Kitchie-Koo!

Kitchie Nadal is glowing. Her eyes, behind brown oversized shades, are positively gleaming with excitement. Her gig in Toronto, Canada last August is primarily to blame for this latest bout of giddiness.

It was, to say the least, a hoot: The crowd that gathered in the very hall where the likes of Bjork and Alanis Morissette have performed received the rock artist with astounding energy and a warmth that took her in as one of their own.

Now Kitchie might still be reeling from the exhilaration of her first international concert–already labeled as one of the most successful Pinoy rock acts on international soil–but with this kind of popularity reaching in from beyond our borders, one can only begin to surmise the extent of the success she’s reaping on home shores, where she was catapulted to fame following the release of Wag na Wag Mong Sasabihin a little over a year ago.

With a talent that can’t be denied, a self-titled debut album gone double platinum (with over 60,000 copies sold) and a roster of hit singles and sold-out shows, Kitchie Nadal has definitely made her mark–an indelible one, at that.

Although Kitchie still considers herself a neophyte in an industry of giants, critics regard her as more than the average artist waiting out the next new act.

This year alone, she received two Awit Awards for Best Performance by a Female Recording Artist and Best Ballad (Wag na Wag Mong Sasabihin, which is the theme song for the hit Korean telenovela Lovers in Paris). She bagged the Nickelodeon Channel’s Pinoy Wannabe Kid’s Choice Award and she won two Aliw Awards for the Most Promising Entertainer and Best Female Concert Performer, edging out some of the most established names and veterans in the business.

Perhaps it’s her child-like fascination with the smallest things, which often manifests itself in not being fully aware of just how big a sensation she already is, that endears her to fans here and abroad. Maybe it’s the fact that Kitchie refuses to lose sight of what’s important to her, like finishing her education at De La Salle and living out her faith, despite the thick fog of fame that she could so easily get lost in.

Whatever the reason, you know Kitchie Nadal is doing something right. And if only you could see for yourself the light she emanates on stage, with her eyes shut tight to some vision only she can see but which we all can feel, you’d be eternally grateful she found that something.

Kitchie Nadal has con-quered the female OPM niche, paved the way for a number of guitar-wielding alternative rock maidens and has proven that being a talented rock musician need not translate into sex, drugs and alcohol. And while exhaustingly keeping up with the dogged demands of the success she’s earned, she stuck to her main priority and graduated with a double major in psychology and education. This is the kind of fire that even the nastiest critic can’t fan out. It’s a spiritual blaze that has taken root at the very heart of her being and it’s not fading anytime soon, thank goodness for that.

Her phenomenon, which encompasses all age brackets, could theoretically be pieced together, like an abstract puzzle where one can get close enough to make out the entire picture, except it keeps dissolving into an even deeper sort of enigma.

What we do know is that she evokes a mesmerizing connection with the people because of the simple honesty of her motives. Her songs speak of an unshakeable desire to share the truth, to wake up those who have fallen asleep with lies. It’s this sincere message coupled with her love for catchy beats and poetic words that make even her stunning physical beauty irrelevant compared to the legitimate beauty of her songs. And it’s not a stunt, nor a created image. It’s Kitchie as she is, and it’s what commands the people’s unyielding admiration.

Kitchie has a special CD set to be released, a repack of her first album containing new songs plus all her music videos in VCD format. She’s composing again, collaborating with various artists and continuing to perform in different regions of the Philippines. And though she is aware of her sudden popularity among tabloid blind items as well, Kitchie is still opting to remain silent. She knows that these are the inevitable downsides to fame and with great relief, finds solace in her spiritual sanctuary.

"I’d have stopped singing and performing publicly if it’s only my love for music that keeps me going," she reflects, with the quiet assurance of a child who knows she’s secure where she lies. "But it’s God who gives me strength. You can’t have a stronger ally than Him."

Kitchie Nadal never really left the music scene when she quit Mojofly in June 2003. She wanted to finish her studies, but on the side, she also nurtured a solo career. It was at this period that her solo songs Deliverance and Run found their way to radio hit charts and major label compilations. In fact, a live recording of her performance of another original composition, Same Ground, landed on BMG Records’ latest Radio Live! The Jam Sessions Recordings compilation CD.

"Watch me, don’t underestimate me/you’ve never seen me run, baby," sings the 24-year-old pop rock princess on the spirited single Run, the lyrics seeming to strike a truthful chord.

Kitchie hardly knew anything about music when she joined Mojofly on a whim three years ago. Before joining the group, she had already composed a number of songs, which she kept to herself for a long time. When Mojofly rose to music fame, Kitchie found herself in a strained situation.

"I had to make a compromise," she explains, referring to her studies, which was her very reason for leaving the band. "In the beginning, I told myself that no matter what, school is my main priority. My solo career enabled me to do things at my own pace."

And she did. The young lady apres Mojofly spent countless nights asking gig spot organizers to squeeze her into the night’s bill.  She did not ask for any pay. In between gigs, she labored through schoolwork and started writing what would eventually become her debut solo album.

Months passed and Kitchie successfully earned the respect of both the mainstream and underground live music circuit. One night, you’ll find her performing in the most lucrative nightspot.  At another time you’ll catch her performing in the cramped spaces of Mayric’s.

In the end, she emerged as a legitimate cum laude contender in school, and an accomplished album producer with a couple of certified hits. She also co-produced an album with Warner and 12 Stone.

Kitchie has turned into a stronger lyrical presence in her 10-track self-titled debut. "Gumising na, bumangon na pagka’t di na ikaw yung biktima," she sings in Bulong, an anthem for people who refuse to do the right thing.

Most of her songs are tied to her positive spiritual life. "I write songs as if they’re dreams," she says. "I want to convey the important truths of life as much as I can."

Right now, she’s into her contribution for the Warner All Star Collection, a cover of The Carpenter’s Merry Christmas Darling.

"I’m confident to say that you really have to hear for yourself to find out how great I did recording that track," she enthuses. "I can’t find the words to describe it."

As the girl says, you just have to listen to her sing.