Nina Girado
Template:Infobox musical artist 2
Nina (born Marifil Niña Girado on November 1, 1980) is a Filipino pop singer. Dubbed Asia's "Soul Siren" and the Philippines' "Queen of Pop", Girado has released multiplatinum record sales and achieved ten number one singles in the Philippines. She is sister of singer Filbert “King” Girado, Jr. She has released six albums and performs regularly at bars such as Taboo Ultra Lounge, Bagaberde Grill, Hard Rock Cafe, 19 East, Club-O and can be seen on TV via the musical variety show ASAP on ABS-CBN. She is known for her vocal belting and her ability to sing in whistle register and do coloratura passage (just like Mariah Carey). Her album Nina Live! is the biggest selling album by a female OPM artist, and the third biggest selling album in OPM History[1], next to Eraserheads' Cutterpillow, and Jose Mari Chan's Christmas In Our Hearts.
Before the Nina Live! era, Nina has collaborated with international artists such as Joe Pizzulo, where she recorded two songs from his album, All The Best, namely "I'm Never Gonna Give You Up" and "What Do We Mean to Each Other".[2] She has also been linked to international songwriter-producer Diane Warren, coming up with an entire album of the writer's hits.
Nina is part of the "ASAP Sessionistas", the most requested jamming segment of the variety show, featuring ASAP mainstay artists, who are in-demand performers in various bars and restaurants. Due to popularity, the Sessionistas will be having a concert on August 28, 2009 at the Big Dome.[3]
Life and music career
Childhood and youth
Marifil "Niña" Girado was born on November 1, 1980 in Pasay City. Although, her parents Filbert Girado, a member of the Bayanihan Boy's Choir, and Maria Daulet, a pianist, raised Nina in Quezon City together with her three other siblings, Filbert "King", Jr., Dew Anne and Ardie. She attended Elementary and High school at the Victoria Foundation.[4] When she was five years old, Nina started singing in a corner of a room and she was in tune. Her father noticed it and saw the potential in her. Immediately after seeing this, she was given massive vocal training, and like the traditional way, she was submerged in a drum of water while belting out those high notes. Instead of playing with her friends, she was even taught to exercise her vocal chords early in the morning.
Nina's childhood has never been easy. However, all her hard work and true passion for music payed off, since she became seven weeks champion at the most popular early singing competition in the Philippines, "Tanghalan ng Kampeon"—where other successful singers, like Regine Velasquez and Kyla, came from. But before entering the pop, R&B music scene and recording chuns of hits, Nina joined a lot of bands and sang on almost every local bar her soulful and soothing, yet powerful voice.[5]
Early music career
Nina was 17 when she became one of the vocalists for the X’s, a show band working the club circuit. She honed her skills in clubs such as Strumm’s, Limits, Ratsky and Fashion Cafe, doing old rhythm and blues hits and Sergio Mendes numbers. Shortly after, she was hired by Big Thing, Randy Santiago’s band. This was followed by a six-month stint in Silk. She also become one of the members of the MYMP group, and finally, the Essence.
Although she was already a fulltime working professional, Nina continued her studies, taking up and finishing Accounting at Miriam College. At one time, she had thought of taking up Law, but by the time she graduated, this had been replaced by another dream: to become a solo recording artist.
She put together a three-song demo which included her cover of “Foolish Heart” and sent it to Warner Music Philippines. The label recognized the potential. It wasn’t long before Marifil Niña Girado was transformed into "Nina".
Commercial success
Heaven (2002-2003)
In 2002, Heaven was released accompanied by Nina’s debut single with the same name. “Heaven” became a modest hit. “2nd Floor” was sent as a radio single to boost album sales and increase popularity. Though the song was not commercially released, it was hailed as the Best R&B Song in the 2003 Awit Awards and allowed Nina to bag the Best New Artist Award as well. “Jealous” was released as the next single from the album and it became Nina’s first single to top the charts. Due to its extreme reception, Nina became a radio favorite as her songs gained more airplay. Also, she won the Best New Artist Award in the 2003 MTV Pilipinas Music Awards due to the single’s breakthrough. In mid-2003, she released “Foolish Heart”, which became her second chart-topper. The song became one of the most-played singles of that year, and was considered to be one of the main reasons why the acoustic phenomenon became very much popular. “Loving You” became the fourth and last single off the album and also reached the Top Ten. A re-release of the album was issued enabling Heaven its double platinum status. Included in this release were “Talk To Me”, the acoustic version of “Jealous” and the Nescafe promo single, “Simula”.
Smile (2003-2004)
During the last quarter of 2003, Nina released Smile alongside the first single “Make You Mine.” It became Nina’s third number one single, allowing Nina to be the first (and only) female artist to have three number one singles in a year. In 2004, “A Girl Can Dream” was released as the second single and featured labelmate Christian Bautista as her love interest in the video. The song peaked in the Top Five, though proved to be less successful than other Nina singles. “Sayang Naman” was the first Tagalog single Nina released and became the last release from the album. It reached the Top Ten and is considered to be the least successful Nina single to date. A radio-only single was released in the form of the Madonna original “Shoo-Be-Doo” allowing Smile to reach Gold status.
