Katrina Velarde had colds when she performed last at Metro Hall, but nobody would have guessed it. When she sang “Narito Ako,” a Regine Velasquez signature song that the latter blows out of the water whenever she power “birits” her way through it, the highlights where one note higher than the original. Katrina Velarde (Photo by Lester Ramos) Who is this girl? Well, she is called by many as the “Suklay Diva” because of a viral video that shows her singing a cover of Beyoncé’s “Dangerously In Love” with a comb in hand. Prior... same para:.. as member of vocal group AKA Jam. Katrina is also known for her abilities to mimic the voices of Ariana Grande, Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Shakira, Celine Dion, and Jessie J. Local singers she can “do” are Zsa Zsa Padilla, Sarah Geronimo, Toni Gonzaga, Jaya, and Kyla. With a strong online presence, it’s clear Katrina has been focusing on producing content. “Social media is a powerful platform. It’s one of the ways to share your talents globally,” explained she, who has at least 98,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel seen almost five million times. Katrina inherited her love for music and singing from her parents. She said her mom used to join a lot of singing contests in Bicol, while her dad also sings. No wonder then that at age six, Katrina was already a “kontesera.” She joked that she doesn’t mind crossing oceans and hiking mountains just to join singing competitions wherever these are held. Asked to describe her singing voice, Katrina said that because of her Regine Velasquez and Beyoncé musical influences, her sound becomes R&B-ish with a touch of pop ballad. She also learned a lot from her “X Factor” mentor, Gary Valenciano. According to her, the latter didn’t only teach her about singing but also wisdom in life. “He’s very passionate in everything he does, not just as singer but as father. He’s a devoted Christian,” she said. Katrina has remained humble despite the big strides in her music career especially in 2018. Even now, she said that she doesn’t aim to be a big star or famous, but just to be able to share her God-given talent wherever and whenever people want it. “I’m just so thankful and contented where I am right now,” she maintained. She has had two singles out so far, and these are “Lason Mong Halik” and “Taksil” both composed by Vehnee Saturno. Currently, Katrina is promoting “Tama Na” written by Michael Rodriguez and Jeanne Columbine Rodriguez. The song is one of the Top 30 semifinalists of PhilPop 2018. The singer is set to hold her first major solo concert early next year at Kia Theatre.