ＮＩＶＥＡ，不要來騷擾我的音樂生活

Name: Nivea B. Hamilton

Birthday: 24 March 1982

Star Sign: Aries

Hobbies: Dancing， Singing， and Design

Idol: Oprah Winfrey

The attractive singer， whose first album（專集）， “Nivea” previewed by the excellent single（單曲） Don’t Mess With The Radio is a great success rarely seen by first time artists. She sings writes and acts (not to mention raps) and even is an executive producer（制作人） on the album.

“I think there’s such a cross section of material and a wide range of issues I’m singing about that not only teens can relate to it， but all ages.”says Nivea. “The great thing about the album， though， is that they all relate to me personally. I really feel everything I sing. All these songs are personal in one way or another.”

Nivea Hamilton was born in Atlanta， Georgia， the youngest of three sisters and raised in a musical household. (1) Like most singers in the south， the church played an important role in bringing the naturally shy Nivea out of her shell. (2) But rather than the choir（唱詩班） and the pulpit（牧師）， it was the TV and a performance by Mariah Carey of her single Vision Of Love on the Apollo， when Nivea was just seven， that convinced the Atlanta youngster where her own future lay.

“Seeing her really inspired（鼓舞） me.”Nivea remembers. “I bought her first album， learned all her songs. From then on my life growing up was all about singing. I had a one track mind.”

Nivea’s dream came true upon the introduction to Colin Lampkin， at the time recording studio owner in the Atlanta area， to manage the then 15-year-old singer on a full time basis. The path they managed to walk in the next two years let Nivea become a talent.

“Yeah it’s funny.”laughs Nivea now. “Some couldn’t believe I worked with all these producers before I got a record deal. I guess it made their job a little easier when it came to signing（與……簽合同） me.” The end result is that an impressive seven songs from Nivea’s original demo（原音帶） have made it to the album’s final cut， earning the teen and her manager executive producer credits and the position to head their own production company based in the Atlanta area which is already stocked with offices and a recording studio.

“I haven’t had the easiest of upbringings by any means. I’ve worked very hard for what I’ve got so far. It’s shown me that hard work does pay off. I don’t take anything for granted. I know that music and singing is my life. All I wanted was for someone to give me a foot in the door and I’d bust it open for myself. I look at the careers of people like Janet， Aretha and Mariah and that inspires me. That’s what I’m aiming for. Now I seem to have that foot in the door， watch me go!”

PART A TRUE OR FALSE

1) Nivea can sing， write， and act.

2) Nivea is an executive producer of her album.

3) Nivea sings Visions of Love.

4) Nivea can sing raps.

5) Nivea’s music is mainly made for the teenagers.

6) There are four sisters in Nivea’s family.

7) Nivea’s parents are very excellent in music playing.

8) Apollo inspired Nivea a lot.

9) Colin Lampkin was in Georgia when he met Nivea.

10) Nivea didn’t work with so many big names so she had really hard experience in working.

PART B Please explain the underlined sentences.

Keys:

PART A

1) T

2) T

3) F

4) T

5) F

6) F

7) T

8) F

9) F

10) F

PART B

1) In the south， people often go to church. This experience is really important for Nivea because it makes her not feel so shy any more.

2) But it was not the choir and the pulpit that made Nivea dertermined to start her music life. She watched Mariah Carey sing Vision Of Love on Apollo， and that experience really made her decide she would go on singing.

編輯/孫櫟櫟