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Biography
primary sources|date=July 2010refimprove|date=July 2010Infobox musical artist|name = Nikka Costa|image =|caption =|background = solo_singer|birth_name = Domenica Costa|Born = birth date and age|1972|6|4|df=y Tokyo , Japan |death_date =|instrument = lead vocals|Vocals , Acoustic guitar , organ (music)|Organ , Keyboard instrument|Keyboards |genre = Funk music|Funk Blue-Eyed Soul Pop music|Pop Blues rock music|Rock |occupation = Singer-songwriter |years_active = 1981& ndash;present|label = Mushroom 1996-1997 Stax Records 2008-2009 Virgin Records 2001-2006 Stax Records 2010-present|website = http://www.nikkacosta.com/ nikkacosta.com Domenica "Nikka" Costa (born June 4, 1972) is an United States|American singer whose music combines elements of funk , soul music|soul , and blues . She also had a career as a child singer starting in the early 1980s. She is the daughter of notable music producer Don Costa and is married to Australian producer/songwriter Justin Stanley .
Early life
Nikka Costa was born in Tokyo , Japan . http://www.musicianguide.com/biographies/1608004710/Nikka-Costa.html Nikka Costa Biography Her father Don Costa was a notable producer and a musician with many connections in the music business. During her childhood Costa was surrounded by famous musicians and traveled around the world with her father.
At age 5 Costa recorded a single with Hawaiian singer Don Ho . Italian producers Danny B. Besquet and Tony Renis were working with her father on the album Don Costa Plays the Beatles when they had a brainstorm to produce an album with Nikka singing while her father played acoustic guitar. The album was well-received in Europe and Costa became known as a child star. At age 9 Costa sang with FrankSinatra in an appearance on the lawn of the White House . http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/1502554/20050518/costa_nikka.jhtml
Costa's career as a recording artist under her own name started in 1981, when she recorded the song "(Out Here) On My Own" (from the musical Fame (musical)|Fame ). The single, recorded in Milano with the conductor VictorBach and produced by Besquet and Renis, spent fourteen weeks at #1 in Italy, nine weeks at #1 in Spain, and five weeks at #1 in France. The song also reached #7 in Switzerland and #32 in the Netherlands. The album Nikka Costa , produced by Besquet and Remis, was released outside the U.S. in 1981. The album reached #1 in Europe and South AmericaCitation needed|date=March 2011 and Costa toured around the world. Her second album Fairy Tales (cuentos de hadas) was released in 1983. Don Costa died of a heart attack shortly after the album was recorded. The pop album ''Here I Am... Yes, It's Me was released to fulfill a contractual obligation in 1989, though it still topped some charts in Europe. In 1990 she performed at the SanRemo Music Festival with a rendition of All for the Love , an English version of Vattene amore by Mietta and Amedeo Minghi .
After graduating from high school, Costa decided to move away from pop and moved toward funk and soul, becoming influenced by Motown artists.
Career in Adulthood
While already a music business veteran, in the early 1990s Costa transitioned away from childhood pop to mature soul. She married Australian producer/songwriter Justin Stanley and moved to his country. (Costa and Stanley now have a daughter named Sugar McQueen.) While in Australia, Costa began writing her own songs and formed a "happy funk" band called Little Mona & The Shag Daddies, which broke up after four gigs in Sydney. Costa's next venture was a band called Sugarbone, which toured Australia in 1994. Costa describes the experience as "It was really scary to unveil it but the reaction was good. It helped my confidence." http://www.pollstar.com/blogs/hotstar/archive_/2001/08/20/hotstar29849.aspx After Sugarbone, she signed to the Mushroom label in Australia. In 1996 Costa released the album Butterfly Rocket in Australia, which reached the Top 20. The record led to a nomination for ARIA Music Awards Breakthrough Artist in 1996 and Best Female Artist in 1997. http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history-by-year.php? year=1997 ARIA Awards History: Winners by Year - 1997
In 2000, Costa's song "Like A Feather" was featured in a Tommy Hilfiger television advertising campaign . That exposure coupled with the track's music video helped launch her U.S. music career. The album Everybody Got Their Something was released in 2001 and reached #120 on the Billboard 200 . The title track and "Like a Feather" were radio hits, although the latter did peak in the UK Singles Chart at #53.cite book | first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= British Hit Singles & Albums | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | page= 122 In 2005, Costa released the album '' can'tneverdidnothin' . She toured with Lenny Kravitz who also performed on the record. In 2006 she and her husband Justin recorded and performed the theme to the short-lived CBS sitcom " Courting Alex ", which starred Jenna Elfman .
