A pantheon (from Greek Πάνθειον - ''pantheion'', literally "a temple of all gods", neut. of πανθεῖος ''pantheios'', "of or common to all gods", from πᾶν ''pan-'' "all" + θεῖος ''theios'', "of or for the gods", from θεός ''theos'' "god") is a set of all the gods of a particular polytheistic religion or mythology.

Max Weber's 1922 opus, ''Economy and Society'' discusses the link between a pantheon of gods and the development of monotheism.

''Pantheon'' can also refer to a temple or sacred building explicitly dedicated to "all deities", avoiding the difficulty of giving an exhaustive list. The most famous such structure is the Pantheon of Rome, built in the year 27 BC. The building was dedicated to "all gods" as a gesture embracing the religious syncretism in the increasingly multicultural Roman Empire, with subjects worshipping gods from many cultures and traditions. The building was later renovated for use as a Christian church in 609 under Pope Boniface IV.

Since the 16th century the word has also been used in a secular sense, meaning a set of exalted people. This meaning, in modern parlance, is often used to describe the rise of a person into that exalted group, e.g., "Mick Jagger has joined the pantheon of rock megastars."

See also

;Specific pantheons of deities

Sumerian pantheon

Egyptian pantheon

Armenian pantheon

Incan Pantheon

Greek pantheon

Roman pantheon

Germanic pantheon

* Norse pantheon

Celtic pantheon

Slavic pantheon

Hindu pantheon

* Rigvedic pantheon

Japanese pantheon

Japanese Buddhist pantheon

Aztec pantheon

Mayan pantheon

Native American pantheons

African pantheons

Guanche pantheon

Theosophical pantheon

References

Wrigley, Richard & Craske, Matthew (2004), ''Pantheons transformations of a monumental idea''. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., ISBN 0754608085.

Category:Polytheism

af:Panteon als:Pantheon ar:مجموعة الآلهة bs:Panteon ca:Panteó (mitologia) da:Panteon de:Pantheon es:Panteón (mitología) eo:Panteono fa:پانتئون fr:Panthéon fy:Panteon gl:Panteón (mitoloxía) id:Panteon he:פנתאון ku:Pantheon hu:Panteon mk:Пантеон nl:Pantheon (religie) nds:Pantheon pl:Panteon pt:Panteão sk:Panteón (spoločenstvo bohov) sl:Panteon sv:Pantheon (religion) tr:Panteon

Name	Martina McBride
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Martina Mariea Schiff
Birth date	July 29, 1966
Birth place	Sharon, Kansas, United States
Origin	Nashville, Tennessee
Instrument	Vocals
Genre	Country, country pop
Occupation	Singer, songwriter, producer
Years active	1990–present
Label	RCA Nashville, Republic Nashville
Website	Official Website }}

Martina McBride (born Martina Mariea Schiff on July 29, 1966, in Sharon, Kansas) is an American country music singer and songwriter. McBride has been called the "Céline Dion of Country Music" for her big-voiced ballads and soprano range.

McBride was signed to RCA Records in 1991 and made her debut the following year as a neo-traditionalist country singer with the single, "The Time Has Come." It was not until 1997, when she released her fourth album, ''Evolution'', that she broke through into the country music industry with a new pop-styled crossover sound, similar to that of Faith Hill and Shania Twain. From that point on, McBride has had a string of major hit singles on the Billboard country chart and occasionally on the adult contemporary chart. Five of these singles went to No. 1 on the country chart between 1995 and 2001, and one peaked at No. 1 on the adult contemporary chart in 2003.

McBride has recorded a total of nine studio albums, one "greatest hits" compilation, one "live" album, a "Christmas" compilation, as well as two additional compilation albums. Seven of her studio albums and two of her compilations have received an RIAA certification of "Gold", or higher. Worldwide, she has sold over 18 million albums. In addition, Martina has won the Country Music Association's "Female Vocalist of the Year" award four times (tied with Reba McEntire for the most wins) and the Academy of Country Music's "Top Female Vocalist" award three times.

Early life

McBride was born Martina Mariea Schiff in Sharon, Kansas, to Daryl and Jeanne (née Clark) Schiff on July 29, 1966. She has two brothers, Martin and Steve, who currently play in her concert band, and a sister, Gina.

She was raised in Sharon, Kansas, a small town with population of about 200. Her father, who was a farmer and cabinetry shop owner, exposed McBride to country music at a young age. Listening to country music helped her acquire a love for singing. After school, she would spend hours singing along to the records of such popular artists as Reba McEntire, Linda Ronstadt, Juice Newton, Jeanne Pruett, Connie Smith and Patsy Cline. Around the age of 8 or 9, McBride began singing with a band her father fronted, "The Schiffters." As Schiff grew older her role in the band progressively increased, from simply singing, to also playing keyboard with them. She enjoyed performing in her early years.

She began performing with a local rock band, The Penetrators, in Wichita instead. Then, in 1987, Schiff gathered a group of musicians called Lotus and started looking for rehearsal space; she began renting space from a studio engineer named John McBride. In 1988, the two married.

After marrying, the couple moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1989 with the hope of beginning a career in country music. John McBride joined Garth Brooks's sound crew and later became his concert production manager. Martina occasionally joined her husband on the road and helped sell Garth Brooks souvenirs. In 1990, impressed by Martina's enthusiastic spirit, Brooks offered her the position of his opening act provided she could obtain a recording contract. During this time, while her husband was working with country artists Charlie Daniels and Ricky Van Shelton, he also helped produce her demo tape, which helped her gain a recording contract with RCA Nashville Records in 1991.

