVD on November 11, 2008 in Quebec and was released on May 20, 2009 in France. The end of October saw the worldwide release of her first ever comprehensive English greatest hits album called ''My Love: Essential Collection'', available in two different album formats.

In May 2009, Celine Dion was named the 20th best-selling artist of the decade in the United States and the second-best-selling female artist of the decade in the United States, selling an estimated 17.57 million albums. In June 2009, ''Forbes'' reported that Dion earned $100 million during 2008. In December 2009, Pollstar announced that Dion was the best-selling solo touring act of the decade and the second-best-selling touring act of the decade, only to the Dave Matthews Band. Dion grossed $522.2 million during the decade, a large sum of that coming from her five-year residence at Caesars Palace.

Concert film and video release: late 2009–2010

On February 17, 2010 Dion released into theatres a documentary film about her ''Taking Chances Tour'', titled, ''Celine: Through the Eyes of the World''. The documentary shows behind-the-scenes footage of Dion both onstage and offstage, along with footage of Dion with her family as they traveled with her. The distributor is the Sony Pictures subsidiary, Hot Ticket. The film was later released on Blu-ray and DVD on May 4, 2010, along with the CD/DVD, ''Taking Chances World Tour: The Concert'', which chronicled her world tour of the same name. At the 52nd Grammy Awards in February 2010, Dion joined Carrie Underwood, Usher, Jennifer Hudson and Smokey Robinson to perform the song "Earth Song" during the 3-D Michael Jackson tribute.

In January 2010, ''The Los Angeles Times'' presented its annual list of the top ten largest earners of the year, revealing that Dion took the top spot for the entire decade, with $US747.9 million in total revenue from 2000–2009. The largest haul came from ticket sales, totaling $522.2 million. Additionally, Dion was named "Artist of the Decade" in her native Canadian province of Quebec, announced by the Montreal-based newspaper, ''Le Journal de Quebec'' in 2009 December. A public online survey asked responders to vote for who they believe deserved the above-mentioned accolade.

Furthermore, in a May 2010 Harris Poll, Dion was named the most popular musician in the United States, ahead of U2, Elvis Presley, and The Beatles, while factoring in gender, political affiliations, geographic region of residence, and income. Specifically, Dion was the most popular musician in the female demographic, as well as among all Democrats, those who live in the eastern United States and southern United States, and those who have incomes between US$35k and US$74.9k.

In September 2010, she released the single "Voler", a duet with French singer Michel Sardou. The song was later included on Sardou's album. In addition, it was announced in October 2010 that Dion wrote and composed a new song for Canadian singer, Marc Dupré entitled "Entre deux mondes".

New Las Vegas show: 2011–present

In an interview with ''People Magazine'' published in February 2010, Dion announced that she will be returning to Caesars Palace in Las Vegas for ''Celine'', a three-year residency for seventy shows a year, beginning March 15, 2011. She stated that the show will feature, "all the songs from my repertoire that people want to hear" and will contain a selection of music from classic Hollywood films. Dion has also announced that she is working on two new studio albums, in French and English.

In preparation for her return to Las Vegas, Dion, on February 21 made an appearance on the "Oprah Winfrey Show" during the show's final season, and spoke about her upcoming Caesars Palace shows, as well as her family. Additionally, for a record sixth time, Dion performed at the 83rd Academy Awards, where she sang the song "Smile," as part of the ceremony's "In Memoriam" segment.

Personal life

Dion first met her husband and manager, Rene Angelil in 1980, when she was 12 and he was 38, after she and her mother sent him a demo tape of a song they had written. They began a relationship in 1987, and became engaged in 1991. They married on December 17, 1994, at the Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal, Quebec. On January 5, 2000, Dion and Angelil renewed their wedding vows in Las Vegas.

In May 2000, Dion had two small operations at a fertility clinic in New York to improve her chances of conceiving, after deciding to use in-vitro fertilisation after years of failed attempts to conceive. Their first child, Rene-Charles Angelil, was born on January 25, 2001. In May 2010, Angelil announced that Dion was 14 weeks pregnant with twins after a sixth treatment of in-vitro fertilisation. On Saturday, October 23, 2010, at 11:11 and 11:12 am respectively, at St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, Dion, by Caesarean section, gave birth to two healthy fraternal twins weighing 5 pounds 10 ounces and 5 pounds 4 ounces. The twins were named Eddy, after Dion's favorite Algerian songwriter Eddy Marnay, and Nelson, after former South African President Nelson Mandela. Dion appeared with her newborn sons on the cover of the December 9, 2010 issue of the Canadian edition of ''Hello!'' magazine.

