Shola Ama
Encyclopedia
Shola Ama is an English
singer who scored her biggest hit in 1997 with a cover
of Turley Richards
' "You Might Need Somebody".
and Irish
) and St Lucian mother. She attended Quintin Kynaston School
in the early 1990s. At 15 she was singing to herself on a platform at Hammersmith tube station, and was overheard by Kwame Kwaten
, a producer at the FreakStreet record label. In 1995 an unknown independent label released a single titled "Celebrate", which was a ballad produced by D'Influence
. Although the single was not a commercial success, it did draw attention to Ama as an artist. On her 16th birthday she signed a record deal with WEA
.
The single "You're The One I Love" was her first single release for WEA in 1996, although it barely made an impact on the charts, only managing to reach #85. Her second WEA single "You Might Need Somebody" remains her biggest hit. This Randy Crawford
cover reached #4 in the UK charts. It remained in the top 40 for almost 2 months, becoming one of 1997's biggest hits. A re-release of "You're The One I Love" followed and reached #3. At 18 Ama released her debut album Much Love (1997).
On the success of the album Ama won a Brit award for Best British Female and two MOBO
awards for Best Newcomer and Best R'n'B Act.
, Stargate
, Shaun Labelle, Full Crew, D-Influence Productions and Ali Shaheed Muhammad
(formerly of A Tribe Called Quest
). Co-writers included Angie Stone
and Babyface with David Foster
.
Despite having huge amounts of capital being injected into it by her record company, "In Return" was a commercial flop. Following this, Ama took a break from recording.
In 2002 she was ennobled as a Legend in the World Music Awards
.
.
In 2004, she featured on the track "You Should Really Know", a response in song to Mario Winans
' "I Don't Wanna Know
".
In late 2005 it was believed that Ama was heading back into the studio to record her fourth studio album. The album was expected to be released in mid 2007; however no news was heard on a release date. It had been reported the album's delayed release was down to the fact no major label was interested in picking up the album and signing Ama. She is also currently mentoring her sister Sadie Ama
, who has recently signed a recording development and is expected to release an album some time in 2010 at the earliest.
In April 2010, Shola was a guest judge for a girl group on the show "Pineapple Dance Studios
" along side best friend Pineapple star "Dean Rowland". Due to positive reviews, she is now pursuing other TV work.
Shola is the featured vocalist on the new Perempay & Dee single "DJ Play". The song was officially released in October 2009 and got heavy rotation on the radio. Shola has also been featured in one of the London rapper Giggs's song Cut Above The Rest and later featured on his album Let Em Have It on a song called Blow Em Away.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
singer who scored her biggest hit in 1997 with a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Turley Richards
Turley Richards
Turley Richards is an American singer and guitarist.Richards was blinded in the left eye at the age of four in an archery accident, and lost sight in the right eye as well some years later. He first began playing in a group called The Five Pearls while still a teen in the 1950s...
' "You Might Need Somebody".
Early life and career
Ama was born in Paddington, London of a white father (ScottishScottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
and Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
) and St Lucian mother. She attended Quintin Kynaston School
Quintin Kynaston School
Quintin Kynaston is a local comprehensive secondary school in the St John's Wood area of north London. It became a Specialist Technology College in 2001. The school intends to become an academy in September 2011.-Admissions:...
in the early 1990s. At 15 she was singing to herself on a platform at Hammersmith tube station, and was overheard by Kwame Kwaten
Kwame Kwaten
Kwame Amankwa Kwaten is a musician, record producer, manager and music industry consultant.-Early years:Kwame Kwaten started his artistic career in the middle of the eighties at the Warminster Athenaeum as part of the school band Outcry. He spent the next few years learning his trade in many ...
, a producer at the FreakStreet record label. In 1995 an unknown independent label released a single titled "Celebrate", which was a ballad produced by D'Influence
D'Influence
D'Influence is a British production team and acid jazz band. Formerly of The Echo Label they founded their own label, Freakstreet Records. Members include Kwame Kwaten, Sarah Anne Webb, Ed Baden-Powell, and Steve Marston....
. Although the single was not a commercial success, it did draw attention to Ama as an artist. On her 16th birthday she signed a record deal with WEA
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
.
The single "You're The One I Love" was her first single release for WEA in 1996, although it barely made an impact on the charts, only managing to reach #85. Her second WEA single "You Might Need Somebody" remains her biggest hit. This Randy Crawford
Randy Crawford
Randy Crawford is an American jazz and R&B singer. She has been more successful in Europe than in the United States, where she has not entered the Billboard Hot 100 as a solo artist...
cover reached #4 in the UK charts. It remained in the top 40 for almost 2 months, becoming one of 1997's biggest hits. A re-release of "You're The One I Love" followed and reached #3. At 18 Ama released her debut album Much Love (1997).
