Agnes Monica
Agnes Monica performing as a guest star at the Asian Idol
in 2007
Background information Birth name Agnes Monica Muljoto
Born
1 July 1986 Origin Jakarta,
Indonesia
Occupations Singer-songwriter, actress, dancer, record producer,
presenter, fashion designer Instruments Vocals, piano
Years active 1992–present
Labels
Aquarius Musikindo
Website www.agnesmonicaofficial.com
Agnes
Monica (born Agnes Monica
Muljoto; 1 July 1986) is an Indonesian recording artist
and actress. Born in Jakarta, Indonesia, she started her career in the
entertainment industry at the age of six as a child singer.
She has recorded three children's albums which established her as one of
Indonesia's most popular child singers in the 1990s. She also became a
presenter of several children's television programs. As a teenager, Agnes
expanded her career to include acting. Her role in the soap opera Pernikahan
Dini rocketed her name into the industry. Following her rising popularity
after starring in few series of soap operas, she became the highest-paid
teenage artist in Indonesia.
In 2003, she released her fourth
studio album And the Story Goes, which marked her
transition from a child singer to a female artist. On her fifth studio album, Whaddup A.. '?! (2005), she collaborated
with American R&B singer Keith Martin. She also appeared in two
Taiwanese drama series, The Hospital and Romance In the
White House. She participated in the 2008 and 2009 Asia Song Festival in Seoul, South Korea, and
received "Best Asian Artist Award" at each event. Agnes took creative
control of her sixth studio album, Sacredly Agnezious (2009), for which she
served as the producer and songwriter. In 2010, she was appointed as one of the
judges on the talent show Indonesian Idol and was also one of the
international hosts of the red carpet at the American Music Awards of 2010 in Los
Angeles.
In addition to her commercial
success, Agnes is the most-awarded Indonesian singer. She has received numerous
awards, including ten Anugerah Musik Indonesia awards, seven Panasonic Awards,
and four MTV Indonesia Awards. She was also honored with
a Nugraha Bhakti Musik Indonesia (NBMI) from the Indonesian Ministry of Culture
and Tourism and the Singers, Songwriters, and Music Record Producers
Association of Indonesia (PAPPRI) for her contribution and support for the
Indonesian music industry.[1]
She was also appointed as an anti-drug ambassador of Asia, and as the
ambassador of MTV EXIT
to combat human trafficking.
Throughout her career, she has
often been controversial in Indonesia. When she was a teenager, her frequent
comments about her goal to break into the international market was viewed by some
as a pompous proclamation. In 2010, however, she signed with Sony/ATV Music Publishing and began work
on a debut English studio album. Consequently, her slogan "Dream, Believe,
and Make it Happen" was used in a 2011 cultural conference to inspire
young people organized by the US Embassy in Jakarta.[
Life and career
1986–2002: Childhood and early career
Agnes Monica was born in Jakarta,
Indonesia, on 1 July 1986 to a family of Chinese ancestryShe is the youngest child of
Jenny Siswono, a former table tennis player, and Ricky Muljoto, a former
badminton player.Her older brother, Steve Muljoto, is her manager.She attended
Tarakanita elementary school and Pelita Harapan junior high schoollHer talent
for the performing arts was evident in her childhood, especially in singing;
she sang in church and attended vocal courses.
Agnes entered the entertainment industry in
1992, when she was six years old, and released her first children's album, Si
Meong. In 1995, she released her second children's album, Yess!,
which includes a duet with fellow Indonesian child singer Eza Yayang. The album
significantly boosted her popularity and was named "Best Children's
Album" in 1999. Her last children's album, Bala-Bala, was released
the following year. Agnes also became the host for several children's programs,
including Video Anak Anteve (VAN) on Anteve, Tralala-Trilili
on RCTI,
and Diva Romeo on Trans TV. She was awarded "Most Favorite Presenter of
Children's Program" at the Panasonic Awards
in 1999 and 2000 for Tralala-Trilili.
