Deeyah

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Enigmatic, intelligent and sexy, 27 year old Deeyah is a truly international artist with global star appeal. Born and raised in Norway, of Asian descent, Deeyah now divides her time between the UK and the US where she is in the process of adding the finishing touches to her latest album titled "Plan of my Own". Immersed in music from an early age, Deeyah trained within the rigorous Indian classical vocal tradition for more than fourteen years and had the rare privilege of being the only female ever to be taken on as vocal disciple by Ustad Fateh Ali Khan and was one of very few females to be trained by Ustad Sultan Khan in classical Indian singing. In contrast to her classical background, Deeyah's personal listening tastes have always been quite modern, "Living in Scandinavia I grew up with pop. I adored Madonna, Michael Jackson and Prince. Later on, I really got into hip-hop as well as rock. I loved De La Soul, Dre, Cypress Hill, Above the Law and Tha Alkaholiks as well as Metallica, Rage against the Machine, Faith No More, and Alice in Chains. All these acts had a big impact on my musical development and a great influence on my own musical expression."

Deeyah's classical training and modern taste have each shaped her perspective on music and her unique musical identity. In her native Norway, Deeyah has already released two critically acclaimed albums under her birth name Deepika. Her first album released by an independent label when she was 15, was a blend of Indian classical, jazz and folk and received high critical acclaim. Deeyahs musical success and high visibility led to a prestigious government cultural award and she quickly became a true public figure and was adopted as the unofficial poster child for the integration of Asian immigrants into Norwegian society. The second album, released by BMG was more of a pop offering, with Deeyah putting to use her multiple language skills; the result being a Top 10 album and two Top 10 singles. The award-winning music video for the second single from that album, by director Marius Holst, made Deeyah the target of conservative Muslims who were outraged that her uncovered back could be seen in the video. This led to harassment, threats against Deeyah and her family, physical assaults, an on-stage attack during a concert and an attempted abduction at her school.

By mid 1996, at just 18 years old, Deeyah was disillusioned and fearful and decided to leave the music business and move to London to escape the tension and dangers she faced in Norway and start a new life. By 1998, Deeyahs need to make music had become too strong to ignore and she joined with manager Steve Fargnoli (who had shaped the careers of superstars such as Prince and Sinead OConnor) and started working on material for a new album. Towards the end of 1999, she signed a deal with Warner Records and went back into the studio in early 2000. Things seemed to be on track, but it was only the calm before the storm. Fargnoli, who had become Deeyahs close friend and guardian, was diagnosed with aggressive pancreatic cancer. Distraught by her friend and managers illness, and unhappy with the situation at the label, Deeyah and Warner agreed to part ways before Deeyah had completed her album. Steve died in September of 2001. Devastated by Steves death and hesitant about signing with another major label, Deeyah took another musical hiatus to regroup and make some important decisions. When Deeyah turned her attention back to music, she was determined to take the time that was necessary to find the right management and record company, and a producer she could really connect with who would work closely with her to develop material that would embody her own style and vision.

With a whole new team behind her, the new material is both a testament to the scope of Deeyahs talent and the first true reflection of her musical identity, determination and artistic commitment. A gifted composer and songwriter, Deeyah co-authored and co-produced every song on her upcoming album, which is the direct product of personal and artistic growth evolved from conflict and turmoil. The result; an exciting collection of contemporary pop anthems, heavily infused with hip-hop and rock flavours, and subtly reflective of Deeyah's traditional Indian vocal roots.Her chief collaborator in the past two years is acclaimed producer Darin Prindle who has worked with Destinys Child, TLC, Madonna, Jermaine Dupri, Boyz II Men and Usher. According to Darin, "Deeyahs classical training gives her a unique vocal ability that is rare in pop music. She is disciplined enough to be musically and technically perfect, but is influenced enough by current music that she allows herself to be flexible and have the soul and vibe needed to make a great pop record. She is a star in every sense of the word. She has talent, drive, beauty and most of all, intelligence which you must have in order to stay at the top once you get there."

Additional production and artist contributions to the Plan of My Own album have been supplied by Atlanta based producers Phil Tan (Snoop Dogg, Neptunes, Kelis) and Mixzo (Aaliyah, Ludacris, Bone Crusher). Deeyah also features on a remix of the hit Bone Crusher single, "Never Scared" which received major support in Atlanta and the West Coast. Not to mention L.A. rapper Young Maylay (the voice and model for the lead character in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas), Houston based CraftBeats (Mike Jones) and many more collaborations are in the works. This year has been a whirlwind for Deeyah her debut single went in the Top 40, was number 1 on the box and was No 5 in the UK club chart. She also self-directed her own video for the upcoming single "What Will It Be". The stylish new video was shot in LA & India and will definitely capture the imagination--being sexy and sassy simultaneously, whilst sending a strong social and political message. Having been touted as "the next big thing", there is plenty more to watch out with Deeyah now making a dive into the UK market. She has already impressed media and fans alike and continues impressing with her new single "What Will It Be" which is out now.

For more information, please log on to http://www.deeyah.com/
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