It takes a while for the taxi driver to find '70s Bistro', a small restaurant-venue located on one of the streets of Quezon City. Not surprising really because it's absolutely chucking it down and the rain is impairing both our vision. The tornado season is late and so am I. A quick dash and payment of the 150 peso entrance fee and I'm in the security of a warm and welcoming environment. Not long after sitting down, Mishka arrives. Introductions are made with the young British Filipino artist who is causing her own storm.

The Filipino music industry has apparently, according to the country's press, accepted her with open arms. Though why wouldn't they? Several months earlier Mishka won the Awit award (The Philippines equivalent of the Grammys) for 'Best Performance By A New Female Recording Artist', beating multi-selling Filipino artists such as Kitchie Nadal and Rachel Ann Go. The surprise, if any, is that Mishka is a jazz artist.

The majority of the Philippines press appears to be concerned about Mishka's origin, Filipino mother, British father, born in Manila, part educated in England etc rather than on the merit of her music. At times I get the impression that as an artist, Mishka is being thought as a foreign import. So does this bother Mishka that a lot is made from the fact that she is a British Filipino?

"No," she says with a gentle smile. "It's what I am."

Although her debut album 'God Bless This Child' is in essence a Filipino album, when listening to it, it doesn't sound like a Filipino album when compared to alternative Filipino artists like Bamboo or Hale. Production-wise there is something different about it.

"I think the reason was in the way that we approached it. Although I can write and speak Tagalog none of it could be done in Tagalog because it was being done on a jazz label. That was the main reason why, the main aspect, the main concept. With time I would like to incorporate more Asian influences." >>