Music career

1992-1995: ''The Time Has Come'' and ''The Way That I Am''

McBride released her debut studio album through the RCA Records label in 1992, titled ''The Time Has Come''. This album's title track made number 23 on the country music charts, but the next two singles both failed to make top 40. Unlike her later country pop-influenced albums, ''The Time Has Come'' featured honky tonk and country folk influences.

''The Way That I Am'' was the title of McBride's second album. Its first two singles both brought her into the country top ten: "My Baby Loves Me" peaked at number two, and "Life #9" at number six. The third single, "Independence Day", This song did not reach top 10 because many radio programmers objected to the song's subject of a mother fighting back against abuse by burning the family home to the ground. "Independence Day" won Video of the Year and Song of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards. After it, the fourth and fifth singles from ''The Way That I Am'' were less successful: "Heart Trouble" peaked at number 21, and "Where I Used to Have a Heart" fell short of top 40.

1995-1999: ''Wild Angels'' and ''Evolution''

Released in 1995, ''Wild Angels'' accounted for another top five hit in "Safe in the Arms of Love", and her first number-one hit in the album's title track. "Phones Are Ringin' All Over Town", "Swingin' Doors" and "Cry on the Shoulder of the Road" were less successful, reaching the lower regions of the top 40.

In early 1997, after "Cry on the Shoulder of the Road" peaked, McBride released two duets. "Still Holding On", a duet with Clint Black which was the lead-off single to his album ''Nothin' but the Taillights'', and "Valentine" with Jim Brickman which appeared on his album ''Picture This''. After these two songs were released, she had her second number one on the country charts with "A Broken Wing", the lead-off to her album ''Evolution''. This album went on to produce four more top ten hits at country radio: a re-release of "Valentine", "Happy Girl", "Wrong Again" (which also went to number one) and "Whatever You Say". Towards the end of 1998, the album was certified double platinum in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling two million units. In addition, she also won the Country Music Association Awards' "Female Vocalist of the Year" award in 1999 and also performed for President Bill Clinton during the same time.

Also in 1998, McBride released a Christmas album titled ''White Christmas''. Included on it was a rendition of "O Holy Night", which first charted in 1997 and continued to re-enter the charts until 2001. She also sang a guest vocal on Jason Sellers' mid-1998 single "This Small Divide".

1999-2003: ''Emotion'' and ''Greatest Hits''

Her fifth studio album, ''Emotion,'' was released in 1999. Its lead single, "I Love You," reached number one on the ''Billboard'' country charts in 1999, and also crossed over to the Adult Contemporary chart. The song's follow-ups, "Love's the Only House" and "There You Are", both made top ten at country radio, and "It's My Time" peaked at number eleven.

In 2001, she released her first compilation, ''Greatest Hits''. This album has been certified 3× Platinum in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America, and is her highest-selling album. It included most of her major hits to that point, and the album track "Strangers" from the album ''The Way That I Am'', which she put on the album because she felt that it should have been a single. The album also included four new songs, all of which made top ten on the country music charts between 2001 and 2003: "When God-Fearin' Women Get the Blues", "Blessed (Martina McBride song)" (her fifth number one), "Where Would You Be" and "Concrete Angel". In between the latter two, she also sang a guest vocal on Andy Griggs' 2002 single "Practice Life".

2003-2005: ''Martina''

In 2003, McBride released her sixth studio album, ''Martina,'' which celebrated womanhood. The first single, "This One's for the Girls," went to number three on the country charts and became her only number-one hit on the Adult Contemporary charts. It also included backing vocals from Faith Hill, Carolyn Dawn Johnson and McBride's daughters, Delaney and Emma. Follow-up single "In My Daughter's Eyes" was also a top five hit at both country and adult contemporary. "How Far" and "God's Will" from the same album both made top 20 at country radio, as did her guest appearance on Jimmy Buffett's single "Trip Around the Sun".

In 2004 McBride won the CMA's Female Vocalist award for the fourth time, following the wins in 2003, 2002 & 1999, which tied her for the most wins in that category with Reba McEntire.

2005-2008: ''Timeless'' and ''Waking Up Laughing''

After finding success in country pop-styled music, McBride released her next studio album in 2005, ''Timeless'', which was an album consisting of country covers. The album included cover versions of country music standards, such as Hank Williams' "You Win Again," Loretta Lynn's "You Ain't Woman Enough," and Kris Kristofferson's "Help Me Make It Through the Night." To make the album fit its older style, McBride and her husband hired older Nashville session players and outdated analog equipment. The album sold over 250,000 copies within its first week, the highest sales start for a Martina McBride album. The lead single, a cover of Lynn Anderson's "(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden," went to number 18 on the country charts, but the other two singles both failed to make top 40.

In 2006, McBride served as a guest coach on ''Canadian Idol''. The remaining five finalists traveled to Nashville, where McBride worked with the competitors on the songs they had chosen by country artists such as Gordon Lightfoot and Patsy Cline. Among the other guest judges that year were Nelly Furtado and Cyndi Lauper. McBride later joined Canadian Idol on a tour in the Spring. In 2007, McBride also served as a guest coach on Fox Networks television series, ''American Idol.''

In 2007, McBride released her eighth studio album, ''Waking Up Laughing.'' It was the first album in which McBride co-wrote some of the tracks. She set up her Waking Up Laughing Tour in 2007, which included country artists Rodney Atkins, Little Big Town, and Jason Michael Carroll. The album's lead single, "Anyway," went to No. 5 on the Billboard Country Chart, becoming her first Top 10 hit since 2003. Its follow-up, "How I Feel," reached the Top 15. In Spring 2008, McBride released ''Martina McBride: Live In Concert,'' a CD/DVD set. It was taped in Moline, Illinois in September 2007.

