A Child of MTV

She’s the entertainment equivalent of a bonsai tree: a pretty, dark-eyed girl who sways to the rock beat, bumps and grinds, flips her hair from side to side, punching out soulful bits of melody in a theatrical growl. But the adult moves and performance savvy come in a small package: 11-year-old, 60-pound Josephine F. Roberto, known to her fans as “Banig.”

The Filipina singer, who’ll appear in concert Sunday at the Wiltern Theatre, credits MTV and radio for shaping her musical tastes. “I like Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, Gladys Knight, Aretha Franklin and Michael Jackson,” Banig says, listing her stylistic mentors. “I watch all of them. But I don’t try to copy them or look like them. I like to look like myself.”

Banig, whose American career took off last winter when she was named a finalist in the International Star Search competition, has since appeared as the opening act for Duran Duran. Although her native tongue is Tagalog (she’ll sing three of her own songs in that language), the majority of her repertoire--which includes “Midnight Train to Georgia,” “Any Day Now” and “Get Down”--will be sung in English.

The Manila native began performing in 1986, when her parents entered her in a local talent contest. Although she only placed third, the performing bug bit hard.

Since then, Banig stresses, pursuing the career has been solely her decision. And she has no intention of slowing down. “I never get tired of singing,” she says in her resolute, little-girl voice. “I’d like to sing and sing and sing . . . and make more money.” As for stage fright, “S-s-s-sometimes I get it,” she giggles, stuttering for comic effect. “But I only get scared when there are few people in the audience.”