Tiffany Ponce

Tiffany Ponce has been nursing the dream of a professional music career her whole life.

And to celebrate the release of her debut six-track EP titled Only the Beginning, the 31-year-old songstress will play two upcoming shows at Spin Restaurant & Martini Bar at 720 Corydon Ave. on April 27 and May 12.

Produced by local talent SoULBOi, the album is partly influenced by ‘80s and ‘90s R&B music, including Boyz ll Men, New Edition and Janet Jackson, Ponce said.

The Richmond West resident has always had an interest in music. She sang in high school musicals, choreographed hip hop routines for talent shows and learned to play piano and trumpet while attending Acadia Junior High School and Fort Richmond Collegiate.

But growing up in a traditional Filipino family, Ponce decided to follow the academic path of her two older siblings and enrolled in nursing at the University of Manitoba and took "a break from fine arts."

"Because of my traditional background, it was always understood in my family that after high school you would go to university to get a practical profession, as it was the natural thing," Ponce said.

Her sister is now a nurse in Chicago and her brother is a computer engineer for the United Nations in Germany.

While working as a nurse at Grace General Hospital, Ponce had a seminal moment when she realized "something was missing" from her life.
"One day I was just kind of sitting and crying and my mom said, ‘What’s wrong?’ I said ‘I don’t want to be a failure and I want to make you happy.’ She said ‘You’ve already made us happy. It’s time to make yourself happy’.’’

The moment inspired Ponce to begin pursuing her dream of a musical career — and she credits the support of her family as a key factor in her progress.

She went to the Canadian College of Performing Arts for a year, got back into musical theatre and started writing music in 2008.

"I’m just so happy, excited and blessed. I’m grateful for the support of my parents and don’t know if I’d have the strength and character to succeed without them," she said.

Ponce’s mom, Adel, is delighted her daughter is about to launch her debut recording.

"We’re so happy her dream is being fulfilled. She’s really worked hard at this," said Adel, who is also a nurse. "In my culture, education and hard work are very important."

Ponce’s April 27 show is sold out, but there are tickets available for May 12. For more information, visit www.tiffanyponce.com. - Canstar - The Sou'wester

Tiffany Ponce has been nursing the dream of a professional music career her whole life.

And to celebrate the release of her debut six-track EP titled Only the Beginning, the 31-year-old songstress will play two upcoming shows at Spin Restaurant & Martini Bar at 720 Corydon Ave. on April 27 and May 12.

Produced by local talent SoULBOi, the album is partly influenced by ‘80s and ‘90s R&B music, including Boyz ll Men, New Edition and Janet Jackson, Ponce said.

The Richmond West resident has always had an interest in music. She sang in high school musicals, choreographed hip hop routines for talent shows and learned to play piano and trumpet while attending Acadia Junior High School and Fort Richmond Collegiate.

But growing up in a traditional Filipino family, Ponce decided to follow the academic path of her two older siblings and enrolled in nursing at the University of Manitoba and took "a break from fine arts."

"Because of my traditional background, it was always understood in my family that after high school you would go to university to get a practical profession, as it was the natural thing," Ponce said.

Her sister is now a nurse in Chicago and her brother is a computer engineer for the United Nations in Germany.

While working as a nurse at Grace General Hospital, Ponce had a seminal moment when she realized "something was missing" from her life.
"One day I was just kind of sitting and crying and my mom said, ‘What’s wrong?’ I said ‘I don’t want to be a failure and I want to make you happy.’ She said ‘You’ve already made us happy. It’s time to make yourself happy’.’’

The moment inspired Ponce to begin pursuing her dream of a musical career — and she credits the support of her family as a key factor in her progress.

She went to the Canadian College of Performing Arts for a year, got back into musical theatre and started writing music in 2008.

"I’m just so happy, excited and blessed. I’m grateful for the support of my parents and don’t know if I’d have the strength and character to succeed without them," she said.

Ponce’s mom, Adel, is delighted her daughter is about to launch her debut recording.

"We’re so happy her dream is being fulfilled. She’s really worked hard at this," said Adel, who is also a nurse. "In my culture, education and hard work are very important."

Ponce’s April 27 show is sold out, but there are tickets available for May 12. For more information, visit www.tiffanyponce.com. - Canstar - The Sou'wester

They say the best things come in small packages – and singer-songwriter Tiffany Ponce is no exception to this rule. The R&B powerhouse shook the stage earlier this year for the release of her debut album, Only the Beginning. Since then, she has taken the Winnipeg music scene by storm.

Ponce performed her highly anticipated six-song EP for two sold-out CD release shows at SPIN Restaurant & Martini Bar last April and May. Gerard Magsino (SoULBOi) produced all six original tracks.

At the release shows, Ponce sang a set of original tracks and one cover song. The crowd favourite was her original tune Tell Me I Can’t, described by her as an inspiring anthem. “It’s about those instances where anyone’s told you that you can’t do something, or you're not good enough,” said Ponce.

