MUSIC: The Power of Celine Dion

Would a young Barbra Streisand make it big in show business today? The question is not as stupid as it sounds. Much to the annoyance of baby boomers, their kids often prefer rapping to singing and consider rhythm and riffs more important than melody. And dowdy Broadway, the birthplace of Streisand's fame, is not producing pop stars these days. To the MTV generation, a videogenic image can count more than musical talent.

But exceptional talent is not at the mercy of fashion. Witness the rise of Celine Dion, the 25-year-old French Canadian singer whom some top people in the music industry...