Niia

Niia
Background information
Birth name	Niia Bertino
Also known as	Niia
Origin	Needham, Massachusetts, U.S.
Genres	Jazz, Pop, Classical, Soul
Occupations	Singer, Songwriter, Pianist
Instruments	Vocals, piano
Labels	unsigned
Associated acts	Wyclef Jean Jerry Wonda Sterling Fox
Website	Official Website MySpace

Niia Bertino (born on July 11, 1987), better known simply by her stage name Niia is an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. As a singer, Niia was recognized at a young age by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts as one of the top jazz singers in the United States.

She is best known for her feature on the 2007 hit single "Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)," with Wyclef, Akon, and Lil' Wayne, which was certified Platinum by the RIAA and peaked at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100.

During and after the release of the single, Niia was developed by producer Jerry Wonda and Wyclef at Platinum Sound in New York City. Additionally, she toured with Wyclef in support of the song and his album Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant, appearing on The David Letterman Show, Jimmy Kimmel, and MTV New Year's Eve among others.

In 2009, Niia split from Wyclef's camp to pursue her solo career. Niia is currently working on her debut album, which is slated for release in late 2011.

Early life

Niia was born and raised in Needham, Massachusetts. Trained by her mother in classical piano, Niia began singing and performing at the age of 13.^[1] She performed at many venues around Boston, and was invited to attend the Berklee College of Music summer program at age fourteen. While in high school, she was recognized as the National Jazz Voice winner in the Arts Recognition and Talent Search by the National Foundation for Advancement for the Arts (NFAA). After high school, Niia went to New York City where she briefly attended New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music as a Jazz vocal major.

Musical career

After her move to New York City, Niia met singer, songwriter and producer Wyclef Jean who was impressed with her voice and musical skills. After working with Wyclef and producer Jerry Wonda, Niia was a featured artist on his 2007 hit single, "Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)," which also featured Lil' Wayne and Akon. The song peaked at number ten on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 after fifteen weeks on the chart and was RIAA certified Platinum.

Niia toured around the world and performed with Wyclef most notably on VH1 Soul Stage, The David Letterman Show, Jimmy Kimmel, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, the BET awards and MTV New Year's Eve in Times Square. Niia also starred in the four part short-film "Americlef", which was created by and broadcast on MTV.

In 2009, Niia split from Wyclef's camp to pursue her solo career. Niia is currently working on music for her first album, which is slated for release in late 2011 and is rumored to be working with New York City producer Sterling Fox.

Awards

In 2005 Niia was selected by the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts as one of the top 100 singers in the country, and the national winner in the jazz voice category National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts Arts Recognition and Talent Search.^[1][2]

Discography

Studio albums

Year	Album details	Peak chart positions
		US]	UK
2011	Untitled Full Length Album Release date: TBD 2011 Label: TBD

Featured singles

Year	Title	Chart positions				Album
		U.S. Hot 100	U.S. Pop 100	UK Singles Chart	CAN Hot 100
2007	"Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)" (Wyclef Jean featuring Akon, Lil Wayne and Niia)	12	10	66	14	Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant

Music videos

Featured video appearances

Year	Album	Title	Director
2007	Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant	"Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)" Wyclef Jean feat. Akon, Lil Wayne and Niia	Chris Robinson[3]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Donna Goodison (April 10, 2005). "Music, Niia Bertino confesses, is her whole life". Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/04/10/17_year_old_musician_a_winning_jazz_singer/. Retrieved 2007-11-22. 
2. ^ "2005 ARTS Winners". National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts. http://www.nfaa.org/Winners/Past%20Winners/NFAA%20youngARTS%202005%20Winners.pdf. Retrieved 2008-12-29. ^{[dead link]}
3. ^ Wyclef Jean - "Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)" MTV.com. October 2, 2007.

Persondata
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Date of birth	11 July 1987
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