Melanie Hernandez Calumpad, better known by her stage name Kyla is one of the most awarded Filipino young singers and dubbed as the "R&B Princess" and sometimes also dubbed as the Soul Princess, with fellow singer Jay-R as the "Prince of R&B and Soul". She is the only female local artist who has won in the prestigious MTV Video Music Awards as 2001 MTV's Southeast Asian Viewers Choice Awardee, the other being OPM band Parokya ni Edgar (Eraserheads won the MTV Video Award for Asia for Ang Huling El Bimbo). She has collaborated with international artists such as Fra Lippo Lippi, Ronan Keating, British boy-band Blue, Malaysian R&B singer Ferhad, Malaysian hip-hop duo Too Phat, and Keith Martin.
Biography
Kyla was born on January 4, 1981, the third of the four children in her family. In December 2005 she had her first public singing engagement for Civil Service Commission Christmas Party. Her first experience of singing contests was through Tanghalan ng Kampeon but she won her first victory in the DZRH Hamon sa Kampeon in 1991. In 1993, she was champion for seven weeks in Tanghalan ng Kampeon and became the Grand Champion in November of that same year with the song "I Am Changing".
She was christened by the name 'Kyla' (meaning princess) through EMI's Francis Guevarra when a recording demo for a Metropop song landed on his lap by fate.
She then joined the Wednesday group of That's Entertainment, an afternoon variety show on GMA Network.
She graduated from the Philippine Christian University, Taft Avenue, Manila in March 2002, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communication .
After 4 years of success in the Philippines Music Industry following the success of her album Not Your Ordinary Girl, she held her Not Just Your Ordinary Girl Concert in the Araneta Colliseum, and it was certified a sold-out concert.
In 2006 and 2007, she hosted and performed in a kiddie talent search Popstar Kids, which aired on QTV (television network). She's currently in a relationship with PBA player Rich Alvarez of the Barangay Ginebra Kings.
As of 2009, Kyla hosts and performs in a weekly variety show, SOP Rules aired on GMA Network every Sunday. She sings duets with her partner Jay-R in a segment called "Souled Out."