On the success of the album Ama won a Brit award for Best British Female and two MOBO
Mobo
Mobo can refer to:*Shorthand for the motherboard in computers and other electronic equipment*Shorthand for a mobile [network] operator or MNO *Shorthand for a mobile bohemian, a person who embraces mobile technology...
awards for Best Newcomer and Best R'n'B Act.
In Return
In 1999 Ama released her second album In Return. The project saw her working with top producers Fred Jerkins IIIFred Jerkins III
Fred Jerkins III is an American songwriter and record producer, best known for his work with his brother Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins. Jerkins has co-written several hit songs with Rodney Jerkins and LaShawn Daniels, among them "The Boy Is Mine" by Brandy and Monica, "Say My Name" and "Lose My...
, Stargate
Stargate (production team)
This is a list of songs written and produced by the Norwegian production team Stargate.-Produced singles:-1999:5ive - Invincible*05. "Two Sides to Every Story"*06. "You Make Me a Better Man"Noora Noor - Curious*01. "Curious"...
, Shaun Labelle, Full Crew, D-Influence Productions and Ali Shaheed Muhammad
Ali Shaheed Muhammad
Ali Shaheed Muhammad is an American hip hop DJ, rapper, producer who enjoyed a great deal of fame as a member of A Tribe Called Quest. With Q-Tip and Phife Dawg, the group released five studio albums from 1990 to 1998....
(formerly of A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...
). Co-writers included Angie Stone
Angie Stone
Angie Stone is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She has been nominated for three Grammy Award. She is more successful on the charts R&B charts, with four Top 10 albums, forms including a number one album and 10 singles on the R&B chart,...
and Babyface with David Foster
David Foster
David Walter Foster, OC, OBC , is a Canadian musician, record producer, composer, singer, songwriter, and arranger, noted for discovering singers such as Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, and Charice Pempengco; and for producing some of the most successful artists in the world, such as Céline Dion, Toni...
.
Despite having huge amounts of capital being injected into it by her record company, "In Return" was a commercial flop. Following this, Ama took a break from recording.
In 2002 she was ennobled as a Legend in the World Music Awards
World Music Awards
The World Music Awards is an international awards show founded in 1989 that annually honors recording artists based on worldwide sales figures provided by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry . John Martinotti is an executive producer and co-founder of the show...
.
Post-World Music Awards career
In 2003 she went back into the studio to record her third album, Supersonic. Unable to obtain a major label deal, she instead formed a distribution deal with Pony CanyonPony Canyon
is a Japanese company, established on October 1, 1966 , which publishes music, DVD and VHS videos, movies and video games. It is a subsidiary of Japanese Media Group, Fujisankei Communications Group.-History:...
.
In 2004, she featured on the track "You Should Really Know", a response in song to Mario Winans
Mario Winans
Mario Winans is an American R&B singer, songwriter, music producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Born Mario Brown, he is the son of gospel recording artist Vickie Winans and her first husband, Bishop Ronald Brown. He is also the stepson of his mother's second husband, gospel singer, Pastor Marvin...
' "I Don't Wanna Know
I Don't Wanna Know (Mario Winans song)
"I Don't Wanna Know" is a 2004 song by Mario Winans, featuring a rap by P. Diddy and sampling from Enya's song "Boadicea". It reached #1 in the United Kingdom and in Netherlands, also it reached #2 in the United States, and remains Winans' only major success to date...
".
In late 2005 it was believed that Ama was heading back into the studio to record her fourth studio album. The album was expected to be released in mid 2007; however no news was heard on a release date. It had been reported the album's delayed release was down to the fact no major label was interested in picking up the album and signing Ama. She is also currently mentoring her sister Sadie Ama
Sadie Ama
Sadie Ama is a British R&B singer. She grew up in Kilburn, London in a musical household; her mother Sonia was a jazz singer in a group called the Clamber, and her older sister is Shola Ama....
, who has recently signed a recording development and is expected to release an album some time in 2010 at the earliest.
In April 2010, Shola was a guest judge for a girl group on the show "Pineapple Dance Studios
Pineapple Dance Studios
Pineapple Dance Studios is a dance studio complex based in the Covent Garden area of central London, England. It was founded by the English model and businesswoman Debbie Moore in 1979. The studio is used for castings and rehearsals by dance companies, record labels, television networks, film...
" along side best friend Pineapple star "Dean Rowland". Due to positive reviews, she is now pursuing other TV work.
Shola is the featured vocalist on the new Perempay & Dee single "DJ Play". The song was officially released in October 2009 and got heavy rotation on the radio. Shola has also been featured in one of the London rapper Giggs's song Cut Above The Rest and later featured on his album Let Em Have It on a song called Blow Em Away.
