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SINGAPORE: It is probably about as close as anyone can get to actually seeing these legends perform without seeing the original stars.
A tribute concert was held recently in Singapore in honour of the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson, and some of the world's top impersonators were in town to showcase their talent.
Channel NewsAsia's Primetime Morning managed to track down Jazmine Katrina and Rob Caudill, respective impersonators for Whitney Houston and Rod Stewart. Not only do they share a splitting resemblance to their famous counterparts, they sound as good as them.
However, it was only a twist of fate that both decided to become a professional in their field of art.
What was meant initially as a practical joke "backfired" on Katrina when she joined the reality show Your Big Break.
"I heard about the show in the States which (was to) make ordinary people look like their favourite artiste and (participants) have to sound as close to them as possible. I entered the auditions as a joke to make fun of the whole process," said Katrina.
And the rest is history. Since then, Katrina has been impersonating Whitney Houston for more than a decade.
As for the spiky-blonde Caudill, who had a record deal back in the eighties (he was a bass player and singer-songwriter then), he wasn't exactly pleased when comments started pouring in about his resemblence to Rod Stewart.
"People always say I look like Rod Stewart and this would make me very angry. I cut off my hair and they say I look like Sean Penn. I dyed dark and they say I look like Ronnie Wood from the Stones," said Caudill in mock resignation over his inability to avoid comparison with famous faces.
With a list of celebrities for him to choose from, he decided to imitate Stewart as they share one thing in common – a gruff voice.
"It's just the way my voice sounds. I have a raspy voice," explained Caudill.
To increase authenticity in their performances, both Caudill and Katrina pay special attention to their respective celebrity.
According to Caudill, being an impersonator is identical to acting.
"A lot of it lies in the mannerism," he explained. "It's like an acting job. You try to portray the character on stage."
The American also makes it a point to put on an accent (Stewart is from Scotland) whenever he is on stage to inject more realism to the show.
On the other hand, Katrina said she pays more attention to Houston's fashion sense than her mannerism.
"Whitney is the type of artiste who doesn't wear the same thing twice. I generally follow her style of dress," she pointed out.
The pair may not be in the same popularity league as their well-known counterparts, but fans often mistake them as the real deal, which at times does not go down too well, especially for Caudill.
"Sometimes it is nice (to be mistaken, but) sometimes you are not in the mood. You just want to be left alone," said Caudill, acknowledging the drawbacks in his job.
His favourite trick to avoid being mobbed by fans is to put on a hat and a pair of glasses, and walk with his head down.
On the contrary, Kartina has nothing to worry about as she claimed she does not look like Houston in her everyday life and can easily blend in with crowd.
And what will they tell their respective idols when they meet them face-to-face?
For Kartina, it is words of encouragement as she plans to tell Houston that "it is good to see (you) back again and that (you're) looking fantastic".
Caudill, on the other hand, said he has a slightly demanding request for Stewart.
"I would tell (Stewart) to write more music," he said. "He is a fabulous writer and he hasn't (written) in a while."
- CNA/yb
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