She’s my kinda girl

Regular Audio-file reader Gerard Griffin, an American tourist who goes in and out of the country and has adopted the Philippines as his second home, dared me to name the best female Filipino singer among the current batch of new artists. Aleck Gomez, his Filipina girlfriend of five years, sings well, not just karaoke style, which would make American Idol judge Simon Cowell frown. Maybe Gerry wants a confirmation that Aleck could measure up to our local singers. He thinks Aleck sounds like a cross between Regine Velasquez and Diana Krall. (Wow! How is that ever possible?) He e-mailed me an MP3 sample, and I dare say Aleck sounds more like a cross between Regine and Ogie Alcasid. (Just kidding, Aleck, Gerry!) In fairness, pwede na (good enough).

I am no Cowell or Randy Jackson or Paula Abdul. I have never presented myself as a competent judge of singers, but for a friend I’d give it my best shot. Gerry asked for my “most honest opinion.” 

Music appreciation is very subjective — what may sound good to me may not be to another person’s liking. Ella Fitzgerald is at the top of my chart, and no one among the present crop of singers could take away her crown as the queen of song.

There may be unseen factors why some singers command a huge following. For instance, I’m baffled why our very own Leah Salonga never made it big as a recording artist the way she conquered Broadway, and why Sitti, riding on the crest of the current bossa nova rave, is creating more waves, (Personally, I find Sitti’s voice nasal and monotonous which results in listener’s fatigue. She should practice to draw her voice more from her diaphragm). 

What then makes a singer click? Is it marketing hype, or being written often by paid reviewers who will never ever find anything wrong with an artist they’re supporting? Is it the artist’s choice of songs?  A friend suggested that Leah is squeaky clean, well schooled and with great family support. In short, she has all the best life offers and hasn’t experienced being down. He said it would be hard for Leah to draw from emotions she has not experienced, and that being pitch-perfect and a good actress, she’s better seen on stage than heard.

I beg to disagree. It doesn’t follow that an artist has had to have experienced pain to emote pain, or be tickled to be believably light-hearted. Take the case of American Renee Olstead (one of the stars of the TV sitcom Still Standing) who at sweet 16 two years ago made an impression in the international music scene dishing out songs written long before her birth. In all honesty, none of our local artists’ CDs or LPs can be found in my collection, and I only hear them when I tune in to FM stations on my way to work.

But from what I have heard, there are a lot of good local voices, old and new. Some are outstanding:  excellent intonation, impressive breath control and perfect execution of notes. But rarely do they give meaning to the songs they sing. Sadly, most of them are mere vocalists. Yes, their voices are pleasing, but oftentimes their renditions fall short in interpretation. To most people, songs are like landmarks of memories.  There are songs that evoke sadness or arouse joy in remembered moments.  When a singer is able to arouse feelings of happiness or sorrow, triumph or pain in his listeners, the singer becomes an extraordinary companion on a musical expedition.

Now, does anybody here measure up to that? I can only think of Jheena Lodwick, a Filipina in London who continues to make us proud. A favorite among audiophiles, Jheena has been the top artist of Music Lab, a Hong Kong-based recording outfit. But Jheena has long made Hong Kong and London her home, so technically she’s out of the race.

While surfing cable channels a year ago, I stumbled upon this haunting voice providing the soundtrack for the local TV series Majika on GMA 7. The song, not the show, caught my attention. Even my wife didn’t know who she was, and we had to wait for the credits at the episode’s end.  That was how I was introduced to the music of Kitchie Nadal. I later found out that Kitchie wrote the song herself. I do not own any of Kitchie’s albums, but Gerry’s challenge reminded me to get one as soon as I could.

That Kitchie adroitly maintains the brittle balance between the melodic and the poetic makes her a true artist in every sense of the word. More significantly, she doesn’t try to make herself more important than the songs she sings. As a songwriter, her prose is well connected; she fuses words and melody without distorting the musical language. As a singer, she ably complements gorgeous, meditative melodies with unpretentious sophistication.

Now, that’s my kinda girl!

* * *

For comments or questions, please e-mail me at phl@hotmail.com.