In July 2007, The ABC Television Network announced a special program called ''Six Degrees of Martina McBride'' where individuals from around the country were challenged to find their way to Martina McBride on their own connections and research using a maximum of six methods. The "winner" of this challenge eventually located a direct connection to Martina through her husband John McBride who knew someone, who knew someone else. McBride recently recorded an electronically-produced duet with the late Elvis Presley, performing his song "Blue Christmas" as a duet with him on his latest compilation, ''The Elvis Presley Christmas Duets''. A compilation collection entitled ''Playlist: The Very Best of Martina McBride'' was released on December 16, 2008 as part of Sony BMG Playlist series. The album features 11 previously released tracks and three unreleased tracks.

2008-2010: ''Shine''

Martina McBride wrapped up production of her tenth studio album in late 2008. The first single, "Ride", was released to radio in October 2008 and debuted at No. No. 43 on the Hot Country Songs chart. It barely missed the Top 10 on the chart, peaking at number eleven in March 2009. A music video produced by Kristin Barlowe was also released at the end of the year. The album, ''Shine'', was released by RCA Records on March 24, 2009, and debuted at the top of the U.S. Country album chart and number 10 on the Billboard 200. McBride co-produced the album with Dann Huff, and it featured "Sunny Side Up", a song that she co-wrote. The second single, "I Just Call You Mine", was released in May 2009 and reached the Top 20. The third single from ''Shine'' was "Wrong Baby Wrong Baby Wrong", which the Warren Brothers co-wrote with Robert Ellis Orrall and Love and Theft member Stehen Barker Liles.

McBride also initiated the Shine All Night Tour, a co-headlining venture with fellow country star and friend Trace Adkins and opening act Sarah Buxton. The tour began in November 2009 and ended in May 2010.

On June 10, 2010, ''Billboard'' announced that McBride had collaborated on a song with Kid Rock. In late June 2010, Martina was nominated for a Teen Choice Award, "Favorite Country Female Artist", alongside country stars Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Taylor Swift & Gretchen Wilson.

In late 2010 Martina McBride was nominated for two American Country Awards (Best Female Single & Touring Artist of the year w/ Trace Adkins.) Along with the ACA nominations, she received her 14th Female Vocalist nomination for Country Music Association in October.

2010-present: ''Eleven''

McBride exited RCA in November 2010 and signed with Republic Nashville. She began working on a new studio album with producer Byron Gallimore. Her first single for Republic Nashville is "Teenage Daughters", which she also co-wrote with the Warren Brothers. McBride told ''Country Weekly'' that she co-wrote eight of the eleven songs on the album; she decided to write more frequently because she felt more confident in her songwriting ability after "Anyway" had become a hit. An album track, "One Time" was released as a promotion for NASCAR with a music video in June 2011. "I'm Gonna Love You Through It" was released as the album's second single on July 25, 2011. The album, titled ''Eleven'', will be released on October 11, 2011.

On February 13, 2011, she paid tribute to Aretha Franklin during the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards. She was joined onstage by Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson, Florence Welch and Yolanda Adams.

On July 4 she sang at July 4 Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular for the 4th of July celebration.

Charity work

Martina McBride works with a variety of charities. She is currently the spokeswoman for the "National Domestic Violence Hotline" as well as for the "National Network to End Domestic Violence" and national spokeswoman for the ''Tulsa Domestic Violence and Intervention Services''. Every year since 1995, she has hosted Middle Tennessee's YWCA, "Celebrity Auction", and it has raised nearly $400,000 so far. In 2004, she worked with "Kids Wish Network" to fulfill the wish of a young girl dying from Muscular Dystrophy. McBride was awarded the "Minnie Pearl Humanitarian Award" in 2003.

McBride explained that educating girls and women on domestic violence is something she works on at home with her own daughters, stating that: }}

McBride has also teamed up with, "Loveisrespect, National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline," working with them on a new program called, "My Time to Shine."

McBride appeared on the Stand up 2 Cancer telethon in September 2010. alongside Leona lewis, Aaron Neville, and Stevie Wonder, she performed Unchained Melody. Also in 2010 she hosted the YWCA again, for the 16th year raising over 50,000 dollars this year, it totals over 500,000 dollars raised so far.

Personal life

McBride has been married to sound engineer John McBride, since May 15, 1988. The couple has three daughters: Delaney Katharine (born December 22, 1994), Emma Justine (b. March 29, 1998), and Ava Rose Kathleen (b. June 20, 2005).

Discography

Studio albums

1992: ''The Time Has Come''

1993: ''The Way That I Am''

1995: ''Wild Angels''

1997: ''Evolution''

1998: ''White Christmas''

1999: ''Emotion''

2003: ''Martina''

2005: ''Timeless''

2007: ''Waking Up Laughing''

2009: ''Shine''

2011: ''Eleven

Compilations and other albums

2001: ''Greatest Hits

2008: ''Live in Concert''

2008: ''Playlist: The Very Best of Martina McBride''

Tours

;Headlining

Greatest Hits Tour (2002-2003)

Joy of Christmas Tour (2002)

Timeless Tour (2006)

Waking Up Laughing Tour (2008–09)

;Co-headlining

Virginia Slims on the Legends Tour (1995) (with Regina Belle, Gladys Knight and Barbara Mandrell)

Lilith Fair (1998–99) (with Sarah McLaughlin, ''et al.'')

