Nico Constantine

Nico Constantine is an American music director, producer, and guitarist, known for his work with Lady Gaga, Biters (band), Program the Dead,Comes with the Fall, and Madfly, and for being the founder and creative director of Institution Records.

Biography

Madfly and Comes with the Fall

In 1996, Constantine joined Madfly in Atlanta, Georgia, along with singer-guitarist William DuVall, drummer Bevan Davies, and bassist Jeffery Blount. In 1998, Joan Jett signed Madfly to Blackheart/Mercury Records. After releasing White Hot in the Black, the band left Blackheart/Mercury, and reformed as Comes with the Fall in 1999, with Adam Stanger replacing Jeffery Blount on bass.

Comes with the Fall recorded their self-titled album in Atlanta, a year later, before relocating to Los Angeles, California, catching the attention of Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell. Their self-titled album was released the same year through DuVall's DVL Records.

Constantine amicably parted ways with Comes with the Fall during the first leg of the Degradation Trip tour, however, some of his writing would appear on their later studio releases, The Year is One, The Reckoning and Beyond the Last Light. DuVall thanked Constantine along with the rest of the founding members of Comes with the Fall within the liner notes of Alice in Chains' 2009 album Black Gives Way to Blue.

Nico

Nico (born Christa Päffgen; 16 October 1938 – 18 July 1988) was a German singer-songwriter, lyricist, composer, musician, fashion model, and actress who became famous as a Warhol superstar in the 1960s. She is known for her vocals on The Velvet Underground's debut album, The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967), and her work as a solo artist. She also had roles in several films, including Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita (1960) and Andy Warhol's Chelsea Girls (1966).

Early life

Nico was born Christa Päffgen in Cologne. When she was two years old, she moved with her mother and grandfather to the Spreewald forest outside of Berlin to escape the bombardments of Cologne. Her father Hermann, born into a dynasty of Colognian master brewers, was enlisted as a soldier during World War II and sustained head injuries that caused severe brain damage and ended his life in a psychiatric institution; according to an unproven rumor, he was variously said to have died in a concentration camp, or to have faded away as a result of shell shock.

Nico & Vinz

Nico & Vinz are an African-Norwegian group singing and songwriting duo composed of Kahouly Nicolay "Nico" Sereba from Holmlia, Oslo and Vincent "Vinz" Dery from Lambertseter, Oslo. They formed in 2009 as Envy and are based in Oslo. They changed their name to Nico & Vinz in January 2014 after the international success of "Am I Wrong".

Music career

2010–11: Formation and debut mixtape

Nico Sereba of Norwegian-Ivorian origin and Vincent Dery of Norwegian-Nigerian origin created their music as a fusion of genres as diverse as pop to reggae to soul, having been exposed by the various musical influences of their parents with whom they did recurring trips to the West Coast of Africa. The duo was launched as Envy with its main debut appearance at Emergenza Festival in 2011. They won first place at the Taubertal Open Air Festival World's "Emergenza Final" for new emerging artists. Following that success, the duo released the mixtape Dreamworks: Why Not Me under the name Envy. The materials were also made available online through WiMP.

Nico (Romanian singer)

Nicoleta Matei, known by her stage name Nico (born on 1 February 1970), is a Romanian singer, TV personality and spokesperson for Catena in Romania. In her country, she is known for having collaborated with several Romanian hip hop artists, such as Morometzii (in 1999), B.U.G. Mafia (in 2000, 2002), Cabron (in 2003, 2007, 2010), Puya, Blat Jargon, and Codu Penal. She is considered one of the best Romanian voices ever. She represented Romania along with Vlad in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with the song "Pe-o margine de lume".

Biography

1970-2000: Early life and career beginnings

Nico was born and raised in Ploiești, where she still lives. In 1990, she graduated from The Popular Art School and starting with 1996, she attended several Romanian music contests, winning many prizes. Since 1996 she is the main voice of the Toma Caragiu Theater in Ploiești, winning for 4 years in a row the award for the Best Female Vocal Performer on The National Festival of Variety Shows in Theatres in Romania. In 1998 she made her first TV appearance, together with Horia Brenciu on a show called Sarabanda, where she used to cover many of Romanian and international hits. In 1999 she made her first major participation on a national music competition, called Mamaia Music Festival, finishing 2nd on the Composing Section with the song Si Daca Viata Mea.