Agnes began acting as a teenager. Her first
two roles were on the soap operas Lupus Millennia and Mr Hologram
in 1999. The next year, she starred in the TV series Pernikahan Dini,
which served as a turning point in her career by transforming her image from
that of a child artist to one of a teenage artist. The production was well
received by audiences, and she received the "Favorite Actress" award
at the 2001 and 2002 Panasonic Awards, as well as the "Popular
Actress" award at the 2002 SCTV Awards. In 2002, Agnes starred in three
soap operas, Ciuman Pertama, Kejar Daku Kau Ku Tangkap, and Amanda.
Due to her popularity, she became the highest-paid teenage artist in Indonesia.
Agnes also recorded songs in her early teens,
including "Pernikahan Dini" and "Seputih Hati" for the
soundtrack of Pernikahan Dini, both of which are featured on the 2001
compilation album Love Theme. The following year, she collaborated with
the Indonesian senior singer Yana Julio in the song "Awan dan Ombak"
for his studio album Jumpa Lagi.
2003–2004: And The Story Goe
Agnes, after winning
at the 2004 Anugerah Musik Indonesia Awards
On 8 October 2003, Agnes released her first
adult album, And the Story Goes. In this album, she
worked with several famed Indonesian producers and songwriters, including Ahmad Dhani,
Melly Goeslaw,
and Titi DJ.
The album production took a year and a half, including the audition process for
the dancers. According to her record label, Aquarius Musikindo, the album sold
35,000 copies before its official release. It was later certified double platinum
after selling more than 300,000 copies. The album won three awards after
receiving ten nominations at the 2004 Anugerah Musik Indonesia Awards—the
highest music awards in Indonesia. They were "Best Female Solo Pop
Artist" for the song "Jera", "Best Dance/Techno
Production" for the song "Bilang Saja", and "Best
Duo/Group" for her duet with Ahmad Dhani in "Cinta Mati". She
also won "Best Female Newcomer" at the 2004 Anugerah Planet Muzik awards in Singapore.
Because of her success at a young age, she was dubbed a "Young Diva"
by members of the media. At this point, she started broaching the idea of an
international career.
In addition to promoting her debut album,
Agnes also starred in several TV series during this time, playing the lead role
in three: Cewekku Jutek, Bunga Perawan, and Cantik. She
won "Favorite Actress" at the 2003 Panasonic Awards and "Famous
Actress" at 2004 SCTV Awards.
In 2004, after graduating from Pelita Harapan senior high
school, Agnes enrolled at Pelita Harapan University, where she majored in Business Law.
2005–2007: Whaddup A.. '?!
Agnes launched her second studio album, Whaddup A.. '?!, on 10 December 2005. It
featured five singles: "Bukan Milikmu Lagi", "Tanpa
Kekasihku", "Tak Ada Logika", "Cinta Di Ujung Jalan",
and "Tak Mungkin". In addition to working with Indonesian musicians
such as Melly Goeslaw, Andi Rianto, and Erwin Gutawa,
she also collaborated with American singer-songwriter Keith Martin. Martin wrote two English
songs for the album, including the duet "I'll Light a Candle". To
promote the album, Agnes held a concert tour known as Clasnezenzation in
four Indonesian cities: Bandar Lampung, Surabaya,
Bandung,
and Makassar.
The album was commercially successful and she won two 2006 Anugerah Musik
Indonesia awards for "Best Female Pop Artist" and "Best R&B
Production".She also won the "Most Favorite Female" award at the
2006 MTV Indonesia
Awards. She was nominated for "Favorite Indonesian Artist"
award at the MTV Asia Awards 2005 (beaten by Peterpan)
but, she grabs the youngest artist of all nominees in Asian category. Selling
more than 450,000 copies, the album was one of the top-selling albums of 2006
and was certified triple platinum.
In 2005, Agnes appeared in the Taiwanese drama
The Hospital,
co-starring with Jerry Yan, a member of the Taiwanese boyband F4.[26]
She also appeared with Peter Ho in several episodes of the Taiwanese drama Romance
in the White House, and starred in two Indonesian soap operas, Ku Tlah
Jatuh Cinta and Pink, both televised on Indosiar.