Nina sings Dianne Warren
In 2004, Girado recorded “I Don't Want To Be Your Friend,” written by award-winning composer Diane Warren (it had previously been recorded by Cyndi Lauper on her album A Night to Remember). The song was number one in the Philippines for eight weeks. Girado’s version of the song was included on the compilation Diane Warren Presents Love Songs, which was certified gold in the Philippines.
Nina Live! (2005)
Though Smile proved to be less successful than her debut album, Nina Live! proved to be both critically and commercially successful, earning platinum status in only its first three week of release. “Love Moves In Mysterious Ways” was solicited to radio in February and became a monster hit by the summer of 2005. Peaking at the number one spot for twelve weeks, it became the most successful Nina single to date, also becoming the longest number one OPM single not only in 2005, but in the 2000’s era. A second single was released in “Through The Fire”, a Chaka Khan original, which also peaked at number one for a week. “Constantly” was issued as the third single which peaked within the Top Three, and a recorded version of “I Love You Goodbye” was released as the fourth and final single of the live album. As of 2006, Nina Live! is certified 8x Platinum. Also in 2005, Nina embarked on her sold-out major concert entitled "Nina Live!" at the Araneta Coliseum. A Nina Live! DVD was released by the end of 2005 which included the live recordings at the PHI Bar, both Nina biography and discography, as well the video for the number one single, “I Don’t Want To Be Your Friend.”
At the height of Nina’s success, Goldilocks Bakeshop launched its 40th Anniversary in 2006. In its anniversary, the company decided to tie-in with Warner Music Philippines in releasing a CD single enttled Araw Mo from which the jingle would be sung by the Soul Siren herself. “Araw Mo” was released in time of the 40th Anniversary and became a very popular jingle solicited for radio promo. Also, a commercial was released in lieu of the CD single.
Nina (2006-2007)
After the success of Nina Live!, Nina began recording new material for her self-titled fourth album. After critical acclaim and commercial success, Nina decided to release a self-titled album due to the fact that she has already established her name as an artist and would like the public to know her as who she really is. “I Do” was the first single, and was Nina’s first original single after the "Nina Live! era". The song entered the Top Ten but failed to establish the same impact as her previous hits. It was until “Someday” that Nina would regain her next major hit, a song which was composed by then current-boyfriend Nyoy Volante. The song became Nina’s seventh number one hit, peaking at number one for eight weeks. “I Didn’t Mean To Make You Mine” was released as the third single in 2007. As of April 2007, the album is certified Gold and before the year end the album reached Platinum status.[6]
Source: NSS About
Voice
Nina stands barely over five feet but her vocal prowess can stand up to a tidal wave. Nina's voice type, as described by pop critics, is a Lyric coloratura soprano. She has the ability to sing in the whistle register, as shown in her recorded songs. Her highest note in whistle register is noted to be E7 (the whistle note she did on her promo single, "Simula"), while her highest note in normal voice is said to be a sustained G#5 (the note she belts out on "Through the Fire"). Although, critics believe that Nina can still belt out an unsustained higher note, because the highest note of a person cannot be sustained. On the other side, her lowest note is Eb2 (the note she sang on "I'll Always Love You"), proving that she has a 5-octave vocal range (Eb2-E7).[7] Her longest note is up to 14 seconds.
Source: Nina's profile
Notable achievements
In 2008, Nina's third album, Nina Live!, reached 8x Platinum by the PARI, selling some 250,000 units in the Philippines. It became the biggest selling album by a female OPM artist and the third biggest selling album in OPM History.
Personal life
In 2004, Nina started dating fellow acoustic singer Jimmy Bondoc. Before the year ended, the two broke up for unpublicized reasons. In 2005, Nina dated her other fellow acoustic singer Nyoy Volante, who is also known for being friends with her and Bondoc. In 2007, Bondoc appeared on an interview with GMA 7's Showbiz Central, stating that "Nina looks like a frog!".[8] Nina and Volante ignored his words, and later, he apologized, saying that "It was just a humor". The couple broke up late in 2008.
In 2009, Nina appeared on an interview with ABS-CBN 2's Kris Aquino on the primetime entertainment news program SNN: Showbiz News Ngayon which aired on February 17[9]. She stated that her ex-boyfriend, Volante, and his parents borrowed a total of Php 1.4 million from her and did not fully pay it back. She stated that the first check payment was okay, leaving Php 1.1 million debt. However, the rest of the following checks bounced in a total of Php 550,000, so she decided to file estafa and bouncing check charges agaisnt Volante's parents.[10]
Nina currently resides at brgy. Paligsahan, Quezon City, Philippines. [10]She stands 5'1" tall, weighs 100 lbs. and considers herself a Filipino Roman Catholic. Her favorite album is Songs in A Minor by Alicia Keys, while her favorite song is "Secret Lovers" by Atlantic Starr.[4]
Discography
Albums
- 2002: Heaven
- 2003: Smile
- 2005: Nina Live!