Girls Night Out Tour (2001) (with Sara Evans, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Jamie O'Neal and Reba McEntire)

"Shine All Night Tour" (2009–10) (with Trace Adkins)

;Supporting act

Garth Brooks (1992–94)

Brooks & Dunn (1994)

Tim McGraw (1997)

Awards

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" Country Music superstar Martina McBride has accepted over 15 major music awards including matching Reba McEntire's record for most wins for the CMA's Female Vocalist in 2004. She also has accepted the Flameworthy's (or now called CMT Video Awards) Female Video award twice, sharing the record for most wins with Carrie Underwood & Taylor Swift. She has been nominated for over 10 Grammy Awards, but never won. McBride is also known as winning the AMA's, ACM's, & CMA's, Female Vocalist of The Year, two of them being multiple times. |- ! Year ! Award ! Category ! Result |- | 1993 | Academy of Country Music Awards | New Female Vocalist of The Year | Nominated |- | 1994 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Music Video of The Year | Nominated |- | 1994 | Country Music Association Awards | Horizon | Nominated |- | 1994 | Country Music Association Awards | Music Video of the Year for "Independence Day" | Won |- | 1995 | Grammy Awards | Best Country/Western Vocal Performance | Nominated |- | 1996 | TNN/Music City News | Music Video of the Year for "Independence Day" | Won |- | 1996 | Grammy Awards | Best Country/Western Vocal Performance | Nominated |- | 1996 | Country Music Association | Album of The Year | Nominated |- | 1996 | Country Music Association | Female Vocalist of The Year | Nominated |- | 1997 | Academy of Country Music | Music Video of The Year "A Broken Wing" | Nominated |- | 1997 | Academy of Country Music | Top Female Vocalist | Nominated |- | 1998 | Country Music Association | Female Vocalist of The Year | Nominated |- | 1998 | Country Music Association | Single of The Year "A Broken Wing" | Nominated |- | 1998 | Academy of Country Music | Single Record of The Year | Nominated |- | 1998 | Academy of Country Music | Top Female Vocalist | Nominated |- | 1999 | American Music Awards | Favorite Female Country Artist | Nominated |- | 1999 | Country Music Association Awards | Female Vocalist of the Year | Won |- | 1999 | Academy of Country Music | Top Female Vocalist | Nominated |- | 2000 | American Music Awards | Favorite Country Female Artist | Nominated |- | 2000 | Grammy Awards | Best Female Country Vocal Performance | Nominated |- | 2000 | Academy of Country Music | Top Female Vocalist | Nominated |- | 2000 | Country Music Association | Female Vocalist of The Year | Nominated |- | 2001 | Flameworthy Awards | Video Dierector "Blessed" | Nominated |- | 2001 | Flameworthy Awards | Laugh Out Loud Video "When God Fearin Women" | Nominated |- | 2001 | Flameworthy Awards | Fashion Plate Video "Blessed" | Nominated |- | 2001 | Flameworthy Awards | Female Video of the Year for "Blessed" | Won |- | 2001 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Top Female Vocalist | Won |- | 2001 | Country Music Association | Female Vocalist of The Year | Nominated |- | 2002 | Flameworthy Awards | Concept Video "Concrete Angel" | Nominated |- | 2002 | Country Music Association | Single of The Year "Blessed" | Nominated |- | 2002 | Billboard Music Awards | Country Female Artist of The Year | Nominated |- | 2002 | Flameworthy Awards | Video of The Year "Concrete Angel" | Nominated |- | 2002 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Top Female Vocalist | Won |- | 2002 | Country Music Association Awards | Female Vocalist of the Year | Won |- | 2002 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Top Female Vocalist | Won |- | 2003 | Grammy Awards | Best Female Country Vocal Performance | Nominated |- | 2003 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Album of The Year "Martina" | Nominated |- | 2003 | Academy of Country Awards | Humanitarian of The Year | Won |- | 2003 | Flameworthy Awards | Female Video of the Year "Concrete Angel" | Won |- | 2003 | Country Music Association Awards | Female Vocalist of the Year | Won |- | 2003 | American Music Awards | Favorite Country Female Artist | Won |- | 2004 | Country Music Association Awards | Female Vocalist of the Year | Won |- | 2004 | Grammy Awards | Best Short Form Music Video "Concrete Angel" | Nominated |- | 2004 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Top Female Vocalist | Nominated |- | 2004 | Grammy Awards | Best Female Country Vocal Performance | Nominated |- | 2004 | Flameworthy Awards | Most Inspiring Video "Gods Will" | Nominated |- | 2004 | Flameworthy Awards | Female Video "How Far" | Nominated |- | 2004 | Billboard Music Awards | Female Country Artist of The Year | Nominated |- | 2004 | American Music Awards | Favorite Country Female Artist | Nominated |- | 2004 | American Music Awards | Favorite Country Album | Nominated |- | 2005 | CMT Video Awards | Most Inspiring Video "Gods Will | Nominated |- | 2005 | CMT Video Awards | Female Video "Gods Will" | Nominated |- | 2005 | Grammy Awards | Best Female Country Vocal Performance | Nominated |- | 2005 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Top Female Vocalist | Nominated |- | 2005 | American Music Awards | Favorite Country Female Artist | Nominated |- | 2006 | Grammy Awards | Best Short Form Music Video "Gods Will" | Nominated |- | 2006 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Top Female Vocalist | Nominated |- | 2007 | American Music Awards | Favorite Country Female Artist | Nominated |- | 2007 | Grammy Awards | Best Female Country Vocal Performance | Nominated |- | 2007 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Top Female Vocalist | Nominated |- | 2007 | Country Music Association | Female Vocalist of The Year | Nominated |- | 2007 | Country Music Association | Music Video of Th Year "Anyway" | Nominated |- | 2007 | Country Music Association | Single of The Yeat "Anyway" | Nominated |- | 2007 | Country Music Association | Song of The Year "Anyway" | Nominated |- | 2007 | BMI | Song of The Year "Anyway" | Nominated |- | 2007 | BMI | Most Played Song of The Year "Anyway" | Won |- | 2007 | Billboard Music Awards | Top Country Grossing Tour of The Year | Won |- | 2007 | ASCAP | Female Song of The Year "Anyway" | Won |- | 2007 | ASCAP | Song of The Year "Anyway" | Won |- | 2008 | CMT Video Awards | Female Video "Anyway" | Nominated |- | 2008 | Academy of Country Music | Top Female Vocalist | Nominated |- | 2008 | Country Music Association | Female Vocalist of The Year | Nominated |- | 2009 | Grammy Awards | Best Female Country Vocal Performance | Nominated |- | 2009 | Country Music Association | Female Vocalist | Nominated |- | 2009 | CMT Video Awards | Female Video "Ride" | Nominated |- | 2010 | Grammy Awards | Best Female Country Vocal Performance | Nominated |- | 2010 | Teen Choice Awards | Female Country Artist | Nominated |- | 2010 | CMT Video Awards | Female Video "I Just Call You Mine" | Nominated |- | 2010 | American Country Awards | Single by A Female Artist "Wrong Baby Wrong" | Nominated |- | 2010 | American Country Awards | Touring Artist of The Year | Nominated |- | 2010 | Country Music Association | Female Vocalist | Nominated |- | 2011 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Honorary Award | Won |}

