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Born and raised in Victoria, British
Columbia, to parents of Portuguese descent, Nelly Furtado has always been
surrounded by music. Her mother is a former church choir singer, while her
father -- a fan of Portuguese music styles, known as "fado" -- sings as a
pastime. Her grandfather played instruments, and even her great-uncle was
a renowned Portuguese marching band score composer.
All of these family elements inspired Nelly's passion for music and a
broad spectrum of musical genres at that. By the age of four, young Nelly
was playing the ukulele and singing in Portuguese and English, and was the
trombone player of a jazz band, concert band and marching band, from nine
to eighteen. Her vocal chords and dance skills were also useful with her
involvement in musical plays.
She knew early on in her childhood that she wanted to be a performer, and
her dreams were realized via several chance opportunities and events
throughout her life. Nelly received a tape recorder and microphone when
she was eight years old, which served as a key part of her musical
influences.
Exposed to the rush of new hip-hop acts spawning in the early '90s, Nelly
became fascinated by the sounds of TLC, Bel Biv Devoe, Ice-T, Mariah
Carey, and the new sampling methods used at the time. With the help of her
tape recorder, Nelly would sample the sounds that impressed her, similar
to those used by popular '90s acts. She sang into her microphone and
recorded original sounds with the "scratch effect" of her keyboard.
A self-proclaimed R&B and hip-hop lover, Nelly was later exposed to the
British rock sounds of the mid '90s, after a trip to her ancestral
Portugal. Teenage Nelly's eyes were now open to groups such as U2,
Radiohead, Oasis, while she discovered Portishead thanks to a mix tape
that a friend of hers made. The tribal beats and bossa nova sounds evident
in her music come from the music she was exposed to later on, such as a
Brazilian compilation album that combined African and Portuguese styles.
The album is the product of her participation in a Toronto young
performer's talent show at the age of 18. The manager of the Philosopher
Kings, a popular funk/pop group, who was also present at the show, was
impressed by Nelly's talent.
The only real recording experience she had up to this point was singing
back-up vocals for her friend's Toronto-based hip-hop group. But that was
enough to cut a demo tape with the recording team of Gerald Eaton and
Brian West (of the Philosopher Kings). After much convincing on the part
of Eaton and West, Nelly returned to Toronto to record more tracks.
The fruit of this work is what led to Nelly's record-contract with
DreamWorks Records. Her album, entitled Whoa Nelly!, which has already
spawned the hit singles "I'm Like A Bird," "Turn Off The Light" and "...On
The Radio," was released in the Fall of 2000.
No stranger to touring, Nelly was part of the Lilith Fair tour, with a
bill consisting of female performers such as Beth Orton, Chrissie Hynde,
and of course, Sarah McLachlan (who is one of Nelly's idols). The
singer-songwriter also contributed a track to the soundtrack for the film,
Brokedown Palace.
And she has her share of fans. Elton John praised Nelly's work and talent
"on the record"; she was invited to pay tribute to Aretha Franklin at a
tribute concert for the queen of soul; she released a duet with rap
producer and singer Missy Elliot, "Get UR Freak On," appearing on the Lara
Croft: Tomb Raider soundtrack; and she was invited to perform at the Area:
One tour, and was named one of the most talented and beautiful women in
the world by the tour organizer, Moby.
Her critically-acclaimmed debut album not only showcases the mix of
musical backgrounds -- African beats, hip-hop, folk, urban style, bossa
nova, and the Portuguese "fado" -- it also highlights a new talent that
will definitely soar like a bird. |
