Jacintha Abisheganaden facts for kids

Jacintha Abisheganaden (born 3 October 1957), known as Jacintha, is a talented Singaporean singer, actress, and theater artist. She studied at the National University of Singapore and earned a degree in English literature. Jacintha is also one of the people who started the performance company TheatreWorks.

Early Life and Education

Jacintha Abisheganaden was born in Singapore in 1957. Her father, Alex Abisheganaden (1926–2023), was a famous classical guitarist and music teacher. He received a special award called the Cultural Medallion. Her mother, Eileen Wong (born 1928), was a pianist and arts teacher.

Jacintha started learning piano and singing when she was young. She also sang in the Singapore Youth Choir, where she met Dick Lee, who would become a future music partner. Growing up, Jacintha listened to many types of music. She enjoyed vocal jazz, traditional pop, and artists like Stevie Wonder and Joni Mitchell. She was also a big fan of Brazilian bandleader Sergio Mendes and singer Barbra Streisand.

Jacintha went to Marymount Convent School and Raffles Institution. She then studied English at the National University of Singapore. After that, she traveled to America to study creative writing at Harvard University.

Jacintha's Amazing Career

Jacintha first became well-known in 1976. She won a local TV talent show called Talentime by singing jazz music. In 1981, she won another award for Best Female Performer. This was for her role as Nurse Angamuthu in a play called General Hospital.

In 1982, Jacintha worked as an arts reporter for The Straits Times newspaper. She interviewed famous people like Neil Sedaka and Sophia Loren. She also acted in several plays, including Samseng and the Chettiar's Daughter.

Music Albums and Hit Songs

Jacintha released her first album, Silence, in 1983. Her friend Dick Lee wrote most of the songs on it. The album was very popular and critics praised it. It even included a cover of the Bee Gees' song "Run to Me".

In 1987, she released her second album, Tropicana. Jacintha was voted Best Performer at the fourth ASEAN Song Festival that same year. She continued to release more albums, including Dramamama in 1991.

In the late 1990s, Jacintha started recording jazz albums. Her first jazz album, Here's To Ben – A Vocal Tribute To Ben Webster, came out in 1998. Her song "Autumn Leaves" from her 1999 album was used in the TV show Alias. Another song, "Here's to Life", was used in the Hollywood movie Play It to the Bone. She has released many jazz albums since then, like "Lush Life" (2002) and "Jacintha Goes to Hollywood" (2007). A collection of her best songs, "Best of Jacintha", was released in 2008.

Stage and TV Appearances

Jacintha has performed in many stage musicals and plays. In 1988, she was in TheatreWorks' musical Beauty World. She also played the singer Josephine in the play Piaf.

In 1993, Jacintha sang the main role of Grizabella in the famous musical Cats when it came to Singapore. She also hosted a cooking show called Mum's Not Cooking. In 2006, Jacintha was a judge on the TV show Singapore Idol. She returned to the stage in 2012 for the musical National Broadway Company.

Personal Life

Jacintha has been married three times. In 1983, she married an American lawyer named David Scheffer, but they separated after three years.

In 1992, she married her music partner, Dick Lee. Their marriage ended in 1997.

In 1998, Jacintha married Koh Boon Pin, a former journalist. They had a son named Alexander. Their marriage ended in 2008.

Discography

• Silence (WEA, 1983)
• Tropicana (WEA, 1987)
• Dramamama (Sony, 1991)
• My Life (Springroll, 1997)
• Here's to Ben: A Vocal Tribute to Ben Webster (Groove Note, 1998)
• Autumn Leaves: The Songs of Johnny Mercer (Groove Note, 1999)
• Lush Life (Groove Note, 2001)
• Jacintha Is Her Name (Groove Note, 2003)
• The Girl from Bossa Nova (Groove Note, 2004)
• Love Flows Like a River (Harmony, 2005)
• Jacintha Goes to Hollywood (Groove Note, 2007)
• Best of Jacintha (Groove Note, 2008)
• Fire & Rain (Groove Note, 2018)

See also

• Chindian