Nelly Kim Furtado (born December 2, 1978) is a Canadian singer-songwriter.
Furtado is known for her musical eclecticism, continually experimenting with different instruments, sounds, genres, languages, and vocal styles. This diversity has been influenced by her wide-ranging musical taste and her interest in different cultures.
Among her most successful songs are her debut single I m Like a Bird , for which she won a Grammy Award, Turn off the Light , Força , the official anthem of the 2004 European Football Championship, and the recent single, Promiscuous .
Furtado, a first-generation Canadian, was born as one of three children to working class Azorean-Portuguese parents (from São Miguel Island), in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. She was named after Soviet gymnast Nellie Kim.
Furtado first sang at the age of four when she performed a duet with her mother at church on Portugal Day. She began playing instruments at the age of nine, learning the trombone and ukulele and in later years, the guitar and keyboard. She began writing songs at the age of twelve and as a teenager, she played in a Portuguese marching band.
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