LINKS TO NINA:
Official Website: NSS
www.ninasoulsireigns.blogspot.com
PEX THREADS:
Thread I - The Soul Siren, NINA!
Thread II - NINA... The Soul Siren
Thread III - The Soul Siren, Nina - Thread III...and the friendship started here
Thread IV - NINA... Thread IV -- "No One Does It Like The SOUL SIREN"
Thread V - NINA: The Multiplatinum Artist with The Golden Voice Thread V
Thread VI - NINA: BEYOND LIMITS! Thread VI
NINA: Soul Sireigns Thread VII "What More Could You Ask For?!
NINA SOUL SIREN : THE ONE AND ONLY SOUL SIREN OF THE PHILIPPINES, NEWEST QUEEN OF POP AND MULTIPLATINUM ARTIST AT ITS FINEST!!!
NINA, The Underdog Who Became Queen
by Cyrillus Jay C. Britanico a.ka. Sijiro
Eight years ago Nina was unrecognizable. She was completely unheard of. But that was before. After being present in the music industry for almost a decade now Nina has become a household name. Everyone speaks of her. Everyone knows her. With countless achievements as a solo female artist Nina has become a force to reckon with but continues to be undefeated.
More than eight years ago Nina was only dreaming about where she is now. It is actually a dream surpassed. She just loved to sing. At a tender age she would be a regular in kiddie singing contests & coming from a musically inclined family she would then continue to be a lead singer in a band extending her experience to usual gig routes. She would then juggle singing with her studies. Her confidence on stage while performing would be balanced by her ability to do well academically. She would eventually obtain a bachelor's degree in Accountancy from the prestigious Miriam College. She would have been a very good accountant but her love for music would eventually pay off during the succeeding years.
With sheer determination & pure luck Nina, Marifil Nina Girado in real life would then submit a demo tape to Warner Music Philippines head honcho Ricky Ilacad to try if she could pass as a recording artist for the leading music label in the country. Warner Music has the reputation of being very discrete with its choices thus the company will not be easy to please but it was the other way around for the girl who would eventually earn the monicker "Philippine's Soul Siren". Warner Music was asking her to sign a record deal even without seeing her personally. It was a sure deal & her demo, a cover of Steve Perry's "Foolish Heart" would then become one of her most successful hits.
Although she was able to nail an instant positive impression with Warner's executives it would not be an easy road to stardom. Warner would forward her samples to leading music stations in the metro to test the waters & she would often be dismissed as a trying hard one-hit wonder. Everyone had doubts especially at a time wherein a lot of new singers & fresh music acts are being introduced. Not to mention that there were also established female singers which were really a force to reckon with.
In the early 2000's there was one female singer ruling the OPM airwaves & that would be Carol Banawa. All of her songs are top hits plus she's a major television star in the country's biggest network ABS-CBN. She ruled the masses back then. The divas were also undeniable. Regine Velasquez & Lani Misalucha were consistently pushing the adrenaline of the Philippine audience. They mounted all the biggest & sold-0ut concerts & they would even star in a back-to-back Sunday TV showdown. There was also Aiza Seguerra, a former child star who was suddenly everyone's babe after releasing "Pagdating Ng Panahon". The Philippine music industry would also welcome Bituin Escalante's theatrically inspired belting powers & Anna Fegi's saccharine toned yet powerful vocals. Kyla, the country's R n' B princess would also join the race with her unforgettable Tagalog hit "Hanggang Ngayon". She also showcased supreme belting powers & commercial viability. Two years after she would be compared with Nina.
The industry didn't seem ready for a new voice. The audience felt saturated & if there was someone new they didn't have the patience to really create an empire for her as compared to the previously mentioned singers. Nina felt this. "Heaven", her supposedly first single from her debut album of the same title sounded offbeat to Filipino ears. It was a disco inspired pop-R n' B music with cutesy lyrics. It was played on different stations & its music video constantly aired in a not-so-popular television station. However it couldn't be really tagged as a hit.
Nina & her handlers would never give up. "Jealous" was sampled in radio stations & listeners would often call & ask deejays what Mariah Carey's new song is. They all thought it was the legendary Mariah Carey singing & all the more were they surprised that she was a Filipina. From then on Nina would create a ring in their ears. Listeners would often request for the song propelling it to top the charts & eagerly buy her album. "Jealous" would become an overnight success & will be hailed as the most successful & best OPM song of that year.
After "Jealous" Nina now had something to back up on. She would often be compared to Mariah Carey which was really flattering but she also wanted to be unique. That same year "Foolish Heart" was released & showcased her unbelievable whistling tone ability. She definitely can do Mariah but her tone shows range. With "Foolish Heart" she would start the acoustic genre in the country. After that hit a lot of Filipino singers went the acoustic trend. MYMP would then be born & Nina's debut album will be awarded double platinum (60,000+ units sold). Nina was now recognizable. She would be booked for a number of gigs & asked to do concerts as well. Endorsements would also come her way & tv spots were countless. She would then be asked to be a regular performer in ASAP, a Sunday musical variety show in ABS-CBN. Her welcome performance was with Carol Banawa who was now leaving her career for a personal purpose in the US. Carol would then pass her throne to Nina asking Nina to take care of her audience now that she's away. It was very momentous. Five years after Nina would still be a part of the ASAP family & would be considered as one of its talented & sought-after performer equally sharing spotlights with the likes of Gary Valenciano, Martin Nievera, Sarah Geronimo, Kuh Ledesma & Zsa Zsa Padilla.
