Kate's fascination with the piano was awakened at four years old: several family members took lessons at home, all studying the same piece, 'Moon River'. One day she supposedly just went up to the keys and played it.
She finally begun classical piano training at 7 under Ms. Lygia Ibanez, directress of the elementary school where she studied (St. Benedict's Childhood Education Centre). Early on she favored the languid romanticism of Chopin.
By the time she turned 9, Kate was flown to the U.S. to perform at a concert for Filipino child prodigies. An opportunity for a piano scholarship was turned down as her family would not have her live overseas at such a young age.
Disenchanted by missing her lunch hours at school and grueling piano training, Kate turned to her brother's New Wave music and later on discovered alternative rock. By 13, she gave up on her piano studies.
She picked up the electric guitar and with her close buddies formed a grunge band called X. A local music school formed a high school girl group called The Outskirts where she played the keyboards and sung vocals as well.
Upon high school graduation, Kate fronted a pop-alternative rock act named Hard Candy (which today, coincidentally, is the name of Madonna's latest album). It would later on gain a solid following in her hometown Cebu as the band raked in 5 victories at the 1st San Miguel Cebu Music Awards, including Band of the Year, Song of the Year (Freefall, which she co-wrote with the band), Female Vocalist of the Year and Listener's Choice. Kate would also gain popularity for the outfits she designed and wore onstage - a portent of her future as a fashion designer.
The band won a recording contract which was unfortunately shelved when Kate moved to Manila to pursue a year-long media relations stint at the Philippine Senate (under female legislator Loren Legarda).
In 2002, Kate received her big break in the local fashion industry and started what would become the successful Kate Torralba label (see KT: Kate Torralba Designs page). Simultaneously, she begun gigging in the big city, notably at the now-defunct artist's haven Sanctum Intramuros, and Pipers in Makati (where she performed with guitar greats Mike Villegas of Rizal Underground, Ian Umali of P.O.T., and Perf de Castro).
Through the years, Kate's solo piano act which brings to mind the likes of Tori Amos, Fiona Apple and Regina Spektor, has slowly and surely gained a cult following in Manila. She does her renditions of a wide range of songs: from 90's rock anthems like Pearl Jam's Jeremy and Soundgarden's Black Hole Sun, to folk (Joni Mitchell), New Wave (The Cure), and standards (Judy Garland) - and her distinctive piano style makes them her own.
2008 marks a breakthrough for the solo artist: Finally she conquers her shyness of her own songwriting with a self-produced EP entitled 'Long Overdue'. Her melancholy, soulful music may be the antithesis of her fashion (which has been dubbed as 'mainstream'), but they are equally defining facets of her persona.
For latest news, updates and gig schedules, add her on the following sites:
- http://www.facebook.com/katetorralba
- http://www.twitter.com/katetorralba
Pictures
Kate Torralba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There were pictures that I threw
There were pictures that I drew of you
And the memories that they brought
Of the f is come to nought
Bringing some more painful thought of you
Of you
Oh you
Reckless letters that I poke
Reckless letters that you wrote about me
There were letters that were long
Livid, dirty, long
Livid, dirty, wrong about you
'Bout you
Oh you
Read without a book
Hands but I don't look
That's how I am
Never wanted to be blue
Only wanted to be true
I don't know what to do
In Kate Torralba's song "Pictures," she is reflecting on a past relationship and the memories that were captured through pictures and letters. But these memories are now causing pain and sadness. The first verse speaks to the conflicting emotions that come with looking back on old photos. Some pictures are kept, cherished memories that bring happiness. Others are thrown away, memories that are too painful to hold onto. And then there are the pictures that were drawn, possibly by the singer themselves, that now only bring back difficult thoughts and emotions. The memories once associated with these pictures have lost their positive impact and are now only causing hurt.
The second verse focuses on the letters exchanged between the singer and their former partner. Similar to the pictures, there were some letters that were affectionate and sweet, but there were also reckless and hurtful letters. The "long, livid, dirty" letters are probably ones that were written in anger, possibly during or after a fight, and caused damage to the relationship. The singer acknowledges that they also wrote some letters that were reckless, maybe saying things they didn't truly mean, which is likely what led to the painful letters from their partner.
Lyrically, Kate Torralba does a great job of capturing the complexity of emotions that come with reflecting on a past relationship. The memories that were once happy and cherished can now bring pain and heartache. The song speaks to the cyclical nature of relationships, with both partners causing hurt and anguish to one another. Ultimately, the singer is left feeling confused and unsure of how to move forward.
Line by Line Meaning
There were pictures that I kept
I held onto some pictures of us.
There were pictures that I threw
I got rid of some pictures of us.
There were pictures that I drew of you
I made some drawings of you.
And the memories that they brought
Seeing the pictures and drawings brought back memories.
Of the f is come to nought
All the memories are worthless now.
Bringing some more painful thought of you
They brought up more painful thoughts of you.
There were letters that I wrote
I wrote some letters.
Reckless letters that I poke
I wrote some reckless letters about you.
Reckless letters that you wrote about me
You wrote some reckless letters about me.
There were letters that were long
Some of the letters were lengthy.
Livid, dirty, long
Some of them were angry, nasty, and lengthy.
Livid, dirty, wrong about you
Those letters were filled with lies about you.
'Bout you
All of those letters were about you.
Read without a book
I can still remember the letters without reading them again.
Hands but I don't look
I can feel the letters but I refuse to read them.
That's how I am
I'm the type of person who holds onto memories but also tries to forget them.
Never wanted to be blue
I never wanted to be sad about you.
Only wanted to be true
I only wanted to be honest with you and myself.
I don't know what to do
I'm unsure of how to move on from these memories and feelings.
Contributed by Alaina A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@RichlynASIM
Omg still here 😭❤️ brings so much memories from my highschool years and now I'm a college grad 😭❤️
@ManilaFreshTV
Finally! My fave song from you :)
I miss seeing you perform LIVE. Awesome video!
@maryel2652
This is amazing 😍 Thank you for sharing your talent to us! Kudos
@mailee4016
I fell in love with this song and your voice all over again ♥ Plus this songs' animation's sooo cute, I was smiling the whole time! :)
@mightybond1398
If you love the song and then the animation is a great plus...Kudos! great thanks KT kate...
@aholness9202
Hi Kate, I love the ideas and how the video expresses the lyrics.. So Talented and creative.. It was lovely meeting you xx
@sofiapages8674
omg love your song tita Kate its totaly adorable. love you! come visit me in Paris again, OK?
@ainzheartz4446
Only few people know this music
@TheRealOtakuako
Hi KT, great music as always. Curious though about this vid, is Kenny the puppy? 😊
@Gemglor
Instagram >> Ellen Adarna >> IG Post >> with Kate Torralba >> Googled Kate >> Oh, she's also a singer >> YouTube >> Then this song! (Now, my morning starts with this song. :)
The treasures you find after stalking people on Instagram. XD