On October 15, 2010, Céline Dion was nominated Goodwill Ambassador of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Artistry and image

Dion grew up listening to the music of Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Carole King, Anne Murray, Barbra Streisand, and the Bee Gees, all of whom she would eventually collaborate with. Dion has also stated she grew up listening to artists such as Janis Joplin, the Doobie Brothers, and Creedence Clearwater Revival, but never got the chance to sing their genre of music. She also was inspired by fellow vocalist Whitney Houston, whom Dion has often been compared to. Her music has been influenced by numerous genres, including pop, rock, gospel, R&B; and soul, and her lyrics focus on themes of poverty, world hunger, and spirituality, with an emphasis on love and romance. After the birth of her child, her work also began to emphasize maternal bond and brotherly love.

Dion has faced considerable criticism from critics, who state that her music often retreats behind pop and soul conventions, and is marked by excessive sentimentality. According to Keith Harris of ''Rolling Stone'' magazine, "[Dion's] sentimentality is bombastic and defiant rather than demure and retiring....[she] stands at the end of the chain of drastic devolution that goes Aretha-Whitney-Mariah. Far from being an aberration, Dion actually stands as a symbol of a certain kind of pop sensibility—bigger is better, too much is never enough, and the riper the emotion the more true." Dion's francophone releases, by contrast, tend to be deeper and more varied than her English releases, and consequently have achieved more credibility.

Critics have stated that Dion's involvement in the production aspect of her music is fundamentally lacking, which results in her work being overproduced and impersonal. However, coming from a family in which all of her siblings were musicians, she learned to play instruments like piano and guitar, and practiced with a Fender Stratocaster during the recording sessions of her album, ''Falling into You''. Also, she helped to compose many of her earlier French songs, and had always tried to involve herself with the production and recording of her albums. On her first English album, which she recorded before she had a firm command of the English language, she expressed disapproval of the record, which could have been avoided if she had assumed more creative input. By the time she released her second English album ''Celine Dion'', she had assumed more control of the production and recording process, hoping to dispel earlier criticisms. She stated, "On the second album I said, 'Well, I have the choice to be afraid one more time and not be 100% happy, or not be afraid and be part of this album.' This is my album." She would continue to involve herself in the production of subsequent releases, helping to write a few of her songs on ''Let's Talk About Love'' (1997) and ''These Are Special Times'' (1998).

Dion is often the subject of media ridicule and parody, and is frequently impersonated on shows like ''MADtv'', ''Saturday Night Live'', ''South Park'', ''Royal Canadian Air Farce'' and ''This Hour Has 22 Minutes'' for her strong accent and on-stage movements. However, Dion has stated that she is unaffected by the comments, and is flattered that people take the time to impersonate her. She even invited Ana Gasteyer, who parodied her on SNL, to appear on stage during one of her performances. While she is rarely politically outspoken, in 2005 following the Hurricane Katrina disaster, Dion appeared on ''Larry King Live'' and tearfully criticized the U.S. government's slow response in aiding the victims of the hurricane: "There's people still there waiting to be rescued. To me that is not acceptable...How can it be so easy to send planes in another country to kill everybody in a second and destroy lives. We need to serve our country." After her interview, she stated, "When I do interviews with Larry King or the big TV shows like that, they put you on the spot, which is very difficult. I do have an opinion, but I'm a singer. I'm not a politician."

Voice

Dion is often regarded as one of pop music's most influential voices. She has been described as a reigning "Queen of Pop" for her influence over the record industry during the 1990s, alongside other female entertainers, including Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. In a countdown of the "22 Greatest Voices in Music" by ''Blender Magazine'' and MTV, she placed ninth (sixth for a female), and she was also placed fourth in ''Cove'' magazine's list of "The 100 Outstanding Pop Vocalists." Dion is often compared to Mariah Carey for her vocal style and to her idol, Barbra Streisand, for her voice.

