Nina Girado | Image: INQUIRER.net/Jessica Ann Evangelista
Singer Nina reflected on the continuous impact of her 2005 hit album “Nina Live!” as she also shared her excitement about her new role as a judge in the singing competition “Sing Galing.”
With her wide vocal range, Nina was easily one of the most popular and sought-after singers of the early 2000s after breaking into the R&B scene, especially after releasing her self-titled album, becoming one of the best selling recording artists in the country.
In a recent interview with INQUIRER.net, the “Diamond Soul Siren” expressed gratitude for how her 20-year-old album is still gaining traction to this day, especially in the era of social media.
“Nakakataba ng puso kasi from generation to generation, relevant pa rin ‘yung songs ko. I thank the parents for doing that, kasi baka nung bata sila pinapakinggan ng parents tapos napass on, at least nalaman ng mga kabataan, kilala pa rin nila ako and my songs,” she said.
(It’s heartwarming that my songs remained relevant from generation to generation. I thank the parents for doing that, because they might have been listening to those songs then passed that on to their kids. At least the youth are aware of me, and my songs.)
Nina also said that from her “Nina Live” album, her cover of the Julia Fordham original, “Love Moves in Mysterious Ways” and Chaka Khan’s “Through the Fire” are her personal favorites, shared that recording the entire album was still vivid on her mind.
“I still remember very much recording that album. Kasi galing pako sa ASAP taping non. Tapos I remember parang magkakasakit ako tapos inabot kami ng madaling araw. And ‘yung bar na ‘yon sarado na siya ngayon,” shared the soulful singer.
In 2005, “Nina Live!” debuted number one on the Philippine Top 10 Albums chart. After a week of commercial release, the album reached gold status by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry (PARI) and was certified platinum after three weeks. It is considered to be the biggest-selling album by a female artist in the Philippines, certifying 10× Platinum (Diamond) by the PARI.
Nina as one of the new judges of “Sing Galing” | Contributed photo
Given her continued relevance and experience as a singer, Nina has been recently announced as one of the new judges of the upcoming season of “Sing Galing.”
“Syempre tuwang tuwa to be chosen as a judge, I get to share my knowledge of what I know as a singer. It was really fun. You get to watch the celebrities na hindi mo alam na magaling or marunong pala kumanta. So nakaka surprise siya and masaya since relax lang ‘yung feel sa pagiging jukebox boss,” she said.
When asked what kind of judge she thinks she is going to be considering it’s her first time to tackle such role, Girado underscored that she will be more gentle to her team.
“Strikto ako sa sarili ko pero baka hindi ko naman iapply sa kanila. Siguro baka sweet na istrikto. Hindi naman to criticize how they sing, siguro ‘yung kailangan lang iimpove,” she said.
“Okay lang sakin kung biretera o hindi as long as kapag kinakanta nila ‘yung song naiintindihan nila kung ano ‘yung kinakanta nila. Hindi ‘yung basta kakanta lang sila,” added the singer.
The OPM artist also extended a word of advice to young aspiring singers, emphasizing the importance of staying humble.
“Siguro doon sa mga gusto talaga maging singer, just pursue your dreams. And if they want to stay up there, huwag nila pabayaan ‘yung boses nila, alagaan nila. And of course, always be humble; just stay grounded. Huwag ipasok ‘yung fame sa ulo,” she said.
Nina Pre-Valentines concert | Contributed photo
Nina, who is set to have her Pre-Valentines concert “Love Matters” on Feb. 7 at the New Frontier Theater as well as her Australia tour “Nina Live!” then reflected on her overall journey as a singer.
“So far, it has been a really beautiful journey. I have my fair share of ups and downs. Syempre hindi naman mawawala ‘yon and I’m really grateful for those times na nagkaroon ng konting sadness, kasi it will lead you to your happiness, like in the present. Lahat ng pinagdaanan ko sobra akong proud doon. I’ve learned a lot of lessons along the way,” she explained.