Lisa Maffia
Encyclopedia
Lisa Finch Maffia is a platinum selling English
singer-songwriter
, musician
, fashion designer, model and presenter
, who originally came to the public's attention as the main female member of So Solid Crew
. Whilst in So Solid, the singer notched up five top 20 hits, including a platinum
selling single "21 Seconds" and a platinum selling album They Don't Know. As a solo artist, she has released two top 10 singles and an award winning album including the platinum selling single "All Over
". Maffia is mixed race, born to an Italian
mother and an unknown black
father.
, ballroom
, tap
and modern dancing and practised gymnastics
as a child. She has a god daughter named Alexus Lee-Chang, who attended Virgo Fidelis Convent Senior School which is located next to Norwood School in West Norwood
where Lisa attended. Lisa then went on to Brixton College to do a diploma in Photography and Art & Design. In 2000, Maffia got her career debut when she added her vocals to So Solid Crew
track, "Oh No".
, Maffia released "21 Seconds
". It reached number one in the United Kingdom
in August 2001. The single also won Best British Video at the 2002 BRIT Awards. With the success of "21 Seconds", the crew went on to release their debut album They Don't Know
which ending up going platinum.
, Ashanti, Loudbankcoast, Ja Rule
, Daniel Bedingfield
and Blue
. The album reached number 44 in the UK Albums Chart
, and the album sold 97,000 copies.
. After The Games, Maffia set up her own independent record label, Maffia Recordz, on which she released her underground single "Shake 4 Daddy" and signed acts such as North Star and MC Romeo
. The label also signed the soundtrack
to the film
, Rollin With The Nines.
, Madonna
, Kylie Minogue
and others. On 10 September, Maffia released her single "Bad Girl At Night
", whilst the single reached 36 and number 4 in the overall dance charts, the single had success over Europe
leading to Maffia doing a European tour. On 20 August 2008 it was announced Maffia would participate in ITV2
's CelebAir
where cameras followed Maffia and other celebrities
as they work as air hostesses. Maffia won ITV2
's CelebAir on 23 October 2008.
Maffia updated via Twitter that she recorded every other week (during January 2009 to August 2009), working with various producers including Roger Sanchez
and Bloodshy & Avant
and to expect a surprise U.S. star. She also recorded four songs for the comeback album of So Solid Crew including "Since You Went Away", the video
of which was shot in June 2009.
, Never Mind The Buzzcocks
, CD:UK
, Popworld
and appeared in series three of The Games. She also won the 2008 series Celeb Air.
, Elle
and a range of women's and men's magazine's, Maffia has said in many interviews recently that she will be launching her first official calendar later on this year. She has quoted that the calendar is set around many different settings including in studio and Ibiza
, and has been working with up and coming photographers. Maffia is also not a stranger to magazine polls. She ranked #91 (2002) in FHM
's 100 Sexiest Women, She ranked #77 (2002) in Loaded
's Hot 100 Babes. In September 2007, Maffia was voted number 33 in the top 50 sexiest brunettes poll in Nuts
magazine
.
UK
#44
Released:August 2003
UK #?
Released:March 2012
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, fashion designer, model and presenter
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
, who originally came to the public's attention as the main female member of So Solid Crew
So Solid Crew
So Solid Crew is an electronic and urban musical collective from South London, England, whose hits include "Oh No " and "21 Seconds", the latter reaching number one in the UK Singles Chart in August 2001. Another hit, "They Don't Know", reached number three in November 2001 and "Haters" got to...
. Whilst in So Solid, the singer notched up five top 20 hits, including a platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
selling single "21 Seconds" and a platinum selling album They Don't Know. As a solo artist, she has released two top 10 singles and an award winning album including the platinum selling single "All Over
All Over (song)
"All Over" was the debut single by So Solid Crew member, Lisa Maffia. It was released in April 2003. In the United Kingdom, it spent three weeks in the top ten of the UK Singles Chart reaching number 2, with a total of 16 weeks in the charts...
". Maffia is mixed race, born to an Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
mother and an unknown black
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
father.
