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| Rihanna |
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"I want to give people a taste of the Caribbean, and show them the fun side of me."
-Rihanna
| Date of Birth: February 18, 1988 |
| Birthplace: parish of St. Michael, Barbados |
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| Rihanna brought a little Caribbean heat to the summer of 2005 with the smash hit "Pon de Replay." She kept the pressure on with her next single, "If It's Lovin' That You Want," from her debut album, Music of the Sun. |
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| Sometimes, sunny places tend to produce sunny people -- which was certainly the case with Rihanna. Like her native Barbados, she's warm, colorful and full of life, with just the right amount of spice. |
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Robyn Rihanna Fenty was born in the parish of St. Michael, Barbados, on February 18, 1988. Growing up, Rihanna led a relatively simple, average life on her island home. She attended Combermere, a kind of technical high school, and, despite having a natural singing talent, she didn't give much thought to performing -- aside from singing with her friends for fun. At one point, though, Rihanna did enter a beauty and talent pageant at her school. Singing Mariah Carey's "Hero" as part of the talent component, Rihanna went on to win the competition. But that performance -- and singing in the shower or in front of the mirror -- was the extent of her musical experience before 2004.
During Christmas 2003, a series of chance events unfolded that would change Rihanna's life forever. A New York City record producer, Evan Rogers, was vacationing with his Barbadian wife Jackie near Rihanna's home. A mutual friend introduced them, and after Rihanna belted out a few tunes for Rogers, he realized her potential and invited her to New York to record some demo songs. Rihanna jumped at the opportunity to sing professionally, and she took Rogers up on his offer the following spring. It wasn't long before Rihanna was auditioning for Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, head of Def Jam Recordings. Despite her nervousness, Rihanna wowed the Def Jam record execs, and was signed to a deal before she walked out the door. Work immediately began on her singles, starting with "Pon de Replay," one of the punchy dance numbers that had first impressed Jay-Z. The hip-hop mogul, however, had initial concerns that the number would upstage its performer, but he was ultimately convinced that Rihanna's deeper vocal talents would keep her from being a one-hit wonder. |
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© Jim Spellman
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