Nina reborn for 2013

Here is great news for fans of Soul Siren, Nina, and quite an exciting way to get the New Year off to a rousing start in the local music business. Fresh from her enchanting rendition of Don’t Say Goodbye, which helped carry the stylish melodrama A Secret Affair to box-office heights late last year, she is now back with a new album and solo concert.

Perennial big-seller Nina is a rarity in the local hit charts. She is one of the very few female singers around who does not belt or scream out her songs. She very simply croons with soft birdlike tones. Wisely, she also keeps her arrangements simple and never flamboyant. The better to showcase her voice. Her fans find this sweet and sexy and clearly a refreshing alternative to the usual vocal acrobatics of our pop divas.

There will be lots of that sort of music when Nina takes on the Music Museum in Greenhills on Friday, Jan. 25 in her solo show titled Reborn from Viva Concerts and Events. She is expected to do her big hits like Someday, Heaven, Foolish Heart and her monster breakthrough song, Love Moves In Mysterious Ways. She has for her guest, another talented vocalist, the soulful Jinky Vidal, formerly of Freestyle who has turned solo.

The Music Museum show will also serve as the launching pad for the release of Nina’s new album. Titled All Good, this marks her first-ever recording for her new contract with Viva Records. The CD is made up of compositions by Filipino writers, and should give a big boost to local pop music.

Nina is one of those interpreters who can take on any song, local or foreign and redo it in her own style. But, it is really nice to know that she has decided to give our composers a big heads-up by choosing from their works. The results are very good and should prompt other recording artists to do the same.

Included are new works by sure-hit songwriter Vehnee Saturno, Maybe It’s Too Soon; plus Toto Sorioso, All Good; Archie Dairocas, Mahal Na Mahal Kita; and the now Nashville-based Jimmy Borja, Pinilit Kong Limutin Ka. Music lovers will also be happy to find out that she has included covers of Perfect, originally by True Faith; Hurting Inside, the big hit for the trio Vanna Vanna; and of course, her version of Pops Fernandez’s Don’t Say Goodbye.

More about talented Filipinos today. I would like to send a hearty congratulations to all the winners of the 2012 Broadway World Philippines Awards, most especially to the guys of Atlantis Productions who bagged nine trophies for Disney’s The Little Mermaid.

These are Rachelle Ann Go, Best Actress; Cecile Martinez, Best Choreography; Eric Pineda, Costume Design; Erik Santos, Crossover Artist from Mainstream to Theater; Ceejay Javier, Musical Direction; Lex Maras, Scenic Design; Bobbit Jacinto, Sound Design; and Bobby Garcia and Chari Arespacochaga, Best Direction. Disney’s The Little Mermaid was also named Best Locally Produced Broadway Show.

Not from The Little Mermaid but also from an Atlantis produced show was Eula Valdez who was named Best Featured Actress In A Musical for her work in Nine. Do check out the BWW site to find out who the other winners are.

More about talented Filipinos in music. For an idea of last year’s most popular tunes among the local releases, here are the top music videos from the Pinoy MYX Countdown Yearender: Forevermore by David Archuleta; Bakit Pa Ba by Sarah Geronimo; Sirena by Gloc-9 featuring Ebe Dancel; Sige Lang by Quest; I’ll Be There by Julie Anne San Jose; 12:51 by Krissy & Ericka; Moving Closer by Never The Strangers; Huling Sayaw by Kamikazee feat. Kyla; Tuloy by Sarah Geronimo, Someday Dream and Gary Valenciano; Pag-ibig by Yeng Constantino.

Gayuma by Abra feat. Thyro and Jeriko Aguilar; Enough also by Julie Ann San Jose; Princesa by Daniel Padilla; XGF by Sponge Cola feat. Chito Miranda and Los Magno; Minsan by Callalily; Pasasalamat also by Callalily; Bagsakan by Parokya Ni Edgar feat. Gloc-9 and Frank Magalona; I’ll Never Go, again by David Archuleta; Your Name by Young JV feat. Myrtle; and Tao Lang by Loonie featuring Quest.