Early life and career debut
Maffia was born and raised in Brixton, London by her mother, Shirley Maffia. She has a daughter, Chelsea, born when she was 17. She trained in LatinoLatino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
, ballroom
Ballroom dance
Ballroom dance refers to a set of partner dances, which are enjoyed both socially and competitively around the world. Because of its performance and entertainment aspects, ballroom dance is also widely enjoyed on stage, film, and television....
, tap
Tap dance
Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sound of one's tap shoes hitting the floor as a percussive instrument. As such, it is also commonly considered to be a form of music. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses more on the...
and modern dancing and practised gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
as a child. She has a god daughter named Alexus Lee-Chang, who attended Virgo Fidelis Convent Senior School which is located next to Norwood School in West Norwood
West Norwood
West Norwood is a place in the London Borough of Lambeth.It is primarily a residential suburb of south London but with some light industry near Knights Hill in the south....
where Lisa attended. Lisa then went on to Brixton College to do a diploma in Photography and Art & Design. In 2000, Maffia got her career debut when she added her vocals to So Solid Crew
So Solid Crew
So Solid Crew is an electronic and urban musical collective from South London, England, whose hits include "Oh No " and "21 Seconds", the latter reaching number one in the UK Singles Chart in August 2001. Another hit, "They Don't Know", reached number three in November 2001 and "Haters" got to...
track, "Oh No".
2001-2002: They Don't Know
On 6 August 2001, whilst with So Solid CrewSo Solid Crew
So Solid Crew is an electronic and urban musical collective from South London, England, whose hits include "Oh No " and "21 Seconds", the latter reaching number one in the UK Singles Chart in August 2001. Another hit, "They Don't Know", reached number three in November 2001 and "Haters" got to...
, Maffia released "21 Seconds
21 Seconds
"21 Seconds" is a song by the UK garage act So Solid Crew. It is included on their debut album They Don't Know. The song was released as a single on Relentless Records in 2001. It charted at a peak position of number-one in the UK Singles Chart in August 2001, while it peaked just outside the top...
". It reached number one in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in August 2001. The single also won Best British Video at the 2002 BRIT Awards. With the success of "21 Seconds", the crew went on to release their debut album They Don't Know
They Don't Know
"They Don't Know" is a single by Savage and Aaradhna that was released in 2005 from his debut solo album Moonshine. The single peaked at number three in New Zealand and number twenty six in Australia.-Track listing:#"They Don't Know"...
which ending up going platinum.
2003-2004: First Lady
On 21 April 2003, departing from the So Solid Crew, Maffia made her debut at number 2 with "All Over". It spent three weeks in the top 10. She then released "In Love" which reached number 13. This led to the singer releasing her debut solo album, First Lady. Promo for the album including support slots for artists such as Christina AguileraChristina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
, Ashanti, Loudbankcoast, Ja Rule
Ja Rule
Jeffrey Atkins , better known by his stage name Ja Rule, is an American rapper, singer, and actor.Born in Hollis, Queens, he began his career in the group Cash Money Click and debuted in 1999 with Venni Vetti Vecci and its single "Holla Holla"...
, Daniel Bedingfield
Daniel Bedingfield
Daniel John Bedingfield is a British singer-songwriter. He is the brother of pop singers Natasha Bedingfield and Nikola Rachelle.-Music career:...
and Blue
Blue
Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal...
. The album reached number 44 in the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, and the album sold 97,000 copies.
2005-2006: The Games and Maffia Recordz
Taking a break from music, Maffia took part in the Channel 4 reality TV show The Games. She earned a silver medal behind Kirsty GallacherKirsty Gallacher
Kirsty Jane Gallacher , is a Scottish television presenter.-Biography:The daughter of the former Ryder Cup captain Bernard Gallacher, Gallacher was born in Edinburgh. When her father got the job of professional at Wentworth Golf Club, they moved south when she was 18 months old...
. After The Games, Maffia set up her own independent record label, Maffia Recordz, on which she released her underground single "Shake 4 Daddy" and signed acts such as North Star and MC Romeo
MC Romeo
-Biography:Romeo first found fame in the garage group So Solid Crew and subsequently had a solo career, firstly with the single "Romeo Dunn" which reached #3 in the UK Singles Chart in 2002, and secondly a duet with Christina Milian, "It's All Gravy", which reached #4 in the UK Singles Chart in the...
