iSound

Nelly Furtado grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada to parents of Portuguese descent. Throughout her childhood, her parents taught her the importance of a strict work ethic. Furtado spent eight summers working with her mother as a chambermaid at a local hotel. Growing up, the singer learned the guitar and began to write her own music at age twelve. She loved Mariah Carey, TLC, Jodeci, Salt N Pepa, Bell Biv DeVoe, Radiohead, Pulp, Oasis, Portishead, The Verve, U2, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and Amalia Rodrigues. Thus, Furtado’s influences range from R&B, Brit-Pop, and Brazilian music. After her high school graduation, Furtado moved to Toronto, Canada in hopes of pursuing her music career. By day she worked at an alarm company. AT night, she focused her attention on the music scene. She even created a Hip-Hop duo with her friend, named Nelstar. One night while at a club, Furtado met two members of the Canadian group, Philosopher Kings. She met Gerald Eaton and Brian Wess. The...