According to various sources, Dion possesses a five-octave vocal range. Regarding the power of Dion's voice, Regine Crespin states, "The volume as such is thin, but thanks to her perfect mastery of the nasal backing, her voice acquires an incisive and penetrating timbre, with a great harmonic richness." Dion states she is a mezzo-soprano, while Regine Crespin and André Tubeuf state she is probably a lyric soprano. However, attempts to adopt classical voice types to other forms of singing has been met with controversy. Without making a classification, maestro Kent Nagano remarked, "All you just sang was soprano," after Dion auditioned with two solos of ''Carmen,'' wanting to know if she could sing opera. Her timbre has been described as "fresh," as well as "thin, slightly nasal, nearly vibratoless," with a "raspy" lower register and "bell glass-like high notes." According to French soprano, Regine Crespin, Dion's voice is "comparable to oboe, because of its nasal and fruity timbre and it is mordant in high notes." Crespin is also circumspect about Dion's highest notes, stating, "She doesn't have a head voice," further remarking, "she uses falsetto," which is "disconnected to the normal voice body."

Dion is often praised for her technical virtuosity. Stephen Holden of ''The New York Times,'' writes, "Ms. Dion [...] is a belter with a high, thin, slightly nasal, nearly vibratoless soprano and a good-sized arsenal of technical skills. She can deliver tricky melismas, produce expressive vocal catches and sustain long notes without the tiniest wavering of pitch. And as her duets [...] have shown, she is a reliable harmony voice." In an interview with ''Libération'', Jean-Jacques Goldman states that she has "no problem of accuracy or tempo." According to Kent Nagano, maestro of the Munich Symphony Orchestra, Dion is "a musician who has a good ear, a refinement, and a degree of perfection that is envious." Mezzo-soprano, Cecilia Bartoli and soprano, Joan Sutherland have expressed that Dion has a very good legato, while Charles Alexander of ''TIME'' states, "[Her] voice glides effortlessly from deep whispers to dead-on high notes, a sweet siren that combines force with grace."

In her French repertoire, Dion adorns her vocals with more nuances and modulations, with the emotional intensity being "more tender and intimate." Additionally, Luc Plamondon, a French singer-songwriter who has written several works for Dion states that there are three chanteuse that Dion uses: the Québécois, the French, and the American. Her latest fragrance, ''Pure Brilliance'' is scheduled to be released in September 2010. Since its inception, ''Celine Dion Parfums'' has grossed over $850 million in retail sales. In October 2004, Air Canada hired Dion as part of their promotional campaign to unveil new service products and an updated livery. "You and I", the theme song sung by Dion, was written by advertising executives working for Air Canada.

Dion has actively supported many charity organizations, worldwide. She has promoted the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CCFF) since 1982, and became the foundation's National Celebrity Patron in 1993. She has an emotional attachment to the foundation; her niece Karine succumbed to the disease at the age of sixteen. In 2003, Dion joined a number of other celebrities, athletes, and politicians, including Josh Groban and Yolanda Adams to support "World Children's Day", a global fundraising effort sponsored by McDonald's. The effort raised money from more than 100 nations and benefited orphanages and children's health organizations. In addition, Dion has been a major supporter of the T.J. Martell Foundation, the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund, and many health and educational campaigns. During the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Dion donated $1 million to the victims of the storm, and held a fund-raising event for the victims of the 2004 Asian Tsunami, which subsequently raised more than $1 million. After the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, Dion donated $100,000 to China Children & Teenagers' Fund and sent a letter showing her consolation and support.

In 1999, Dion received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame and also a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in January 2004. She dedicated her star to her father, who died the month prior. In 2007, Celine Dion was ranked by ''Forbes'' as the 5th richest woman in entertainment with an estimated net worth of US$250 million. She also received France's highest award, the Légion d'honneur, in May 2008. In August 2008, she received an honorary doctorate in music from the Université Laval in Quebec City. In October 2010, Dion was named a Goodwill Ambassador, a program created by the UN in 1999. She shared this accolade with Oscar-winner, Susan Sarandon.

Discography

1981: ''La voix du bon Dieu''

1981: ''Céline Dion chante Noël''

1982: ''Tellement j'ai d'amour...''