Her sophomore album although not equally successful with the first would trademark Nina as an easy-to-listen voice. She sounded very relaxing & emotional thus earning the title "Soul Siren". "Smile" would be certified gold in its first few months of release but would eventually earn the platinum mark as Nina's talent continues to be known buy everyone. During this time of her career rivalries wouldn't be left unnoticed. This was the height of Nina being categorically rivaled head-to-head with Kyla. They were being compared in all aspects. From the range to belting power, shows & albums & even fashion styles. The good thing was it both helped them in their careers. Both remained friends eventhough rivalries really pushed them. This even helped them do better in their respective careers.
And do better was simply Nina's cup of tea. Her experience with live performance is really compelling thus it would be appropriate to have a full length live recorded album to showcase her range, vocal prowess & musical artistry. In 2005 "Nina Live!" was released along with a dvd of the live recording turned into music videos. The cd was really impressive both to critics & listeners. It would hail the start of live recording in the history of Philippine music. Most of Nina's recognizable hits were from this album namely, "Love Moves" which was #1 in almost all radio stations for almost four months, "Through The Fire", "Constantly" & "I Love You Goodbye". Even unreleased tracks were really popular among listeners & the cd would be played everywhere. Nina was now a recording star. She was now beyond compare & to her surprise exceeded her goals. "Nina Live!" would be awarded 9x platinum (270,000 & counting units sold) by the Philippine Association of Recording Industries. The album stayed #1 on the sales charts for almost a year. The album's success was instrumental in propelling a sold-out major concert in the Araneta Coliseum. Her records are unbreakable. She is now the biggest selling Filipina singer of all time. "Nina Live!" would be the third biggest-selling album in Philippine music history. This would earn the respect of her fans, music industry professionals & colleagues.
Nina, now being an established artist couldn't simply stop. Her talent was beyond recognition & Dianne Warren would allow her to record one of her songs. "I Don't Wanna Be Your Friend" became an overnight sensation & just when you thought Nina would stop with her live cd she even delivered more & not to mention, better. There would be concerts after concerts. Endorsements after endorsements. Hits after hits. Gigs after gigs. Guestings after guestings. She had become the most sought-after artist of her generation after from just being dismissed a wannabe.
Two more albums would prove the soul siren's consistency in sales & good music: The self-discovery titled album, "Nina" & its extended version "Nina Featuring The Hits of Barry Manilow" to which she granted requests of a cd souvenir of her successful concert series "Very Manilow" for her audience. The feat would be recognized with a double platinum mark. She would also be allowed to do a full-length album of Dianne Warren compositions & would impress the prolific songwriter with her versions & commercial viability turning the songs as her own & giving it an earmark for a platinum record award. As of this writing Nina has just released her seventh studio album to date, "Renditions of the Soul" & reports of the same success as her previous endeavors are undeniable. Just recently she joined her co-ASAP performers called "Sessionistas" in a jampacked, sold-out & standing only concert at the Big Dome which is already her second time at the country's biggest seating capacity venue.
Year after year Nina has released an album. The lowest mark she got for each cd would be a platinum record award. The highest would be hardly imaginable which is nine-times platinum & counting. All of her concerts are sold-out & her guestings eagerly watched. Her endorsements also speak with utmost credibility & not to mention she has created a niche & an empire all her own in the music industry. She can definitely hold her own against all the other singers compared to her. With keen observation we could even say that she has surpassed all the comparisons she had to go through with other singers. She's definitely one-of-a-kind & she's getting even better time after time making her own self now as her greatest competitor. She is now a force to reckon.
Just before 2009 ended it's as if her previous achievements were not enough she surprised everyone by earning the recognition as the first Filipina singer to earn a diamond record award for her phenomenal album "Nina Live!" putting her in the hallmarks of the Philippine music industry alongside recording greats Jose Mari Chan & the Eraserheads. While some were left in awe others regarded her as a true Philippine music superstar. With this we can really say that Nina, the former underdog has definitely gone a long way & right now everyone should give way because at this very moment we can say that she's now a QUEEN.
VOCAL PROFILE
Voice type : Lyric Coloratura Soprano
Highest note : E7 (Simula), C#7 (I Dont Want To Be Your Friend) , C7(Sayang Naman)
Lowest note : F#3 (Officially Missing You)
Vocal Range : approximately 4 Octaves
Longest Note : 15 seconds
ALBUMS / ALBUM AWARDS
Heaven
Released : 2002
Certification : 2x Platinum
Smile
Released : 2003
Certification : Platinum
Nina Live!