. The label also signed the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
to the film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Rollin With The Nines.
2007-2009: Celeb Air and recording for second album
In May 2007, Maffia announced on her official Myspace that she has been recording her upcoming album at the Murlyn Studios, known to have penned songs for Christina MilianChristina Milian
Christine Flores , better known by her stage name Christina Milian , is an American singer-songwriter, actress, dancer, and model....
, Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
and others. On 10 September, Maffia released her single "Bad Girl At Night
Bad Girl at Night
"Bad Girl " is a single from Dave Spoon and features Lisa Maffia on her 4th single. It was released as a download on August 27, 2007 and CD release followed on 1 September through Apollo Recordings. It also has a video of Maffia in a house set around people with hangovers. It has gone top 10 in 7...
", whilst the single reached 36 and number 4 in the overall dance charts, the single had success over Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
leading to Maffia doing a European tour. On 20 August 2008 it was announced Maffia would participate in ITV2
ITV2
ITV2 is a 24 hour, free-to-air entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998, and is available on digital television via satellite, cable, IPTV and terrestrial platforms. The channel has the...
's CelebAir
CelebAir
CelebAir is a reality TV series in which 11 celebrities performed the duties of cabin crew and check-in attendants. The series is presented by Angellica Bell and aired on ITV2 from 2 September 2008 until 23 October 2008, when Lisa Maffia was declared the winner.For the show, Monarch Airlines...
where cameras followed Maffia and other celebrities
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
as they work as air hostesses. Maffia won ITV2
ITV2
ITV2 is a 24 hour, free-to-air entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998, and is available on digital television via satellite, cable, IPTV and terrestrial platforms. The channel has the...
's CelebAir on 23 October 2008.
Maffia updated via Twitter that she recorded every other week (during January 2009 to August 2009), working with various producers including Roger Sanchez
Roger Sanchez
Roger Sanchez, also known as Roger S. and The S Man, is a Grammy award-winning American House music DJ who has scored many hits in the European and World Charts...
and Bloodshy & Avant
Bloodshy & Avant
Bloodshy and Avant are a music production and songwriting team from Sweden made up of Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg...
and to expect a surprise U.S. star. She also recorded four songs for the comeback album of So Solid Crew including "Since You Went Away", the video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
of which was shot in June 2009.
2010-present: House Of Maffia and new music
In January 2010, Maffia released and toured with So Solid Crew on their single "Since You Went Away". The track reached top 10 in the independent singles chart, this led to various performances on Big Brother's Big Mouth, Channel 5's Five Live and Radio One's Live Lounge. With the success of the track, it was announced on Maffia's official Twitter that there would be one final album from So Solid Crew, and to also expect more albums from Maffia herself, with her next solo album to be expected in 2011. Away from music, Maffia held a press launch for her new online fashion store House Of Maffia in May 2010 and announced it was to launch in the summer of 2010.2001
- Mobo Awards
- Best UK Garage Act With So Solid Crew Winner
- Best UK Newcomer With So Solid Crew Winner
- Best UK Act With So Solid Crew Nominated
2002
- Brit Awards
- Best British Video (With So Solid Crew) 21 Seconds Winner
- Best British Newcomer (With So Solid Crew) Nominated
- Best British Single (With So Solid Crew) Nominated
- Mobo Awards
- Best UK GarageUK garageUK garage is a genre of electronic dance music originating from the United Kingdom in the early-1990s. UK garage is a descendant of house music which originated in Chicago and New York, United States. UK garage usually features a distinctive syncopated 4/4 percussive rhythm with 'shuffling'...
Act (With So Solid Crew) Nominated
- Best UK Garage
2003
- Mobo Awards
- Best UK GarageUK garageUK garage is a genre of electronic dance music originating from the United Kingdom in the early-1990s. UK garage is a descendant of house music which originated in Chicago and New York, United States. UK garage usually features a distinctive syncopated 4/4 percussive rhythm with 'shuffling'...