- 2006: Nina
- 2007: Nina featuring the Hits of Barry Manilow
- 2007: Nina in the Mix: The Dense Modesto Remixes
- 2008: Nina Sings The Hits of Diane Warren
Filmography
| Movies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 2004 | Masikip Sa Dibdib | Singer | She sang "What If" back to back with Kyla, Karylle and Anna Fegi |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2002-2003 | SOP | Herself | Regular performer |
| 2003-present | ASAP | Herself | Regular performer/host |
| 2004 | MYX shows | Celebrity VJ | Aired in May 2004 |
| 2005 | Right to Royalty (TV special) | Herself | Performer |
| 2006 | Ang Pagbabalik ng Bituin (TV special) | Herself | Tribute to Mega Star Sharon Cuneta's comeback |
| Tuloy na Tuloy na Tuloy pa rin ang Pasko (TV special) | Herself | Performer | |
| 2009 | Ang Pangarap ni Ploning (TV special)[11] | Herself | Fund raising for Ploning's official entry on the 81st Academy Awards. |
| Salamat, President Cory (TV special)[12] | Herself | The ABS-CBN vigil for the late president Corazon Aquino | |
| Guest Appearances | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Episode |
| 2009 | Boy & Kris[13] | Herself | Episode "Kantahan, Kwentuhang Air Supply" (January 16, 2009) |
| Boy & Kris[13] | Herself | Episode "The Music of Michael Jackson" (February 6, 2009) | |
| Boy & Kris[13] | Herself | Episode "Strong Women" (February 11, 2009) | |
| Ruffa & Ai[14] | Herself | Aired on March 4, 2009 | |
| Asia Uncut[15] | Herself | Episode 9 (May 8, 2009) | |
| Ruffa & Ai[14] | Herself | Aired on May 22, 2009 | |
| Wowowee[16] | Herself | Aired on June 13, 2009, She played on "Willie of Fortune" | |
| Ruffa & Ai[14] | Herself | Aired on June 26, 2009, She sang on a wedding reception | |
Source: Nina's IMDB profile
Concerts
| Date | Concert Name | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| November 13, 2004 | POP KO 'TO: The All Star, All Hits Concert (with Warner Music artists)[17] |
Folk Arts Theater |
| 2005 | Fall for Nina | Casino Filipino, Angeles |
| Beyond Limits | SM Megamall | |
| Soul Siren Live! | Japan | |
| Dubai | ||
| A Love Affair with Nina | Hotel Pontefino, Batangas | |
| Strings of the Hearts | Folk Arts Theater | |
| Heaven Sent sold out | Music Museum | |
| El Niño, La Niña (with Nyoy Volante) |
Folk Arts Theater | |
| May 25-26, 2005 | Nina Just Wanna Have Fun | Music Museum |
| August 2005 | Nina Uncovered (Bar Tour) | Various Bars |
| October 1, 2005 | Nina Live! sold out | Araneta Coliseum |
| 2005 | A Beautiful Life | Guam |
| 2006 | So Much in Love (with Nyoy Volante) |
Edsa Shangri-La |
| March 4, 2006 | South San Francisco Auditorium, California, USA | |
| March 10, 2006 | Alex Theater, California, USA | |
| April 8, 2006 | Beyond Limits | SM Megamall Centerstage |
| June 2006 | Very Manilow | Music Museum |
| August 19, 2006 | All That Glitters | Bagaberde, Roxas Blvd. |
| August 26, 2006 | Nina at Her Best | Aliw Theatre |
| September 30, 2006 | All That Glitters (The Repeat) | Bagaberde, Pasig |
| November 2006 | Nina Gold Precious OPM Hits | Music Museum |
| April 28, 2007 | Nina (Major Concert) | Quezon Convention Center, Lucena |
| May 10, 2007 | N Hearts | Metro Bar, Quezon City |
Regular gigs
- Bagaberde, Pasig City
- Bagaberde, Roxas Boulevard
- 19 East, Sucat
- Hard Rock Cafe, Makati City
- Virgin Cafe, Quezon City
Source: Nina's Concert List
Awards and Recognitions
Source:
External links
References
- ^ "Nina Soul Siren facebook profile". May 25, 2009
- ^ "Nina in Joe Pizzulo's album". August 8, 2009
- ^ ASAP Sessionistas live @ Araneta
- ^ a b "Nina's personal information". August 10, 2009
- ^ "Nina's Bio". August 9, 2009
- ^ "NSS About NinaSoulSiren Music Bio". August 9, 2009
- ^ Nina's vocal range on NSS forum
- ^ Jimmy Bondoc teases Nina
- ^ Nina's interview on SNN
- ^ a b "Nina sues Nyoy Volante's parents". August 10, 2009
- ^ "Nina on Pangarap ni Ploning". August 8, 2009
- ^ "Nina on Kapamilya Vigil". August 8, 2009
- ^ a b c "Nina's guestings on Boy & Kris". August 8, 2009
- ^ a b c "Nina's 2009 guestings on Ruffa & Ai". August 8, 2009
- ^ "Nina on Asia Uncut". August 8, 2009
- ^ "Nina plays on Wowowee". August 8, 2009
- ^ Warner All Star Major Concert
- ^ "Nina Sings the Hits of Diane Warren ASAP 24k Award". August 8, 2009
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