Nelly Furtado is a Canadian singer born in British Columbia in 1978 to Portuguese parents. As a child Furtado demonstrated talent in music and learned to play the guitar, ukulele and the trombone. She enjoyed hip-hop, pop and alternative music. She started composing her own music at the age of 19. In 1999, Nelly Furtado was noticed by DreamWorks Records at a talent contest in Toronto.

In 2000, Furtado’s career was propelled into stardom with her debut album, Whoa Nelly!  The album was very successful, and she became known internationally. The singles I’m Like a Bird and Turn Off the Light were in the top ten in seven countries around the world. The album sold millions of copies and the composer and singer won four Juno awards in 2001, including Best Artist. In 2002, Whoa, Nelly! received four Grammy nominations and one Grammy award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Furtado released her second album, Folklore, in 2003. This album did not have the same success that her debut album had. However, the tracks, Powerless and Childhood Dreams were still popular and earned the artist four Juno nominations.

In 2006, Furtado made a strong comeback with her third album, Loose. It was produced by the famous producer and hip-hop artist Timbaland. It broke records and is Furtado’s most successful album to date. It was a best-selling album that had hip-hop and R&B tracks. The singles All Good Things (Come To An End), Promiscuous, and Maneater were at the top of the charts in over ten countries. It sold 6 million copies, and Furtado started an international tour.

 In 2007, Furtado hosted the Juno Awards and won five Junos, including Album of the Year, Artist of the Year and Song of the Year, for Promiscuous. In the summer of 2007 Furtado participated in a concert in England done to honour the late Princess Diana. In the fall, she performed with Timbaland and Justin Timberlake at the MTV Video Music Awards. Furtado has not given any clues as to when fans can expect a fourth album.