Nikka Costa

Nikka Costa (born: June 4, 1972) is no stranger to the music business. Having been raised inside some of the most influential social circles during her childhood, Costa was molded for perfection in her own right. She's the daughter of famed arranger/producer Don Costa (Paul Anka, Dinah Washington, Tony Bennett), not to mention the goddaughter of Frank Sinatra. Her first musical gig was at age five, opening for Don Ho. Two years later she wowed 300,000 Police fans in Chile. Nikka Costa was a natural.

Costa went back and forth between Los Angeles and Europe, maintaining a sharp childhood sense while molding a sophisticated music career. By age seven, she sang "On My Own" with the Don Costa Orchestra in Milan. From there, her sassy persona was captured on record. She released several albums throughout Europe, Israel, Central and South America, most of them going platinum. Whirlwind success, however, was not overwhelming. Costa's early days spent in her father's recording studio, meeting Quincy Jones, Sly Stone, and Sammy Davis Jr., perfected this inspiring singer/songwriter into the humble individual she's turned out to be.

Her late teens were spent on the top of the German charts and by the time she reached her mid-twenties, she called Australia home. She became a favorite among the Outback, landing a deal with Mushroom Records and issuing Butterfly Rocket in the mid-'90s. It garnered a nomination for "Best New Artist" at the annual Australian Recording Industry Awards.

The new millennium sparked a new scene for Costa. Now a mature woman with a fiery spark of determination and passion, this red-headed siren's songwriting expanded into an alluring art. Her urban vocalic stylings sashayed with a raw sexiness, yet with class. She signed with the Aussie label Cheeba Sound, home to soon-to-be labelmate D'Angelo. The sultry single "Like a Feather" marked Costa's almost ignored debut in fall 2000 when the cut was used in a Tommy Hilfiger advert. Virgin Records took notice though, properly introducing Nikka Costa to the world in spring 2001 with the full-length release of Everybody Got Their Something. She returned in May of 2005 with Can'tneverdidnothin' and supported the album by touring with one of its guest stars, Lenny Kravitz.

• “In a kinetic, whip-smart hour, she presents herself as a soul shouter in the footsteps of Janis Joplin and Tina Turner, with James Brown, Robert Plant and Chaka Kahn bringing up the rear.” – Variety

• Her 2001 acclaimed Everybody Got Their Something is a vivid, vivacious and altogether funky album. She taps the power of soul music and makes a sexy, joyful groove. “I’m happy the music resonates with my fans,” she says. “That album seemed to really connect with people.” With Justin Stanley again producing, she took another great leap forward. Regarding her 2005 Can’tneverdidnothing she states, “I thought that with this album, I want to maintain my originality. I’m still doing what I love and sticking with the path less traveled. At the same time, I really wanted to try to find more common ground. I really want to spread the word.”

• “Like A Feather” & “Push and Pull” led to comparisons to the greats Prince and Tina Turner. On that, she says, “I don’t mind those comparisons. Go right ahead.”

• From an early age, Nikka met up with legends and future heroes. “I was five and I went into the living room and there was this guy playing piano,” she recalls. “I remember it so well because he woke me up, so I was pissed. That would happen all the time because musicians were always in the house. Apparently I yelled out, ‘Be quiet,’ and asked my mom who the weirdo at the piano was. Little did I know that was Sly Stone. My mom still says, “Remember the time you kicked Sly Stone out of the house?” Just a few years later, at eight years old Nikka released her first album, with her version of “Out Here On My Own” from Fame. This was the onset of many albums and tours throughout Europe, South America, Australia, and more, which led to a nomination for ARIA Breakthrough Artist in 1996, Best Female Artist in 1997, and the MTV Best New artist in 2001.

• Nikka Costa comes by her deep love of music as a natural result of her family and childhood. Her father, legendary producer, conductor and arranger Don Costa has a profound influence on her life though he suddenly passed away when Nikka was ten years old. She recorded a tribute to him in the moving “Fatherless Child.”

• Soul music brought an important solace. “My mom was really into soul music and I always loved it.” ‘Can’t never did nothing’ was a phrase she grew up hearing from her southern-born mother. “I thought that was such a cool way to say `You can do it.’”

• She loves to get out on the road. “I’m so excited,” she says. “That’s my favorite part. That’s where you get to bring it alive and connect. When I perform, I try to let myself go as much as possible. It’s not staged. I’ve found the more I let go, the more I get out of it. Performing is the ultimate. It’s a sexual experience because it’s sweaty and screamy - all those great things.”

• Nikka is currently performing and recording an album due out in 2008.