In 2006, she starred in the RCTI soap opera Kawin Muda. She also decided
to take a break from her education that year to focus on her entertainment
career.
In early 2007, Agnes was appointed by the
United States of America's Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and
the International Drug Enforcement Conference (IDEC) Far East Region as an
Asian anti-drug ambassador. On 15 May 2007, she was an opening act for American
R&B group Boyz II Men at a concert in Istora Senayan,
Jakarta, and on 23 June of that year, she held her first concert at Stadium Negara
in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia. She also guest starred in the finale of Asian Idol
on 16 December 2007, and performed the song "Get Up".
2008–2009: Sacredly Agnezious
In 2008, Agnes began working on her third
studio album. She released the first single, "Matahariku", earlier
than she had planned. It became her best-selling single, with sales of three
million ringback tone downloads within nine months. The
song received the "Most Favorite Female" award at the 2008 MTV
Indonesia Awards and the "Best Female Solo Pop Artist" award at the
2009 Anugerah Musik Indonesia awards. In September 2008, she released the
second single, "Godai Aku Lagi", which she wrote herself. She also
released a mini album containing the two singles. That same year she
starred in the RCTI soap opera Jelita.
On 4 October 2008, Agnes was invited as the
Indonesian representative at the Asia Song Festival. The event was organized by
the Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange in Seoul, South Korea. She
performed with 24 artists from 12 Asian countries. The event was viewed by an
audience of 35,000 at the Seoul World Cup Stadium and was broadcast
in 30 countries. She performed two of her songs, "Godai Aku Lagi" and
"Shake It Off". During the performance, she incorporated elements of
Indonesian traditional dance from Bali.
Her performance received positive responses from the Korean media and won the
committee's "Best Asian Artist Award". The following year, she was
invited again and performed three songs: "Shake It Off",
"Temperature", and Michael Jackson's
"Heal the World". This time, 14 artists
from across Asia participated and it was viewed by an audience of 40,000.[42]
As was the case with her previous performance, Agnes received good reviews and
earned the "Best Asian Artist Award".
Agnes launched her third studio album on 1
April 2009, Sacredly Agnezious. This time, she was
involved more in the album production. She worked with the renowned musicians
Erwin Gutawa, Dewiq,
Pay, and DJ Sumantri. She also acted as producer and songwriter. In addition to
the two previous singles, "Matahariku" and "Godai Aku
Lagi", she produced two more singles: "Teruskanlah" and
"Janji–Janji". At the 2010 Anugerah Musik Indonesia awards, she won
three awards: "Best Pop Album", "Best Female Pop Solo
Artist", and "Best of the Best Album". On 23 May 2009, she
appeared as a guest star at the "Festival of Life" in Bali. The
celebration commemorated the 50-year anniversary of the establishment of
diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Japan.
Having already taken an extended break from
the Pelita Harapan University, Agnes withdrew from the school. She then began
taking distance education classes as a Political
Science major at Oregon State University.
2010–present: Upcoming international project
In 2010, Agnes served as a judge on Indonesian Idol season 6. Her selection
for the panel caused controversy because of her age. That year, she was also
appointed as an ambassador of the MTV EXIT
(End Exploitation and Trafficking) organization, which combats human
trafficking,[50]
for which she performed at benefit concerts in Surabaya and Jakarta.
In late 2010, Agnes experienced a breakthrough
into the international market when she was chosen as an international red
carpet host for the annual American Music Awards on 21 November 2010 at
the Nokia Theatre
in Los Angeles. Several months later, she announced that she had signed to Sony/ATV Music Publishing and was working
on her debut English studio album in London and Los Angeles. In early 2011, she
also recorded a duet version of "Said I Loved You...But I Lied" with
the American singer Michael Bolton for his compilation album, Gems:
The Duets Album. The duet was released in the album's international version
in Asia. The next year, she was nominated in the Worldwide Acts Asia Pacific
Nominees category for the 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards. Consequently,
her slogan "Dream, Believe, and Make it Happen" was used in a 2011
cultural conference to inspire young people organized by the US Embassy in
Jakarta.
