Nadia Ali
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Nadia Ali | |
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 Solo Recording Artist Nadia Ali in 2006
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Nadia Ali |
| Born | August 3, 1980 in Libya |
| Origin | Pakistani American |
| Genre(s) | Electronic dance music |
| Instrument(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 2001 – Present |
| Associated acts | iiO, Rosko, John Creamer & Stephane K, Armin Van Buuren |
Nadia Ali (born August 3, 1980 in Libya) is a Pakistani-American singer and songwriter who is best known as a former member of the band iiO, and for their breakthrough 2001 hit Rapture which reached #2 on the UK Singles chart and topped dance charts all over the world.
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[edit] Early years and iiO
Nadia Ali was born in Libya to Pakistani parents in 1980. The family relocated to Queens, New York City, when she was still a small child, and has remained there until this day.[1]
Ali has stated in interviews that the music that most influenced her growing up includes Stevie Nicks, Sade, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, U2, Madonna, Led Zeppelin, Carole King, Carly Simon and The Beatles.[2]
While 20 years old, Ali was working in the New York offices of Versace, and aspiring to start a music career, when a co-worker introduced her to producer Markus Moser, who was looking for a female singer to collaborate on some of his original dance music production.[3] The two teamed up and started a group that was originally named "Vaiio," named after the Sony laptop Nadia was working on. They later dropped the "va" to avoid causing problems in the future with Sony. Working with Moser, she wrote the lyrics and the vocals for the songs. After the success of the 2001 hit "Rapture," the single was remixed many times by the likes of Armin Van Buuren, John Creamer & Stephane K and Deep Dish with bootleg and white label remixes emerging as well. The duo toured all over the world for years and released more singles, including "At the End," "Runaway" and "Smooth."
Ali left the group in 2005 to pursue a solo career, however the long-awaited full-length debut album Poetica was not released to wide distribution until 2006, and Moser continues to release iiO material featuring her on vocals. Most notably, these releases include the 2006 single "Is It Love?" which went to #1 in America on the Billboard Dance Chart, and the 2007 Album Reconstruction Time: The Best Of iiO Remixed.'
[edit] Solo career
In 2006, Ali released her first two singles as a "Solo Artist." The first, "Who is Watching," was a collaboration with DJ/Producer Armin Van Buuren and appeared on his album Shivers. The second, "Something To Lose" which is a duet with singer/songwriter Rosko, was produced by Creamer & K and released by Ultra Records. The duet was championed on the UK's BBC Radio One by influential DJ and tastemaker Pete Tong,[4] and remixes have appeared on releases by Roger Sanchez, as well as by Sharam Tayebi of Deep Dish for his Global Underground debut "Dubai."
In 2007, Ali appeared on the cover of Cleo Magazine, Egypt's leading "modern lifestyle" magazine, printed in English and named after Cleopatra herself.[5] A testament to her growing influence in that region of the world, the magazine showcases cosmopolitan women who represent the power and success of the sometimes controversial (by Muslim standards) modern day lifestyle. The unique combination of her American heritage and her Eastern cultural background and influences continues to attract attention from music communities all over the world,[6] as she continues to tour the world as a solo act, performing frequently in North Africa and the Middle East, as well as Eastern Europe, Russia, and Latin America. She has yet to perform live in Pakistan, however.[7]
Currently, Nadia Ali is finishing her first full-length solo album, featuring the producers Scott Fritz and DJ Sultan and Ned Shepard, among others. The first single from the album, "Crash And Burn," will be released on June 17, 2008, including remixes by Dean Coleman, DJ Shah, Sultan & Ned Shepard, Astro & Glyde, Justin Thomas, Kered & Kiraly and Dilamani & Rassek.
On Nadia's MySpace, she features her versions of "Give It Up, Kiss You" and The One, which she first recorded with iiO. On Her Official website, she also samples "At The End".
