She’s already a HUGE star in Costa Rica and has six Grammy Award nominations, a No. 1 dance single and performances as a featured vocalist on tours with Ricky Martin under her belt – now, Debi Nova is ready to make her mark on the rest of the world with the upcoming release of her debut album Luna Nueva.
Her Story
Debi Nova is a stunning, high-spirited 24-year-old brunette with a powerhouse voice and hip-shaking dance moves. But don’t be misled by her beauty; she’s got serious musical talent. Born in Costa Rica, Debi started playing piano at 4 (all her family members play an instrument). She studied classical piano through her teens and fronted her first band at age 13. At 14 she joined the Costa Rican band Gandhi and got experience performing live on stage when the group opened for other famous artists at various concerts.
Debi started working on her vocal ability during a five-week program at the Berklee College Of Music in Boston. Then she moved to LA to study voice at the LA Music Academy in Pasadena, California. After that, she entered UCLA’s Ethnomusicology And Jazz Studies program. But juggling her blossoming performing career and university studies was too much, so Debi decided to drop out of UCLA to focus on her music, performing with artists like The Black Eyed Peas and touring with Puerto Rican superstar Ricky Martin.
Latin American
Like Debi herself, who lives in both Costa Rica and the U.S. and speaks (and sings in) both English and Spanish, her upcoming debut album Luna Nueva is an electrifying combination of irresistible Latin rhythms and potent pop that shows off Debi’s amazing musical talents (she plays piano, guitar, bass and more) and her rich Latina heritage. According to Debi, "Because Costa Rica is in Central America, we had Bossa Nova coming from Brazil, Afro-Cuban rhythms drifting over from the Caribbean, and, of course, all the great rock and soul from the U.S. It was a real melting pot and I wanted my album to capture that."
As for singing in what some people call Spanglish (a mix of English and Spanish), Debi says, “The idea of singing in both English and Spanish on the album wasn’t planned. As I was writing the songs, I found myself naturally blending the two because it’s something I do every day. As a Latina who relocated to America, I speak Spanglish with my friends and family. My music reflects my being part of a generation of young Latinos who use both naturally. The world is becoming smaller and I’m proud to represent that.”
And it seems like now is the perfect time to release an album that celebrates both Latin and American culture and style. According to the Los Angeles Times newspaper, U.S.-born Latinos now account for more than 60% of all Latinos in the country. Bi-lingual entertainers and performers have become stars thanks to TV stations like MTV Tr3s, mun2, SiTV and LATV that reach Latinos raised with American pop culture who want to hold onto their roots.
Best Of Both Worlds
Still, Debi and her Luna Nueva album will appeal to anyone who likes vibrant, passionate pop music. The album kicks off with Need 2 Be Loved, a stomping Brazilian samba (with Debi’s own reggaeton rap) that Debi describes as “a pep talk to myself to let go of fear and celebrate the moment.” There are also acoustic love songs, flamenco-flavored tracks and hip-hop-inspired singles, like Drummer Boy (see the vid below). Debi also draws from R&B and electronic music.
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