Agnes released a greatest hits album Agnes Is My Name
on 2 February 2011. The album compiled her top hit singles and two new songs,
"Karena Ku Sanggup" and "Paralyzed". The album sold one
million copies in three months, earning her the "Million Awards"
award from Indonesian KFC,
which had helped market the album. "Karena Ku Sanggup" won her the
"Best Pop Female Singer" award at the 2011 AMI Awards.
She also won the "Most Inbox Video
Clip" award at the 2011 Inbox Awards. The award, presented by SCTV, was given for the song
"Paralyzed", which was made in Indonesia and the United States.
Agnes was selected as a performer for the 26th
SEA Games
2011 Opening Ceremony, with KC Concepcion from the Philippines
and the Malaysian singer Jaclyn Victor. Their performance of
"Together We Will Shine" was the highlight of the event.
In early 2012, Agnes returned as judge for Indonesian Idol season 7. She's pending
her international album for the Idol deal.
In March 2012, she was nominated for the
American Nickleodeon Kids Choice Awards 2012 of new category Favorite Asian
Act.
Artistry
Agnes has been noted as a powerful soprano
with a range of four octaves. Her use of whistle register
in her songs "Karena Ku Sanggup" and "Rindu" has also
garnered attention. Her songs can be classified as pop, R&B,
or hip-hop,
and she has named Aretha Franklin, Jill Scott,
Angie Stone,
Madonna, Michael Jackson,
Fantasia,
and Beyoncé
as her musical influences, though she is often compared to American singers
such as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. In addition to her singing
talent, she is also known as a strong dancer and actress. She is the only
Indonesian soloist with a personal dance group, known as Nezindahood.
They auditioned during the development of her first album in 2003. She has also
written some of her songs and produced her own music videos. She has been
described as a perfectionist with a variety of talents by
Indonesian commentators.
Honors and awards
Main article: List of awards received by Agnes
Monica
Agnes has become the most-awarded Indonesia
singer. Notable awards she has won include ten Anugerah Musik Indonesia, seven Panasonic Awards,
and four MTV Indonesia Awards. She has also received many international awards,
including an Anugerah Planet Muzik award and two Best Asian Artist Awards. For
her contribution and support to Indonesian music, she was given the 2011
Nugraha Bhakti Musik Indonesia (NBMI) award from The Minister of Culture and
Tourism and Association of Indonesian Singers, Songwriters and Music Record
Producers.
Relationships and personal life
Agnes is close about her personal
relationships and she often said that having a boyfriend is not her priority in
life. She also stated that personal relationships should remain private.
However, in November 2007 it was revealed that she was involved in a
relationship with Dirly, the runner-up of Indonesian Idol season 3, although
the relationship didn't last long.
Fundraising
Agnes has conducted fundraising activities for
victims of the 2004 Tsunami in Aceh and the 2006 earthquake in Java. In 2009, Agnes
visited Situ Gintung,
where a dam failure had caused flooding. She also donated a sum of money to
relief efforts and performed several of her songs for the victims. Agnes also
helped raise over Rp 400 million (approx. US$44,000 as of
December 2011) for Persis, an association football team based in Surakarta,
through a benefit concert held at the Diamond Convention
Center in Surakarta.[77]
In 2011, she participated at The Save Teen Charity Concert in Jakarta, a
benefit concert to raise money to help teenagers who have dropped out of
school.
Discography
Throughout her career, Agnes has released 6
studio albums (the first three are children's albums), 1 mini album, and 1
greatest hits album.
|
Studio albums
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Other albums
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Television series
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|
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Presenter
- VAN (Video Anak Anteve) – Anteve
- Tralala-Trilili – RCTI
- Diva Romeo – Trans TV
- MTV Ampuh Indonesia (guest host in 2005) - Global TV[79]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnes_Monica
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