References

External links

Official Website

Category:1966 births Category:Living people Category:People from Sharon, Kansas Category:American country singers Category:American female singers Category:Grand Ole Opry members Category:Musicians from Kansas Category:RCA Records artists Category:Republic Records artists

ar:مارتينا ماكبرايد br:Martina McBride pdc:Martina McBride de:Martina McBride fr:Martina McBride id:Martina McBride it:Martina McBride hu:Martina McBride nl:Martina McBride pl:Martina McBride pt:Martina McBride simple:Martina McBride fi:Martina McBride sv:Martina McBride tr:Martina McBride

name	Nelly Furtado
background	solo_singer
birth name	Nelly Kim Furtado
background	solo_singer
birth date	December 02, 1978
origin	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
instrument	Vocals, guitar, keyboards, ukulele, trombone
vocal range	Mezzo-soprano (Ab3-G5)
genre	Pop, folk, R&B;, Latin pop
occupation	Singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, actress
years active	1996–present
label	DreamWorks, Geffen, MMG, Universal Music Latino
website
Associated acts	Gerald Eaton, Brian West, Timbaland, James Bryan }}

Nelly Kim Furtado (born December 2, 1978) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer and actress of Portuguese descent. She has sold 20 million albums worldwide and 18 million singles, bringing her total sales to nearly 40 million records. Furtado grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

Furtado first gained fame with her debut album, ''Whoa, Nelly!'', and its single "I'm like a Bird", which won a 2001 Juno Award for Single of the Year and a 2002 Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. It produced two more international singles: the more successful "Turn off the Light", and "Shit on the Radio (Remember the Days)". After giving birth to her daughter Nevis, her second studio album, ''Folklore'', was released. It was less commercially successful in the US. It produced three international singles: "Powerless (Say What You Want)", "Try", and "Força" (the theme of the 2004 European Football Championship).

In summer 2006, she released her third studio album, ''Loose''. It is her biggest success to date worldwide. It produced the number-one hits "Promiscuous", "Maneater", "Say It Right" and "All Good Things (Come to an End)". After a three-year break, in September 2009, she released her first full-length Spanish album, ''Mi Plan'', along with her first Spanish single "Manos al Aire", which topped the Billboard Hot Latin Songs. This made Furtado the first North American singer to top the Billboard Hot Latin Chart with an original Spanish song. Further singles released were "Más" and "Bajo Otra Luz". For ''Mi Plan'', Nelly received the Latin Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Album. On October 26, a remix album, ''Mi Plan Remixes'', was released. Furtado released her first greatest hits album, ''The Best of Nelly Furtado'', one month later on November 12, 2010.

Early life

Furtado was born on December 2, 1978, in Victoria, British Columbia to Portuguese parents, Maria Manuela and António José Furtado, both immigrants from the Azores. She was named after Soviet gymnast Nellie Kim. Her parents were born on São Miguel Island and emigrated to Canada in the late 1960s. Her siblings are Michael Anthony and Lisa Anne. She was raised in a Roman Catholic home.

At age four, she began performing and singing in Portuguese. Furtado's first public performance was when she sang a duet with her mother at a church on Portugal Day. She began playing musical instruments at the age of nine, learning the trombone, ukulele and – in later years – the guitar and keyboards. At the age of 12, she began writing songs, and as a teenager, she performed in a Portuguese marching band.

Furtado has acknowledged her family as the source of her strong work ethic; she spent eight summers working as a chambermaid with her mother, along with her brother and sister, who was a housekeeper in Victoria. She has stated that coming from a working class background has shaped her identity in a positive way.

Music career

1996–99: Musical beginnings

During a visit with her sister Lisa Anne in Toronto, the summer after eleventh grade, Furtado met Tallis Newkirk, member of the hip hop group Plains of Fascination. She contributed vocals to their 1996 album, ''Join the Ranks'', on the track "Waitin' 4 The Streets". After graduating from Mount Douglas Secondary School in 1996, she moved to Toronto to reside with her sister Lisa Anne. The following year, she formed Nelstar, a trip hop duo with Newkirk. Ultimately, Furtado felt the trip-hop style of the duo was "too segregated", and believed it did not represent her personality or allow her to showcase her vocal ability. She left the group and planned to move back home.