Costa was a guest singer on Mark Ronson 's album Here Comes the Fuzz . Ronson has produced some of Costa's songs.Mark Ronson Her song "Push & Pull" from the album Everybody Got Their Something is included in the soundtrack of the 2001 movie Blow (film)|Blow starring Johnny Depp . Her song "Everybody Got Their Something", was used in the soundtrack of the 2009 movie All About Steve starring Sandra Bullock and Bradley Cooper . Her song "Stuck To You" from the album Pebble to a Pearl was used in an episode of Grey's Anatomy in season five.
Costa is currently signed with Stax Records. http://www.concordmusicgroup.com/news/nikka-costa-signs-with-stax-records/ Concord Music Group - Nikka Costa Signs With Stax Records! Her latest studio album Pebble to a Pearl was released on October 14, 2008. In 2010 she released the single "Ching Ching Ching" in Europe. The song is notable from a genre change from soul/funk to electro-pop. The single reached #77 in Germany, making it Costa's first single to chart in Germany since "On My Own" in 1981. A new album titled PROWHOA|PRO?WHOA! was set for release in late 2010 but has been delayed until early 2011. Costa co-wrote the song "Diamonds Made from Rain" on Eric Clapton 's 2010 album Clapton (2010 album)|Clapton .
Costa sings a reinterpreted version of the " INXS " hit "Kick" on the new INXS album " Original Sin (2010 album)|Original Sin " digitally released in Australia in October 2010 and in the United States in April 2011.
Discography
see also|List of non-album songs by Nikka Costa
Albums
Nikka Costa (1981) - Released in Europe and South America
Fairy Tales aka Cuentos de Hadas (1983) - Spanish album, released in Europe and South America
''Here I Am... Yes, It's Me aka Loca Tentación (1989) - Spanish album, released in Europe and South America
Butterfly Rocket (1996) - Released only in Australia
Everybody Got Their Something (2001) - US #120
'' can'tneverdidnothin' (2005) - US #157
Pebble to a Pearl (2008) - US #157
PROWHOA|PRO?WHOA! (2011)
Demos
Sugarbone (1994) - Three-track demo tape recorded in Australia
Everybody Got Their Something - Demo (2001) - Featuring unreleased tracks and alternate mixes from the album sessions
''Can'tneverdidnothin' - Unreleased Version (2004) - Featuring unreleased tracks and alternate mixes from the album sessions
Remix albums
Return of the Funky White Bitch (2001) - a promo release featuring remixed versions of songs from Everybody Got Their Something , with remixes by Mark Ronson
Live albums
Live at the Bridge (1996) - EP bundled with the re-released version of Butterfly Rocket
Live in Tokyo (2001) - promo CDR featuring a performance at Astro Hall
Live at the Roxy (2005) - DVD sold at concerts
References
reflist Nikka CostaStax Records Persondata | NAME = Costa, Nikka | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH = June 4, 1972 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Costa, Nikka Category:American female singers Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:Female rock singers Category:1972 births Category:Living people Category:People from Tokyo Category:American people of Italian descent Category:American musicians of Italian descent
de:Nikka Costa es:Nikka Costa fr:Nikka Costa it:Nikka Costa la:Dominica Costa nl:Nikka Costa pl:Nikka Costa pt:Nikka Costa fi:Nikka Costa sv:Nikka Costa
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