1983: ''Les chemins de ma maison''

1983: ''Chants et contes de Noël''

1984: ''Mélanie''

1985: ''C'est pour toi''

1987: ''Incognito''

1990: ''Unison''

1991: ''Dion chante Plamondon''

1992: ''Celine Dion''

1993: ''The Colour of My Love''

1995: ''D'eux''

1996: ''Falling into You''

1997: ''Let's Talk About Love''

1998: ''S'il suffisait d'aimer''

1998: ''These Are Special Times''

2002: ''A New Day Has Come''

2003: ''One Heart''

2003: ''1 fille & 4 types''

2004: ''Miracle''

2007: ''D'elles''

2007: ''Taking Chances''

Tours

!Year	!Title	!Releases
1983–1984	Les chemins de ma maison tournée	None
1985	C'est pour toi tournée	Vinyl ''Céline Dion en concert''
1988	Incognito tournée	None
1990–1991	Unison Tour
1992–1993	Celine Dion in Concert	None
1994–1995	The Colour of My Love Tour	VHS/DVD ''The Colour of My Love Concert''; CD ''À l'Olympia''
1995	D'eux Tour
1996–1997	Falling into You Tour	VHS ''Live in Memphis''
1998–1999	Let's Talk About Love World Tour
2003–2007	''A New Day...''	DVD/BD ''Live in Las Vegas - A New Day...''; CD ''A New Day... Live in Las Vegas''
2008–2009	Taking Chances Tour	DVD ''Céline sur les Plaines''; DVD/BD ''Celine: Through the Eyes of the World''; DVD/CD ''Taking Chances World Tour: The Concert''
2011–2014

Filmography

''Touched by an Angel''

''The Nanny''

''All My Children''

''La fureur de Céline''

''Des fleurs sur la neige''

''Céline sur les Plaines''

''Celine: Through the Eyes of the World''

See also

List of awards received by Celine Dion

Celine Dion videography

List of best-selling music artists

Notes

References

}}

''Céline Dion''. Artist direct. Retrieved on December 18, 2005.

"Celine Dion." ''Contemporary Musicians, Volume 25''. Gale Group, 1999.

"Celine Dion." ''Newsmakers 1995'', Issue 4. Gale Research, 1995.

''Céline Dion'' Rock on the Net. Retrieved November 20, 2005.

Céline Dion ''The Canadian Encyclopedia''. Retrieved July 2, 2006

''Céline Dion'' provided by VH1.com Retrieved August 16, 2005.

''Dion extends long Las Vegas stint'' bbc news. com. Retrieved November 5, 2005.

Durchholz, Daniel. ''Review: One Heart''. ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch''. St. Louis, Mo.: April 24, 2003. p. F.3

''The 100 Outstanding Pop Vocalist'' covemagazine.com Retrieved November 1, 2005.

''Joel Whitburn Presents the Billboard Hot 100 Charts: The Nineties'' (ISBN 0-89820-137-3)

''The Journey so far'' celinedion.com. Retrieved August 16, 2005.

World Music Awards ''Diamond Award'' Retrieved November 1, 2005, (Search by year required)

Céline Dion's biography ''Biography'' Retrieved April 7, 2006.

Céline DTV Series ''TV Series'' Retrieved April 15, 2006.

Further reading

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External links

CelineDion.com – Official website operated by Sony Music Canada (English, French).

Celine Dion YouTube Channel

Celine Dion at WN

[ Celine Dion] at Allmusic

Celine Dion at Billboard.com

FAO Goodwill Ambassador website

Johnny Loganwith "Hold Me Now"}} Rivawith "Rock Me"}}

Category:Articles with inconsistent citation formats Category:1968 births Category:Ballad musicians Category:Canadian expatriate musicians in the United States Category:Canadian female singers Category:Canadian child singers Category:Canadian dance musicians Category:Canadian philanthropists Category:Canadian pop singers Category:Canadian people of French descent Category:Canadian Roman Catholics Category:Canadian sopranos Category:Canadian voice actors Category:Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur Category:Companions of the Order of Canada Category:English-language singers Category:Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 1988 Category:Eurovision Song Contest winners Category:French-language singers Category:French Quebecers Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Ivor Novello Award winners Category:Juno Award winners Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Montreal Category:Officers of the National Order of Quebec Category:Swiss Eurovision Song Contest entrants Category:World Music Awards winners Category:People from Martin County, Florida Category:People from Henderson, Nevada Category:People from Las Vegas, Nevada Category:People from Toronto Category:Miscarriage victims

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