In 1997, she performed at the Honey Jam talent show. Her performance attracted the attention of The Philosopher Kings singer Gerald Eaton, who then approached her to write with him. He and fellow Kings member Brian West helped Furtado produce a demo. She left Toronto, but returned again to record more material with Eaton and West. The material recorded during these sessions led to her 1999 record deal with DreamWorks Records, where she was signed by A&R; executive Beth Halper, partner of Garbage drummer and record producer Butch Vig. Furtado's first single, "Party's Just Begun (Again)", was released that year on the ''Brokedown Palace: Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack''.

2000–05: ''Whoa, Nelly!'' and ''Folklore''

Furtado continued the collaboration with Eaton and West, who co-produced her debut album, ''Whoa, Nelly!'', which was released in October 2000. Following the release of the album, Furtado headlined the "Burn in the Spotlight Tour" and also appeared on Moby's ''Area:One'' tour.

The album was an international success, supported by three international singles: "I'm like a Bird", "Turn off the Light", and "...On the Radio (Remember the Days)". It received four Grammy nominations in 2002, and her debut single won for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Furtado's work was also critically acclaimed for her innovative mixture of various genres and sounds. ''Slant Magazine'' called the album "a delightful and refreshing antidote to the army of 'pop princesses' and rap-metal bands that had taken over popular music at the turn of the millennium". The sound of the album was strongly influenced by musicians who had traversed cultures and "the challenge of making heartfelt, emotional music that's upbeat and hopeful". According to ''Maclean's'' magazine, ''Whoa, Nelly!'' had sold six million copies worldwide as of August 2006. Portions of the song "Scared of You" are in Portuguese, while "Onde Estás" is entirely in Portuguese, reflecting Furtado's Portuguese heritage. The International Release of "Whoa Nelly" featured fellow Canadian Esthero on the song titled "I Feel You".

In 2002, Furtado appeared on the song "Thin Line", on underground hip hop group Jurassic 5's album ''Power in Numbers''. The same year, Furtado provided her vocals to the Paul Oakenfold's song "The Harder They Come" from the album ''Bunkka'' and also made the song "These words are my own". She also had a collaboration with Colombian artist Juanes, in the song "Fotografia" where she showed her diversity of yet another language. Furtado was also featured in "Breathe" from Swollen Members "Monsters in the Closet" release; the video for "Breathe," directed by Spawn creator Todd MacFarlane, won the 2003 Western Canadian Music Awards Outstanding Video and MuchVIBE Best Rap Video.

Furtado's second album, ''Folklore'', was released in November 2003. The final track on the album, "Childhood Dreams", was dedicated to her daughter, Nevis. The album includes the single "Força" (meaning "strength"/ "power" or "you can do it!" in Portuguese), the official anthem of the 2004 European Football Championship. Furtado performed this song in Lisbon at the championship's final, in which the Portugal national team played. The lead single is "Powerless (Say What You Want)" and the second single is the ballad "Try". The album was not as successful as her debut, partly due to the album's less "poppy" sound, as well as underpromotion from her label DreamWorks Records. DreamWorks had just been sold to Universal Music Group. In 2005, DreamWorks Records, along with many of its artists including Furtado, was absorbed into Geffen Records.

"Powerless (Say What You Want)" was later remixed, featuring Colombian rocker Juanes, who had previously worked with Furtado on his track "Fotografía" ("Photograph"). The two would collaborate again on "Te Busqué" ("I searched for you"), a single from Furtado's 2006 album ''Loose''.

2006–08: ''Loose''

Furtado's third album, named ''Loose'', after the spontaneous, creative decisions she made while creating the album, was released in June 2006. In this album, primarily produced by Timbaland, Furtado experiments with sounds from R&B;, hip hop, and 1980s music. Furtado herself describes the album's sound as ''punk-hop'', described as "modern, poppy, spooky" and as having "a mysterious, after-midnight vibe... extremely visceral". She attributed the youthful sound of the album to the presence of her two-year-old daughter. The album received generally positive reviews from critics, with some citing the "revitalising" effect of Timbaland on Furtado's music, and others calling it "slick, smart and surprising". Some have labeled her a ''"sellout"'' for seemingly abandoning her folk and rock roots in favour of hip hop and R&B;, while others have accused her of attempting to "sex up" her music and appearance to sell more records.

''Loose'' has become the most successful album of Furtado's career so far, as it reached number one, not only in Canada and the United States, but also several countries worldwide. The album produced her first number-one hit in the United States, "Promiscuous", as well as her first number-one hit in the United Kingdom, "Maneater". The single "Say It Right" eventually became Furtado's most successful song worldwide, due to its huge success in Europe and in the United States, where it became her second number-one hit. "All Good Things (Come to an End)" became her most successful song in Europe, topping single charts in numerous countries there.

On February 16, 2007, Furtado embarked on the "Get Loose Tour". She returned in March 2007 to her hometown of Victoria to perform a concert at the Save-On Foods Memorial Centre. In honour of her visit, local leaders officially proclaimed March 21, 2007, the first day of spring, as Nelly Furtado Day. After the tour, she released her first live DVD/CD named ''Loose the Concert''. On April 1, 2007, Furtado was a performer and host of the 2007 Juno Awards in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. She won all five awards for which she was nominated, including Album of the Year and Single of the Year. She also appeared on stage at the Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium in London on July 1, 2007, where she performed "Say It Right", "Maneater", and "I'm like a Bird".

