Nikka Costa

Domenica "Nikka" Costa (born June 4, 1972) is an American singer whose music combines elements of pop, soul, and blues. She began her career as a child singer in the early 1980s. She is the daughter of music producer Don Costa.

Early life

Nikka Costa was born in Tokyo, Japan to Italian-American parents. She was exposed to music from childhood, often surrounded by well-known artists as she traveled with her father, producer and musician Don Costa.

At age five, Nikka recorded a single with Hawaiian singer Don Ho. At age nine, she recorded an album with her father accompanying on guitar, and performed with Frank Sinatra on the White House lawn. Also at age nine, she recorded the song "(Out Here) On My Own" (from the movie Fame) with her father. The single reached No. 1 in Italy, No. 72 in Germany, No. 7 in Switzerland, No. 32 in the Netherlands, and No. 13 in the Flanders region of Belgium.,. The album Nikka Costa was released (outside of the U.S.) in 1981. Her second album, Fairy Tales (cuentos de hadas), was released in 1983. Don Costa died of a heart attack shortly after the album was recorded. The pop album Here I Am... Yes, It's Me was released in 1989.

Adult career

In the early 1990s Costa transitioned away from pop music to soul. She married Australian producer/songwriter Justin Stanley and moved to his home country; the couple eventually had a daughter named Sugar McQueen. While in Australia, Costa began writing songs and formed a "happy funk" band called Little Mona & the Shag Daddies, which broke up after four gigs in Sydney.