As what Lea Salonga said, the ‘birit’ style is here to stay whether we like it or not. It has already been engraved in the Filipino mindset that if you can hit those dreaded high notes effortlessly, you are an impressive singer. Of course, that is not always true. But what can we do? We are enchanted by that amazing ability of singers to reach those near-impossible notes and we are thrilled to watch their every performance to ensure that they can really measure up to our expectations. Admit it. Every time we watch these Filipina divas strut their stuff on stage, we are half-expecting them to mess up and when they don’t, we are all the more enamored by their skill. We are a bunch strange folks, aren’t we?

So now let’s take a look at our hottest Pinay Divas and list down ten of the most visible Birit Queens in our generation.

• Regine Velasquez

Let’s start off with the most obvious persona in this list. Regine fans would kill me if I don’t include the Asia’s Songbird in the Top 10 Pinay Birit Queens. Well, what more is there to add? Regine is I think the first Pinay diva who dared to break our eardrums with her birit style. Take a look at the video in case you have forgotten.

Regine Velasquez - Never Ever Say Goodbye


• Frenchie Dy

Well Frenchie Dy is one singer that exudes confidence everytime she sings. It’s like you don’t need to worry about her messing up or something. I for one believe that whatever you give her, she can deliver it perfectly. Take a look at this performance. This was before the Dreamgirls craze and yet Frenchie sang the song as good as Jennifer Hudson did.

Frenchie Dy - And I Am Telling You


• Rachelle Anne Go

Rachelle Anne really had me when she did this particular Sharon Cuneta song - Sana’y Wala Nang Wakas. The last note was just superb. Don’t you think?

Rachelle Ann Go - Sana’y Wala Nang Wakas


• Jonalyn Viray

The moment I saw Jonalyn Viray’s first performance in Pinoy Pop Superstar, I knew right there and then that she would become famous. I was amazed by the fact that she sang Run To You in a very laid-back way. That was a hard song but for her, it was just like nothing special. See her performance of All By Myself below.

Jonalyn Viray - All By Myself


• Nina

Well, who would have thought Nina could pull off a Chaka Khan song and even took the level a notch higher by taking the notes to new heights. She has her semplang moments, but I really believe she is one of the best female singers we have.

Nina - Through The Fire


• Aicelle Santos

Aicelle Santos may not be as popular as the other singers on this list, but I really believe in her superb talent. I fell in love with her voice the first time I saw her on PPS2 with this performance below.

Aicelle Santos - All The Man That I Need


• Sheryn Regis

Small but terrible. This girl has power. Though her low notes really suck most of the times, Sheryn is terrific in the high notes department.

Sheryn Regis - Go The Distance


• Kyla

I had always thought before that nobody could ever sing Mariah Carey’s Forever with the same quality as the original. But I think Kyla proved me wrong. The RnB princess is also a certified Birit Queen.

Kyla - Forever


• Sarah Geronimo

There are a gazillion of Sarah Geronimo fans out there so I won’t let their idol get left behind. Here’s one particular performance of Sarah that I really love. Doing a Christina Aguilera song is no joke. And Sarah was able to give justice to the song.

Sarah Geronimo - Voice Within


• Charice Pempengco

We all have seen how this girl has mesmerized the whole world with her amazing voice. Everytime Charice sings, the world listens. Here she is with her own powerful rendition of a Beyonce hit - Listen.

Charice Pempengco - Listen