In 2007, Furtado and Justin Timberlake were featured on Timbaland's single "Give It to Me", which became her third number-one single in the U.S. and second in the UK. In late 2008, Furtado collaborated with James Morrison on a song called "Broken Strings" for his album ''Songs for You, Truths for Me''. The single was released on December 8 and peaked at No.2 on the UK Singles Chart in early January.

In 2007, Furtado leaked plans to ''Flare'' regarding a song she was set to duet for Kylie Minogue's return. However, the song was not featured on her album ''X'', though Minogue says the aforementioned song "is still outstanding" and has plans to pursue it. She said, "I am looking forward to getting in the studio and doing it because I know Nelly and I would have a great time together". The track has not appeared on Minogue's 2010 album ''Aphrodite'' either. In 2008, she sang with the Italian group "Zero Assoluto" the ballad Win or Lose – Appena prima di partire, released in Italy, France and Germany and whose video was shot in Barcelona. On December 31, 2008, ''El Diario La Prensa'' posted an article that Furtado is planning on recording songs in English and Spanish for her upcoming album and that it is "expected to launch on September 15, 2009".

2009–2010: ''Mi Plan'' and compilation albums

|source=— Furtado explaining song selected on ''The Best of Nelly Furtado''.}} Furtado made a guest appearance on Flo Rida's new album, ''R.O.O.T.S.'', which was released on March 31, 2009. The track is titled "Jump". Furtado has also made a guest appearance on Divine Brown's ''Love Chronicles'', co-writing and singing on the background of the song "Sunglasses".

In early March, a song called "Gotta Know" leaked onto the Internet and was said to be Nelly's. In response, on March 4, 2009, Furtado stated on her MySpace blog that the song is not hers and that she is recording two new albums: one in Spanish, and the other in Portuguese. Nelly Furtado announced via the Perez Hilton blog, that the Spanish album would be titled ''Mi Plan'' and the first single titled "Manos Al Aire" (in English, meaning "Hands in the Air"). The album will have twelve new songs, all in Spanish, as stated by Nelly in a message left in her official website. The second single "Más" was released on July 21, as it was announced on Nelly's official MySpace. The third single "Mi Plan" (ft. Alex Cuba) was released on iTunes on August 11, 2009 and "Bajo Otra Luz" (ft. Julieta Venegas and La Mala Rodriguez) is the fourth and final countdown single and it was released on September 1, 2009. She also invited the Mexican star Alejandro Fernández to sing a duet song named "Sueños" ("Dreams"). The video for "Manos al Aire" premiered on July 29 on It's On with Alexa Chung. On November 11, 2010 Furtado won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Album for ''Mi Plan''. She is the first Canadian to win a Latin Grammy award.

Furtado made a guest appearance on Canadian singer k-os's new album ''Yes!'', collaborating alongside Saukrates on the song "I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman," released in early July 2009. Nelly Furtado will make a guest appearance on Tiësto's single "Who Wants to Be Alone" on his new album ''Kaleidoscope'' which was released on October 6, 2009. Furtado also recorded "Manos al Aire" in Simlish for the new Sims 3 expansion, World Adventures.

On February 12, 2010, Nelly Furtado sang in a duet with Bryan Adams at the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games. The song was called "Bang The Drum" released on EMI album ''Sounds Of Vancouver 2010'' (a commemorative album). On February 14, 2010, she appeared again at the Winter Olympic Victory Ceremony after the awarding of the medals for the athletes. On April 13, 2010, Nelly announced on her Twitter account that ''Lifestyle'', her fourth English studio album, would not be released during the summer of 2010 and that she will go on a second leg of her Mi Plan Tour where she will get more inspiration for her upcoming album ''Lifestyle''. Nelly Furtado is featured in a new song by N.E.R.D. called "Hot N Fun". She also participated in the Young Artists for Haiti song, in which many Canadian artists came together and sang K'naan's inspirational song "Wavin' Flag" to raise money for the victims of the Haiti Earthquake.

To promote the tour in Brazil, on March 24, 2010, Furtado made a ''"VIP Pocket Show"'' in reality show program Big Brother Brasil 10 from Rede Globo, the country's leading channel. She performed 5 songs from the tour in acoustic versions ("Maneater", "I'm Like A Bird", "Try", "Say It Right" and "Turn Off The Light"). Nelly Furtado participated in the live DVD recording of the Brazilian singer Ivete Sangalo in Madison Square Garden on September 4, 2010. Nelly Furtado sang two new songs: "Girlfriend in the City" and "Night Is Young" on her concert in Warsaw, Poland.

Furtado was honoured with a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in October 2010. On October 26, 2010, Furtado released ''Mi Plan Remixes'' featuring 12 tracks of remixed hits from "Mi Plan." This album included the Original Spanglish Version of "Fuerte", her final release from ''Mi Plan''.

Furtado released her first greatest hits album entitled ''The Best of Nelly Furtado'' on November 16, 2010. The album's first single, "Night Is Young" premiered on BBC Radio 1 on October 3, 2010. The song was first released for digital download on October 12, 2010 in Australia. Three new songs will be on the greatest hits album, including "Night Is Young", another collaboration Salaam Remi entitled "Girlfriend in the City", and the Lester Mendez produced track, left over from the ''Loose'' sessions, "Stars".