Act Winner - Best UK Act Nominated
- Best UK Newcomer Nominated
- Best UK Garage
Blue's & Soul/First Lady Tour
The First Lady Tour (also known as the Blues & Soul Tour) was a series of short concert-like promotional appearances at University and club-type venues by Lisa Maffia that took place from April to July 2003.Television
Maffia has appeared/performed on a number of different television shows including Top Of The PopsTop of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
, Never Mind The Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks is a comedy panel game television show with a pop music theme, currently without a permanent presenter. It stars Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding as team captains. The show is produced by Talkback Thames for the BBC, and is usually aired on BBC Two...
, CD:UK
CD:UK
CD:UK was a British music television programme. Originally run in conjunction with SMTV Live, the programme was first aired on ITV on 29 August 1998 to rival the BBC's Live & Kicking and was the replacement for The Chart Show, which had been airing on the network for nine and a half years.In...
, Popworld
Popworld
Popworld was a British television programme that was broadcast on Channel 4, offering pop news, trivia, gossip, interviews and music videos, as well as musical performances from the most recent top artists....
and appeared in series three of The Games. She also won the 2008 series Celeb Air.
Modelling
Having modelled for VogueVogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
, Elle
Elle (magazine)
Elle is a worldwide magazine of French origin that focuses on women's fashion, beauty, health, and entertainment. Elle is also the world's largest fashion magazine. It was founded by Pierre Lazareff and his wife Hélène Gordon in 1945. The title, in French, means "she".-History:Elle was founded in...
and a range of women's and men's magazine's, Maffia has said in many interviews recently that she will be launching her first official calendar later on this year. She has quoted that the calendar is set around many different settings including in studio and Ibiza
Ibiza
Ibiza or Eivissa is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza...
, and has been working with up and coming photographers. Maffia is also not a stranger to magazine polls. She ranked #91 (2002) in FHM
FHM
FHM, originally published as For Him Magazine, is an international monthly men's lifestyle magazine.- History :The magazine began publication in 1985 in the United Kingdom under the name For Him and changed its title to FHM in 1994 when Emap Consumer Media bought the magazine, although the full For...
's 100 Sexiest Women, She ranked #77 (2002) in Loaded
Loaded (magazine)
Loaded, first published in 1994, is a British magazine for men that is considered to be the "original lads' mag". Its motto is "For men who should know better".-History:...
's Hot 100 Babes. In September 2007, Maffia was voted number 33 in the top 50 sexiest brunettes poll in Nuts
Nuts (magazine)
Nuts is a weekly lad mag published in the United Kingdom. It was the first weekly lads magazine to be published in the UK and is sold every Tuesday...
magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
.
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | |||||
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| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
UK Dance Charts | AUS ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
NZ | NET Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
FIN Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... |
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| 2003 | "All Over All Over (song) "All Over" was the debut single by So Solid Crew member, Lisa Maffia. It was released in April 2003. In the United Kingdom, it spent three weeks in the top ten of the UK Singles Chart reaching number 2, with a total of 16 weeks in the charts... " |
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| "Women of the World" | |
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| 2007 | "Bad Girl at Night Bad Girl at Night "Bad Girl " is a single from Dave Spoon and features Lisa Maffia on her 4th single. It was released as a download on August 27, 2007 and CD release followed on 1 September through Apollo Recordings. It also has a video of Maffia in a house set around people with hangovers. It has gone top 10 in 7... " (Dave Spoon Dave Spoon Simon Neale, better known as Dave Spoon, is a radio DJ and dance music producer. He is part of the line-up on BBC Radio 1's 'In New DJs We Trust' feature, which runs Thursday night/Friday morning 2am to 4am... feat. Lisa Maffia) |
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Albums
- First LadyFirst Lady (Lisa Maffia album)First Lady is the debut album by English singer and former member of So Solid Crew Lisa Maffia. It was released in the UK on September 22, 2003 and internationally on January 6, 2004...
UK
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#44
Released:August 2003
- Miss Boss
UK #?
Released:March 2012