{{Short description|Singaporean singer}} {{Multiple issues| {{COI|date=October 2010}} {{BLP sources|date=October 2010}} {{autobiography|date=September 2010}} }}
{{Infobox musical artist | name = Vanessa Fernandez | birth_name = Vanessa Mary Fernandez | alias = Miss Vandetta | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1982|10|17}} | birth_place = [[Singapore]] | genre = [[Contemporary R&B|R&B]], [[soul music|soul]], [[jazz]], [[pop music|pop]], [[hip hop music|hip hop]] | occupation = [[Singing|Singer]], [[songwriter]], [[Disc jockey|radio DJ]], [[actor|actress]] | years_active = 1998–present | website = {{URL|http://www.vandettamusic.net/}} }}
'''Vanessa Mary Fernandez''' (born 17 October 1982) is a singer and radio presenter from Singapore. She released several albums with the now defunct hip hop groups, Urban Xchange and Parking Lot Pimp and is now more popularly known by her moniker, '''Vandetta''', (sometimes '''Miss Vandetta''') on Mediacorp Radio’s 987fm.
== Music career== Fernandez started singing in the church choir at the age of 12 and at 16, while studying at [[CHIJ St Joseph's Convent|CHIJ St. Joseph’s Convent]], scored a leading role in her secondary school musical directed by Wendy Ng, then the Artistic Director of the [[Singapore Repertory Theatre]] Young Company. Ng asked her to join the established theatre group and she went on to perform in several musicals including Re:Mix, penned by [[Singapore Idol]] judge and music veteran, [[Dick Lee]], as well as 24 Hours, penned by Haresh Sharma for [[The Necessary Stage]] in 1998.<ref name="SRT's The Young Co">{{cite web|title=re:MIX|url=http://www.srt.com.sg/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=156&Itemid=89}}</ref>
In 2000, Fernandez was asked by rapper and producer, Terry Lee, to join a group that later became known as Urban Xchange. Lee had initiated the group in order to audition for a [[Coca-Cola]] commercial.<ref name="Coca-Cola Singapore">{{cite web|title="Get A Taste For Urban Xchange" May, 2001|url=http://www.coca-cola.com.sg/news/localnews.asp?NeID=18|access-date=2012-08-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304070243/http://www.coca-cola.com.sg/news/localnews.asp?NeID=18|archive-date=2016-03-04|url-status=dead}}</ref> The group also comprised Munir Alsagoff, [[Trisno ishak|Trisno Ishak]], Firdaus Bahri, Michaela Therese, Humaa and Kimberly Olsen. Urban Xchange fronted Coca-Cola’s “Life Tastes Good” campaign and released two albums after being signed to Universal Music Singapore/Malaysia. Following the high profile campaign the group received limited success in the region, contributing “When I Grow Up I Wanna Be Like Jackie Chan” to the Asian edition of the [[Rush Hour 2]] soundtrack, featured on a remix of Brian McKnight’s “When You Wanna Come” on the Asian repack of Superhero, and performing alongside American pop singer, [[Stacie Orrico]] as well as Malaysian rap group, [[Too phat|Too Phat]], at the [[MTV Asia Awards 2003|2003 MTV Asia Music Awards]].
In 2004, Urban Xchange regrouped as Parking Lot Pimp and signed with EMI Music Southeast Asia who released their album, Welcome To Our Frequency. After a year, Fernandez, along with Munir Alsagoff and Trisno Ishak, left Parking Lot Pimp.
At the end of 2010, Fernandez became part of audio-visual collective, Syndicate, performing with veteran hip-hop producer/DJ, Kiat, at the opening day of the infamous [[Gilles Peterson]] Worldwide Festival 2011 in Sete, France. In September that same year, she performed with veteran producer Jason Tan at the Singapore leg of the Worldwide Festival. The duo, known as Octover [sic], released their album on the Syndicate imprint in January 2013.
In 2014, Fernandez released the album ''Use Me'' on the Groove Note record label that has also released albums of another Singapore singer, [[Jacintha Abisheganaden]]. Recorded in Los Angeles at the famous Ocean Way recording studio, ''Use Me'' consists of covers of songs by [[Curtis Mayfield]], [[Bill Withers]] and [[Al Green]], among others. Fernandez also performed at the Singapore leg of the [[St Jerome's Laneway Festival]], alongside [[James Blake (musician)|James Blake]], Syndicate's Gema and [[The Observatory (band)|The Observatory]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Kok|first1=Melissa|last2=Eddino|first2=Abdul Halim|title=Laneway Festival roars to a high note|url=http://stcommunities.straitstimes.com/music/2014/01/29/laneway-festival-roars-high-note|access-date=22 December 2014|agency=The Straits Times|publisher=Singapore Press Holdings|date=29 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141222091840/http://stcommunities.straitstimes.com/music/2014/01/29/laneway-festival-roars-high-note|archive-date=22 December 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In 2015, Fernandez plans to release a new EP under her Vandetta moniker.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Toh|first1=Christopher|title=The evolution of Vanessa Fernandez|url=http://www.todayonline.com/entertainment/music/evolution-vanessa-fernandez?singlepage=true|access-date=22 December 2014|agency=TODAY|publisher=MediaCorp|date=22 December 2014}}</ref>
==Radio career== In 2005, Fernandez completed her diploma in Mass Communication and was scouted by [https://web.archive.org/web/20100916230759/http://entertainment.xin.msn.com/en/radio/987fm/ Mediacorp Radio’s 987fm] to become a producer/presenter. Over 4 years, Fernandez hosted several shows including 987Stripped, and co-hosted the morning drive time show with former 987fm deejays, Daniel Ong, Mister Young and later, [[Divian Nair]]. In 2010, she left Mediacorp Radio’s 987fm to return to pursuing music full-time.
In 2010, Fernandez joined online radio station [https://web.archive.org/web/20110908062526/http://facebook.sonar.sg/ sonar.sg].
In August 2013, Fernandez returned to radio as Assistant Programme Director of [[Lush 99.5FM]] till it ceased operations on 1 September 2017. According to an official statement from [[Mediacorp]] she later joined another English radio station named [[938Now]] but left again.<ref>{{cite web|title=Vandetta BIO|url=http://www.vandettamusic.net/#!bio/c161y|website=Vandetta|access-date=22 December 2014}}</ref>
==Discography==
===Albums===
====Solo==== * ''Use Me'' (Groove Note, 2014) * ''When The Levee Breaks'' (Groove Note, 2016) * ''I Want You'' (Groove Note, 2019) * ''Remember Me'' (Groove Note, 2023)
====with Parking Lot Pimp==== * ''Welcome To Our Frequency'' (EMI Music, 2005)
====with Urban Xchange==== * ''Urban Xchange'' (Universal Music, 2002) * ''How Did We Get Here?'' (Universal Music, 2001)
===EPs===
====Solo==== * ''Vandetta'' (Syndicate, 2013)
====with Octover==== * ''Octover'' (Syndicate, 2013)
====with CCCrush==== * ''Feel the Groove'' (ChynaHouse Recordings, 2003)
==Notes== {{Reflist}}
==External links==
* [https://www.soundslikevan.com/ Vanessa Fernandez Official Site]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fernandez, Vanessa}} [[Category:1982 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Singaporean singer-songwriters]] [[Category:Singaporean women singer-songwriters]] [[Category:Singaporean people of Chinese descent]] [[Category:Singaporean people of Indian descent]]