Getting a high on Nina

Nina, one of the country’s most promising young pop/R&B artists, recently showed off her diva like singing prowess in a show entitled Nina’s Essence at the Hard Rock Café.

While always backed up by the band The Essence on her shows, Nina was backed up in this show by the band Time Machine composed of Marlon Cervantes (trombone), Gerry Cervantes (alto saxophone), Julius Calderon (trumphet), Crisanto Avendano (bass), Robert Claridades (guitar), Ronald Villanueva (keyboard), Jun Gonzales (drums), Roland Navarro and Jane Co (vocalists).

Born Marifil Niña Girado, but now known as Nina, the singer opened the show with the Michelle Branch song,Game of Love which pumped up the crowd’s enthusiasm.

Wearing a black body-hugging tank top, Nina followed it up by singing Alicia Keyes’ Fallin.

What would a Nina show be like without the singer singing a song from her own album, Nina Heaven? Nina did so in Jealous which she dedicated to all the "jealous people."

An Accounting graduate of Miriam College, Nina followed the song up by singing Steve Perry’s Foolish Heart, her fourth single.

Nina also rendered Mariah Carey’s Through the Rain. "This is a song from one of my favorites," she said before singing the song. The song was timely, because despite the rain that night, Hard Rock Café was jampacked with an eclectic group of sweethearts, highschool girls with their parents and teeanage boys who constantly shouted "We love you Nina!"

Halfway through the show, Nina called on two male members of the audience and engaged in a duet of love songs Bakit Ngayon Ka Lang and You Are My Song.

Obviously appreciating her very "game" audience, she asked them to sing with her DJ Sammy’s romantic song Heaven.

The bedimpled Nina also sang and danced a ’70s medley, Respect by Kelly Clarkson.

Nina’s rendition of Moulin Rouge’s movie theme Lady Marmalade set the tempo of the show on a high note, making the audience dance.

Nina, who started singing professionally at 17, also sang Best Days and Tell Me How You Feel which was well-received by the audience.

To cap the show, Nina sang the upbeat party song Shy Guy (Diana King). She sang 14 songs in the show which lasted for over an hour.

Asked to share her thoughts on Nina’s performance on the show, Aileen, a businesswoman, said, "In fairness she (Nina) really has a great voice. But she still has to learn dancing like JLo and Shakira to fully capture the ‘R&B princess’ title."

Andy, an engineer, said he likes Nina’s singing style. "I’ve been watching her sing on her gigs and I can say that gig after gig she’s improving. I will continue to watch her," he said.