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK 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... |
IRE Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... |
NZ | NL Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
FRA France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
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| 1995 | "Celebrate" | |
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| 1996 | "You're the One I Love" | |
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| 1997 | "You Might Need Somebody" | |
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| "You're the One I Love" (re-issue) | |
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| "Who's Loving My Baby" | |
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| 1998 | "Much Love" | |
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| "Someday I'll Find You" (featuring Craig Armstrong) | |
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The Divine Comedy (band) The Divine Comedy are a chamber pop band from Ireland, fronted by Neil Hannon. Formed in 1989, Hannon has been the only constant member of the group, playing, in some instances, all of the non-orchestral instrumentation bar drums. To date, ten studio albums have been released under the Divine... |
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| 1999 | "Taboo" (Glamma Kid Glamma Kid Iyael Iyases Tafari Constable better known as Glamma Kid, is a British ragga and dancehall toaster and former Royal Air Force trainee of part Jamaican descent.-Career:... featuring Shola Ama) |
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| "Still Believe" | |
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| 2000 | "Imagine" | |
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| 2001 | "Mai più" (Sottotono featuring Shola Ama) | |
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| 2002 | "This I Promise You" (D'Influence presents D-Vas featuring Shola Ama) | |
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| "Symphony" (featuring Moïse) | |
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| 2004 | "You Should Really Know" (The Pirates featuring Enya Enya Enya is an Irish singer, instrumentalist and songwriter. Enya is an approximate transliteration of how Eithne is pronounced in the Donegal dialect of the Irish language, her native tongue.She began her musical career in 1980, when she briefly joined her family band Clannad before leaving to... , Shola Ama, Naila Boss Naila Boss Naila Boss is an underground rapper from Hackney, London.- Singles :* "It Can't Be Right" - UK #8 * "You Should Really Know" - UK #8 - External links :*... and Ishani) |
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| 2009 | "DJ Play" (Perempay & Dee featuring Shola Ama) | |
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| 2009 | "Cut Above the Rest" (Giggs featuring Shola Ama) | |
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| 2010 | "Blow Em Away" (Giggs featuring Shola Ama) | |
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Let Em Ave It -Track listing:- Chart performance :... by Giggs |
| 2011 | "Take It Back" (Toddla T Toddla T Toddla T is the stage name of Thomas Mackenzie Bell – a DJ, record producer, re-mixer and composer from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England.- Biography :Toddla T, born 22 February 1985, was raised in Sheffield where he attended King Edward VII School... featuring Shola Ama and J2K) |
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Toddla T Toddla T is the stage name of Thomas Mackenzie Bell – a DJ, record producer, re-mixer and composer from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England.- Biography :Toddla T, born 22 February 1985, was raised in Sheffield where he attended King Edward VII School... |
Much Love
(1997) 4x Platinum, #6 UK, #21 FR- 1. "You're the One I Love"
- 2. "Much Love"
- 3. "You Might Need Somebody""3:54"
- 4. "Who's Loving My Baby"
- 5. "Celebrate"
- 6. "I Love Your Ways"
- 7. "We Got a Vibe"
- 8. "Summer Love"
- 9. "I Don't Know (Interlude)"
- 10. "I Can Show You"
- 11. "All Mine"
- 12. "One Love"
In Return
(1999) Silver, #92 UK, #57 FR- 1. "Still Believe"
- 2. "Imagine"
- 3. "Deepest Hurt"
- 4. "Lovely Affair"
- 5. "Run to Me"
- 6. "My Heart"
- 7. "Everything"
- 8. "Can't Have You"
- 9. "This Time Next Year"
- 10. "Surrender"
- 11. "That Thing"
- 12. "Return"
- 13. "He Don't Know"
- 14. "Queen for a Day"
- 15. "Superficial Fantasy"
- 16. "Can't Go On"
- 17. "Keepin' It Real"
- 18. "Still Believe" (StargateStargateStargate is a adventure military science fiction franchise, initially conceived by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin. The first film in the franchise was simply titled Stargate. It was originally released on October 28, 1994, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Carolco, and became a hit, grossing nearly...
Mix)
Supersonic
(2002) Gold (Japan only), #126 FR- 1. "Emancipation (I'm Back)"
- 2. "My Future"
- 3. "Sym4ony" feat Danny K
- 4. "U and Me
- 5. "This I Promise U"
- 6. "Here on Earth"
- 7. "Electro High (Supersonic)"
- 8. "My Name Is.....(break)"
- 9. "Blood from a Stone"
- 10. "B 2Getha"
- 11. "Like 2 Watch" (bonus track)
- 12. "Granny's Yard" (bonus track)
- 13. "This I Promise U" (Phatboy Remix) (hidden track)