SOUL SIREN SCORES HISTORIC FEAT

Manila Bulletin, January 24, 2010

Vocally talented and audience favorite Nina may have bagged her career's biggest achievement with one of her albums attaining the diamond record status. Her third album "Nina Live" already sold 200,000 units, enabling her to earn the milestone no other Filipina singer has done before.

In a press gathering promoting her upcoming shows, the so-called "Soul Siren" expressed her elation over her breakthrough album's accomplishment. She even sang songs from that overachieving record and got applauses even from hard-to-please critics.

"Sobrang sarap at fulfilling for me as a singer ang honor na ito. Actually nahihiya pa ako na matawag na 'diamond star,"' she told the pool of showbiz writers at Hard Rock Café in Makati last Wednesday afternoon.

The remarkable distinction puts Nina in the company of legendary acts Jose Mari Chan and Eraserheads. It also affirms the power of Pinoys' industry-shaking affair with revivals during the past decade, with Nina, in spite of delivering a big original in "Someday," serving as a frontrunner among noted local revivalists.

No surprise that when she was asked to pick between recording past hit songs and promising originals, she chose doing revivals. She reasoned, "Lalagyan mo na lang ng vocal style ang sikat na kanta. Mas madaling maka-relate ang listeners."

Nina is set to do a pre-Valentine show with Side A and Freestyle. She assures a "different repertoire" come her two-night Music Museum show on March 5 and 6, to be produced by Asap Live! as part of "ASAP XV's" concert series for the show's 15th year on TV. "Definitely it will not be the usual repertoire that I will do at the Music Museum, lalo na't 'ASAP' ang mag-proproduce," she said.

The ex-girlfriend of acoustic star Nyoy who wrote "Someday" is described as an elite member of the famed ASAP Sessionistas. Last year, she got another big break when she guested on an international variety chat show called "Asia Uncut." It marked only the second time that the popular Star World TV program had a Filipino as guest. International actress-singer Lea Salonga was the first.

As artist, Nina hinted quite a change in direction. "Hopefully this year magkaroon ako ng album na halos lahat originals," she mentioned. Obviously she's now one artist who can ask for demand from her label and expect a positive, immediate response.

source: mb.com.ph