Music has always been Ponce’s passion. Beginning in high school, she participated in theatrical productions and choreographed hip-hop dance numbers for shows. She graduated from the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Manitoba, and later studied voice, dance, and acting at the Canadian College of Performing Arts in Victoria, British Columbia. Ponce continues to work as a part-time nurse while balancing her budding music career.

Although Ponce valued her time spent at the university, her passion for music always remained top of mind. “I have no regrets that I went to university and got that degree. It’s something I know I will always have and value, but I’ll continue to pursue what I love to the absolute fullest.”

Ponce’s musical flavour is inspired by “the old school sounds of the late '80s and '90s.” She lists New Edition, Janet Jackson, TLC, Aaliyah and Tamia as some of her biggest influences.

Since the release of her debut album, Ponce has performed at a variety of events around Winnipeg. Some of her recent vocal appearances include Rhythms for Women at Le Garage Café (June 13), Sagip Kababayan at the Philippine Canadian Centre of Manitoba (Aug. 24), the 1st Annual Manitoba Filipino Street Festival at Garden City Shopping Centre (Aug. 25) and the Labour of Love Block Party on Bannatyne (Sept. 2). She opened for Filipino superstar Bamboo at the Burton Cummings Theatre (Aug. 4) and Juno Award winner Moka Only at Pulse Nightclub (Oct. 24). This past year, she also performed in Vancouver and Toronto for Canadian Music Week.

Next February, Ponce will be performing at Urban Rhapsody, a hip-hop charity concert raising funds for The Children’s Wish Foundation. Ponce will be debuting a new original song called Hopeful, which she co-wrote with Studio 11's Jason Gordon for the Threads of Hope project and its worthy cause.

“I am really happy, grateful, and excited for what’s to come,” said Ponce. “I truly believe that God has put all of this in my heart for a reason.”

Ponce's album Only the Beginning is available for download on iTunes. Hard copies are available at Music Trader (97 Osborne St.) and Cris D' Anne Hair Salon (302 St. Anne's Rd.). They can also be ordered online at cdbaby.com. For more information on Tiffany Ponce’s upcoming events, visit her official website at www.tiffanyponce.com. - Filipino Journal

They say the best things come in small packages – and singer-songwriter Tiffany Ponce is no exception to this rule. The R&B powerhouse shook the stage earlier this year for the release of her debut album, Only the Beginning. Since then, she has taken the Winnipeg music scene by storm.

Ponce performed her highly anticipated six-song EP for two sold-out CD release shows at SPIN Restaurant & Martini Bar last April and May. Gerard Magsino (SoULBOi) produced all six original tracks.

At the release shows, Ponce sang a set of original tracks and one cover song. The crowd favourite was her original tune Tell Me I Can’t, described by her as an inspiring anthem. “It’s about those instances where anyone’s told you that you can’t do something, or you're not good enough,” said Ponce.

Music has always been Ponce’s passion. Beginning in high school, she participated in theatrical productions and choreographed hip-hop dance numbers for shows. She graduated from the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Manitoba, and later studied voice, dance, and acting at the Canadian College of Performing Arts in Victoria, British Columbia. Ponce continues to work as a part-time nurse while balancing her budding music career.

Although Ponce valued her time spent at the university, her passion for music always remained top of mind. “I have no regrets that I went to university and got that degree. It’s something I know I will always have and value, but I’ll continue to pursue what I love to the absolute fullest.”

Ponce’s musical flavour is inspired by “the old school sounds of the late '80s and '90s.” She lists New Edition, Janet Jackson, TLC, Aaliyah and Tamia as some of her biggest influences.

Since the release of her debut album, Ponce has performed at a variety of events around Winnipeg. Some of her recent vocal appearances include Rhythms for Women at Le Garage Café (June 13), Sagip Kababayan at the Philippine Canadian Centre of Manitoba (Aug. 24), the 1st Annual Manitoba Filipino Street Festival at Garden City Shopping Centre (Aug. 25) and the Labour of Love Block Party on Bannatyne (Sept. 2). She opened for Filipino superstar Bamboo at the Burton Cummings Theatre (Aug. 4) and Juno Award winner Moka Only at Pulse Nightclub (Oct. 24). This past year, she also performed in Vancouver and Toronto for Canadian Music Week.

Next February, Ponce will be performing at Urban Rhapsody, a hip-hop charity concert raising funds for The Children’s Wish Foundation. Ponce will be debuting a new original song called Hopeful, which she co-wrote with Studio 11's Jason Gordon for the Threads of Hope project and its worthy cause.

“I am really happy, grateful, and excited for what’s to come,” said Ponce. “I truly believe that God has put all of this in my heart for a reason.”

Ponce's album Only the Beginning is available for download on iTunes. Hard copies are available at Music Trader (97 Osborne St.) and Cris D' Anne Hair Salon (302 St. Anne's Rd.). They can also be ordered online at cdbaby.com. For more information on Tiffany Ponce’s upcoming events, visit her official website at www.tiffanyponce.com. - Filipino Journal