A Star Is Born in the Gat Family

Kyla Gatpolintan belting it out at a karaoke in Manila

Kyla G. is arguably the "nightingale" of the family. She is, of course, the first apo of Lolo Roger and Lola Eden. She started singing when she was about a year old. We were bemused and amazed one early morning(while on vacation in Mainit) when we discovered that she could sing. While everybody else was still half-asleep, there was Kyla perched on a window, hanging on to the iron grills, looking out and cheerily humming a tune to herself and singing in baby babble!

She grew up singing nursery rhymes and the usual Walt Disney or Broadway songs but she always had a distinct lilt in her voice not often heard in other toddlers her age. She also grew up watching her Auntie Tet singing professionally in a band (@ Siete Pecados of the Westin Plaza Hotel))and her other uncles, aunts and cousins as "karaoke champ wannabes"in various family gatherings.

Encouraged by her innate talent (pipes and ear for notes), her mom and dad would take her to karaoke places in Manila to practice performing and recently enrolled her in a voice class(in addition to her Aikido and swimming, whew!). And her singing has improved some more. Boy, she could sing. Plus, the attitude, baby! Kyla has the confidence and stage presence of a real star performer. Once she has the mic, she owns the stage, no holds barred. Those of us in the US occasionally get a treat with Kyla singing for us on the phone( with all the nuances of soft, low, high notes and often, a finale with a bang, we could just imagine her performing). She tells us now, that she wants to hold a concert of her own, someday. She had a taste of a bigger audience recently when she was specially invited to sing on stage at the closing ceremonies of her school(SHAMA) last April.

She is still very young, all of of her six years and she does us proud. She is an intelligent, sweet, beautiful, talented kid and a big loving sister to her equally talented sister Kat and the new sis Karrie. She is now in Grade Two at the Tabernacle of Faith Christian Academy and is doing very well in school. We don't know what the future exactly holds for Kyla but we know that it is a bright one. And she will always be our family's melodious songbird, our nightingale.

Bring the house down Kyle! World, watch out for Kyla.

Photo by Sarah Mendoza Gatpolintan

Posted by JR Mozar Gatpolintan and Ann Mozar Gatpolintan