Released : 2005
Certification : Diamond or 10x platinum (Gold in just 3 days and platinum for a week)
Nina
Released : 2006
Certification : 2x Platinum and still counting
Nina Featuring The Hits of Barry Manilow
Released : 2007
Certification : Platinum
Nina In The Mix
Released : 2007
Nina Sings The Hits Of Dianne Warren
Released : 2008
Certification : Gold (In just a week time) and still counting
Renditions of the Soul
Released:2009
COMPILATIONS / COLLABORATIONS
Soul Obsessions by Thor
Released : 2008
Single : Whenever You Call (with Thor)
Hotsilog " The ASAP Compilation"
Released : 2006
Single : Lumapit ka
Goldilocks 40th year anniversary album
Released : 2006
Single : Araw Mo
Tunog Akustik 4
Released : 2006
Single : I'll always love you
I will always love you OST Album
Released : 2006
Single : I will always love you
Christian Bautista “Colour Everywhere”
Released:2005
Joe Pizzulo "All the Best"
Released : 2005
Single : I'll Never Gonna Give You Up (with Joe Pizzulo)
What Do we Mean to each other (with Joe Pizzulo)
"Dianne Warren Love Songs Compilation"
Released : 2004
Single : I dont want to be your friend
The All-Star Warner Music Album
Released :2004
Single : The Christmas Song
Tunog Akustik 3
Released :2004
Single : Sayang Naman
ENDORSEMENTS
TV commercials
Goldilocks
Ellips
Sponsors
Levi's
Mark Alexandre
Scheinheisser Microphone
Magazines
Burn
Popsicle
MTV Ink
Woman
PinoyMag
Gadgets
Image
Pulp
Myx Mag
Music Channel Mag
ACHIEVEMENTS / AWARDS
2003
Favorite New Artist- Awit Awards
Best R&B Song- "2nd Floor", Awit Awards
Favorite New Artist- MTV Pilipinas
Favorite Female Artist- Teens Voice Awards
OPM Female Artist of the Year- Magic 89.9
OPM Song of the Year- "Jealous", Magic 89.9
Favorite Female Artist- Candy Rap Awards
2004
Best Female Performer in Hotel, Music Lounges and Bars- Aliw Awards
No. 1 Female R&B Singer in the Philippines- Philippines Business Excellence Awards/ Awards and Recognition Association of the Philippines
Artist of the Month of Janauary- MTV Philippines
Artist of the Month of January- 97.1 WLS FM
Singing Ambassador of Goodwill 2004/Center for Pop Music Philippines, Inc.
One of Women to Watch in 2004/Mega Magazine
2005
Best Female Acoustic Artist- National Consumers Quality Awards
2006
OPM Artist of the Year- RX 93.1
Best Selling Album of the Year- "Nina Live!", Awit Awards
Best Performance by a Duet- "Nina and Thor", Awit Awards
Favorite Collaboration- "Burn" by Nina and Christian Bautista, MYX Music Awards
2007
Best Performance by a Female Artist in a Concert- Aliw Awards
People’s Choice Song of the Year- "Someday", Awit Awards
People’s Choice Favorite Artist- Awit Awards
People’s Choice Best Female Performance- "Someday", Awit Awards
R&B Artist of the Year- Philippine Hip-Hop Awards
Best Urban Video- "I Do", MYX Music Awards
UST’s Student Choice of Music Video- "Someday"
RECOGNITIONS
ASAP Platinum Circle 2009 (ASAP ELITE PLATINUM AWARDEE) Nina Live!-10x Platinum
ASAP Platinum Circle 2008 (Nina Featuring The Hits of Barry Manilow - Platinum) and (Nina Live- 8x platinum)
ASAP 24K Awards (Nina Sings The Hits of Dianne Warren - Gold)
Shall We Dance Monthly Champion (November)
ASAP Platinum Circle 2007 (Nina - Platinum) and (Nina Live- 8x Platinum)
ASAP 24K Awards (Nina - Gold)
ASAP Platinum Circle 2006 (Nina Live- 6x platinum)
ASAP Platinum Circle 2005 (Nina Live- 5x platinum)
No. 1 Female R&B Singer in the Philippines/2004 Philippine Business Excellence Award/Awards and Recognition Association of the Philippines
Artist of the Month (January, 2004)/MTV Philippines
Artist of the Month (January, 2004)/97.1 WLS FM
Singing Ambassador of Goodwill 2004/Center for Pop Music Philippines, Inc.
One of Women to Watch in 2004/Mega Magazine
CONTESTS / COMPETITIONS
Bulilit Jamboree - Lunchdate, GMA 7 (1985, Daily Winner)
Tanghalan ng Kampeon - GMA 7 (1991, 7 Weeks Champion)
Kids Go Broadway - SM North Edsa (1989, Grand Champion)
Quest For The Best - Panasonic (1993/1994, Grand Finalist)
Linggo Ng Wika - Miriam College (1999, Grand Champion)
Credits to:
Dra. Wins-for the photo layout
Sijiro-for the article
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