2011–present: ''Lifestyle'' and other projects

On July 2, 2011, Furtado preformed a new track from her upcoming studio album. The acoustic ballad was entitled "Mystery". The proposed album is targeted for a 2012 release and has attracted producers such as The Neptunes, Tiësto, Timbaland, Ryan Tedder and Rodney Jerkins. At a concert in Lisbon,'Delta Tejo Festival', Furtado covered Jennifer Lopez's 2011 hit single "On the Floor" which incorporates Kaoma's 1989 single "Lambada". Furtado announced that she would include rapper Nas on her upcoming lead single, amongst others to be featured on the album. Another album feature surfaced is Passion Pit's lead singer Mike Angelakos on a track entitled "The Edge", while Furtado also expressed interest to work once again with rapper Missy Elliot. Furtado continued to collaborate with hip-hop producer Salaam Remi, who previously worked on the 2010 single Night Is Young, on "The Edge". The lyrics for the Salaam Remi produced track are reported to be influenced by the Tiger Woods cheating scandal, in which was originally referred to as "Elin's Song". Furtado proclaims that ''Lifestyle'' would be most like her 2000 debut Whoa, Nelly!, but containing elements from urban, alternative, and reggae. In addition is the first of Furtado's album to be completely in English. The influences for the album range from Janelle Monae, The xx, to Florence + the Machine.

Aside from ''Lifestyle'', Furtado was featured Game's second single on the The R.E.D. Album entitled "Mamma Knows" (produced by the Neptunes). For the Canadian film The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom, Furtado lent her vocals for the Dolly Parton gospel cover "The Seeker" featured during the credits of the film.

Other work

Record label

She has formed her own record label, Nelstar, in conjunction with Canadian independent label group Last Gang Labels. The first act signed to Nelstar is Fritz Helder & the Phantoms. Furtado released her first Spanish single "Manos al Aire" on the new label.

Philanthropy

For World AIDS Day in 2006, Furtado took part in an AIDS awareness concert in South Africa hosted by MTV, BET, and Nike; fellow performers included Enrique Iglesias, Kanye West, Kelly Rowland, Snoop Dogg and Kelly Clarkson. Furtado also hosted a program about AIDS on MTV, which also featured guests Alicia Keys and Justin Timberlake. She cites diverse influences, which include soul-trip/hip hop artists such as De La Soul, TLC, world music artists Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Amalia Rodrigues, as well as Caetano Veloso, Juanes, Jeff Buckley, Esthero, Björk, Cornershop, Oasis, Radiohead, The Smashing Pumpkins and Beck.

Furtado's music has also been influenced by her current residence, Toronto, which she calls "the most multicultural city in the entire world" and a place where she "can be any culture". Regarding Toronto's cultural diversity, she has said that she did not have to wait for the Internet revolution to learn about world music; she began listening to it at the age of five and continues to discover new genres.

Her biggest influence when growing up was Ani DiFranco:

"When I was a teenager, I wanted to be (the feminist punk-folk singer) Ani DiFranco. I never wanted to be part of corporate music."

Personal life

On September 20, 2003, in Toronto, Furtado gave birth to a daughter, Nevis, whose father is Jasper Gahunia [AKA DJ Lil' Jazz, Canadian DMC Champion 1998]. Furtado and Gahunia, who had been good friends for several years, remained together for four years until their breakup in 2005. Furtado told ''Blender'' magazine that they continue to be good friends and jointly share responsibility of raising Nevis.

In June 2006, in an interview with ''Genre'' magazine, when asked if she had "ever felt an attraction to women", Furtado replied "Absolutely. Women are beautiful and sexy". Some considered this an announcement of bisexuality, but in August 2006, she stated that she was "straight, but very open-minded". In November 2006, Furtado revealed that she once turned down $500,000 to pose fully clothed in ''Playboy''.

Furtado married Cuban sound engineer Demacio "Demo" Castellón, with whom she had worked on the ''Loose'' album, on July 19, 2008.

Furtado is one of several celebrities who have come under fire recently after 2011 reports from the New York Times and a WikiLeaks document revealed several entertainers had received extravagant sums to perform for the family of Libyan ruler Moammar Gadhafi. She has promised to donate to charity the $1 million she received for a 2007 concert.

Furtado publicly endorsed Green Party Leader, Elizabeth May in Saanich-Gulf Islands during the Federal election in 2011.

Discography

''Whoa, Nelly!'' (2000)

''Folklore'' (2003)

''Loose'' (2006)

''Mi Plan'' (2009)

Filmography

! Year	! Title	! Role	! Genre	Notes
2001		Herself	American Science fiction Television series	Performed "I'm like a Bird"
2006	''Floribella''	Herself	Portuguese Soap Opera
2007	''One Life to Live''	Herself	American Soap Opera
2007	''CSI: NY''	Ava Brandt	American police procedural television series	Played Ava, a professional criminal accused of murder.
2007	''Punk'd''	Herself	American hidden camera practical joke television series	A victim of a bomb scare
2008		Christa Balder	Video game adaptation	The wife of Max Payne's slain ex-partner
2010	''Big Brother Brasil''	Herself	Brazilian reality show	Live performance
2010	Score : A Hockey Musical	An Ardent Hockey Fan	Canadian Film	www.scoreahockeymusical.com

See also

List of awards and nominations received by Nelly Furtado

References

External links

Category:1978 births Category:Living people Category:People from Victoria, British Columbia Category:Canadian dance musicians Category:Canadian female guitarists Category:Canadian female singers Category:Canadian folk guitarists Category:Canadian folk singers Category:Canadian multi-instrumentalists Category:Canadian pop guitarists Category:Canadian pop singers Category:Canadian rhythm and blues singers Category:Canadian Roman Catholics Category:Canadian singer-songwriters Category:English-language singers Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Latin Grammy Award winners Category:Juno Award winners Category:BRIT Award winners Category:Musicians from British Columbia Category:Canadian people of Portuguese descent Category:Portuguese-language singers Category:Spanish-language singers Category:Trip hop musicians Category:Fellows of the Royal Conservatory of Music

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