Debi Nova, a pop songwriter who also sings and plays multiple instruments, set her sights on a music career well before adolescence. Born in San Jose, Costa Rica, she began piano lessons at age four and soon fronted a band that drew strong local followings. After finishing high school she relocated to Los Angeles for UCLA studies, yet an invitation to supply background vocals for Sergio Mendes on tour quickly diverted her attention. Between 2001 and 2004 that connection produced sessions with Maxwell, Norman Brown, the Black Eyed Peas, Louie Vega, and Boney James. Her first single, the energetic “One Rhythm,” surfaced in fall 2004; Ralphi Rosario’s remix sent the track to the summit of the Billboard Dance Music/Club Play chart. Although her own projects encountered delays, she continued contributing to recordings by Rhymefest, Ricky Martin, Charlie Wilson, Sean Paul, Vikter Duplaix, Britney Spears, Illa J, and Sa-Ra. These partnerships sharpened her abilities as both performer and songwriter, allowing her to move fluidly between Spanish and English, sometimes within a single piece. By the time she signed with Decca and readied her debut album Luna Nueva in 2010, six Latin Grammy nominations already stood to her credit. Her second album, Soy, arrived in 2014 and earned a Latin Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Album. In 2016 she competed on the Colombian edition of Dancing with the Stars and captured first prize. Gran Ciudad, her third full-length, followed in March 2017.
