By Jemuel Cainglet Salterio

To be called an R&B pillar is no small distinction. For Asia’s ‘Diamond Soul Siren’, Nina, the title is both a tribute and a testament to endurance.

“It’s always an honor to have a tag attached to your name,” admitted Nina. “It’s always flattering. I embrace it.”

Two decades after she transformed the local music landscape, Nina stands at a rare milestone. Her upcoming concert, ‘Nina @XX’, celebrates the 20th anniversary of her landmark live album, Nina Live!—the record that earned a coveted Diamond Record Award and cemented her status as the best-selling OPM female artist of all time.

But beyond the sales figures and accolades lies something more enduring, a performer whose truest love has always been the stage.

“Every time I step on the live concert stage, it always feels new for me,” said Nina. “Gusto ko talaga siya. I really enjoy performing live. Even if I’m not feeling well or I’m really sick, performing live gives me energy. Other people see that, and they are happy for me.”

Long before arenas and awards, Nina was a shy young singer content to blend into the background as part of a live band. She performed with groups such as MYMP, The Big Thing, Silk, and Essence, immersed in the raw immediacy of live music, far from the glare of celebrity.

Her breakthrough arrived in 2002 with her debut album, ‘Heaven’, released under Warner Music Philippines. The album introduced her to a national audience and set her on a path she never initially intended to take.

“The people got to know that I love singing live more than doing an album,” she said. “Before that, I was singing live with a band, and that was what I loved to do. I guess I surprised a lot of people because I love to sing live.”

The transition from band vocalist to recording artist was daunting. It meant stepping into interviews, press conferences, and constant public visibility, territory deeply uncomfortable for someone who described herself as intensely shy.

“You had the feeling you want to fit in,” she shared. “During my time, there were other artists who were also starting. I was a really shy girl. I didn’t want to be a recording artists. I only wanted to become a live band singer. That was okay with me.”

“When you’re a recording artist, that comes with all the performances, all the entertainment, all the interviews, press conferences,” Nina said. “As a person, I was really very shy. When they told me to try recording an album, that was where it started.”

With encouragement from her label, she slowly grew into the spotlight.

“Warner really pushed me and told me, ‘Sige, kaya mo ‘yan.’ They helped me with everything. They told me to surround myself with people who will help me do better. Through time and experience, fake without getting ashamed of yourself, even at home, you are really very shy behind the camera. 

Even as her career soared, Nina remained grounded. She completed her degree in Accounting at Miriam College, proof that her discipline extended far beyond the stage.

That same discipline has protected her voice through years of relentless touring and live performances.

“Sa voice ko, I take care of my voice and all the important things that need to be done,” she said. “Sometimes, experimental din because sometimes, the weather gets different.

“I just really take care of myself, first and foremost. I discipline myself in what I eat, the hours I devote to rest and sleep, and take care of my body. I exercise daily. I sweat daily. ‘Yung mga bawal na food, hindi ko kinakain. Talagang kailangan ng discipline.”

Today, she is more confident—but still, at heart, reserved.

“I still get shy at times, especially when I’m not onstage or I’m not in front of the camera, I’m not boisterous. I’m still a very calm performer.”

Part of Nina’s enduring appeal lies in her mastery of reinterpretation. She possesses a rare ability to inhabit a song so completely that it feels as though it were written for her.

One of the most striking examples is ‘Love Moves in Mysterious Ways’, originally performed by Julia Fordham.

“There are some people who don’t know I sing only the cover of a particular song, but they know the song in my album. That’s a great feeling that you gave justification to the song you only recorded.”

Like Julia Fordham’s ‘Love Moves in Mysterious Ways’, many listeners assume Nina was the original voice behind the hit.

“There were some people who thought, I originally sang that. It’s very flattering, although I don’t own the song. But that song can be for a special someone or for a friend whom you care about. Not just for lovers.”

For Nina, covers are not creative constraints but bridges—across generations, genres, and emotional landscapes.

“You give reference to different genres of music,” she said.

Set at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, ‘Nina @XX’ promises more than nostalgia. It is a reimagining of the songs that shaped her career, delivered with new arrangements and renewed passion.

She reunites with long-time musical director Soc Mina and collaborates with the brilliant concert director Calvin Murphy Neria, crafting a production designed to transcend the feel of a simple jam session. The show is produced by Echo Jham Entertainment Productions, with May Arenas at the helm.

“Since it’s the anniversary of the album, we are doing songs from the first album but with a different twist,” said Nina. “I will work with my long-time musical director, Soc Mina. He was my musical director in the concert, ‘Very Manilow,’ where we got an Aliw Award in 2007.”

Joining her onstage are Jay Durias, Thor, and Kris Lawrence, artists who share her reverence for live performance.

As the music industry pivots from full-length albums to streaming-era singles, Nina remains both realistic and optimistic.

“Can you still come out with an album today?” she asked. “These days, more like singles na lang ang nare-release. I can do that on Spotify.”

She is equally open to collaborating with younger artists, blending seasoned artistry with fresh voices.

“If I can work with all of them, why not?” Nina said. “I can try singing with most of them, no one specific now. I am always focused on doing live gigs that fill up my schedule. That’s what keeps me busy.”

Twenty years after Nina Live! earned her Diamond status, Nina looks ahead with the same hunger she carried as a young band singer.

In the next 20 years, she hopes for “more albums, more concerts, more shows,” if her voice continues to hold strong and audiences continue to gather.

Her journey is not merely a story of milestones and titles. It is the evolution of a shy girl who found her truest self beneath stage lights, a voice strengthened by discipline, humility, and devotion to live performance.

For Nina, every concert is still new.

Every song still matters.

And at ‘Nina @XX’, the celebration is not just of an album—but of a legacy that continues to unfold, note by note.