Tanita Tikaram

Infobox musical artist


Name = Tanita Tikaram
Img_capt =
Background = solo_singer
Born = birth date and age|1969|8|12
Origin = Münster, Germany
Genre = Pop/folk
Occupation = Singer-songwriter
Instrument = Guitar, piano
Years_active = 1988–present
Label = Reprise, Naïve
URL = [http://www.tanita-tikaram.com/ Tanita-Tikaram.com]

Tanita Tikaram (born August 12, 1969) is an English pop/folk singer/songwriter best known for the enigmatic hits "Twist in My Sobriety" and "Good Tradition" from her 1988 debut album, "Ancient Heart" (see 1988 in music). Successive releases failed to meet with similar commercial success although she has continued to release recordings as recently as 2005. Her style is based on her husky voice, acoustic guitar and quirky, poetic lyrics.

Career

"Ancient Heart", released when she was just 19 years old, became an international hit and led to a world tour. "Twist in My Sobriety" was accompanied by an award-winning black and white video, set in a rural village in the Bolivian Altiplano, and directed by Gerard de Thame. Three follow-up albums received mixed reviews and declining sales. Her co-producers and collaborators during this period were Rod Argent and Peter Van Hooke. Jennifer Warnes provided vocals on two tracks of "Everybody's Angel".

In 1995, she released "Lovers in the City", which she co-produced with Thomas Newman, and in 1998 collaborated with Marco Sabiu on the more pop music-oriented "The Cappuccino Songs".

In 2005, Tikaram released her latest album, "Sentimental". The album, which features two collaborations with Nick Lowe, was warmly received by critics and fans, but was released only on the French label Naïve Records.

Personal life

Tikaram was born in Münster, Germany, the daughter of a Malaysian mother and an Indo-Fijian British army officer, and grew up in Basingstoke, England. She is the sister of actor Ramon Tikaram.

The lesbian nightclub "Le Boobsbourg" in Beaubourg, Paris credited Tikaram with coining its name, after mispronunciation of the district's name by American tourists. [Time Out Paris Eating & Drinking, Rosa Jackson, 2005.]

Discography

Albums

* "Ancient Heart" (1988) UK #3, U.S. #59
* "The Sweet Keeper" (1990) UK #3, U.S. #124
* "Everybody's Angel" (1991) UK #19, U.S. #142
* "Eleven Kinds of Loneliness" (1992)
* "Lovers In The City" (1995) UK #75
* "The Best Of" (1996) - compilation
* "The Cappuccino Songs" (1998) UK #69
* "Sentimental" (2005)

ingles

Other works

Music

* Vocals for Bronte Brothers debut "The Way Through The Woods".
* Vocals for Christie Hennessy "Lord of Your Eyes".
* Harmony vocals for the 1989 self-titled third album by Brendan Croker & the Five O'Clock Shadows.
* Cover version of Elvis Presley's 1957 "Loving You", included in the 1990 tribute album "The Last Temptation of Elvis".
* Vocals for the 1990 Mark Isham album "Mark Isham"; he covers her B-side "I Never Will Know".
* Vocals for the 1991 Nanci Griffith album "Late Night Grande Hotel".
* Musician for the 1997 Moodswings. collaboration "Psychedelicatessen" and also sang vocals on the song "Redemption Song (Oh Happy Day)".

Film

* Tikaram had a cameo in the 1994 film "Erotique", in a segment directed by Monika Treut titled "Taboo Parlor". Tikaram played a woman who walks in on two women making love. The segment also featured songs by her. [ [http://www.hyenafilms.com/erot_en.html http://www.hyenafilms.com/erot_en.html] "Hyenafilms.com" Retrieved on 04-25-07 ]
* Producer of the Jared Katsiane documentary drama "Solace", also known as " [http://www.everydayisnew.com/ Everyday Is New] " (similar to a track on her album "Sentimental"), released 2005.

References

External links

* [http://www.tanita-tikaram.com/ Official website] "(English)"
*myspace|tikaramp|Tanita Tikaram
*imdb name|1138373