Francisca Urio

Francisca Urio (born February 6, 1981 in Meiningen, Thuringia, East Germany[1]) is a German singer-songwriter and radio presenter of Afro-German heritage who lives in Berlin.

Francisca Urio
Background information
Born (1981-02-06) February 6, 1981
OriginMeiningen, Thuringia, East Germany
GenresRhythm and blues, Soul
Occupation(s)Singer-Songwriter, Radio presenter, Model
Years active1996 - present
Websitewww.francisca-urio.de

Personal life

Francisca Urio was born in Meiningen, a town in southern Thuringia but grew up in Berlin as the only child of her German mother Monica and her father Geoffrey from Tanzania, both architects who met while studying in Dresden.[2] Her father's RnB, Soul and Pop music collection influenced her music taste from an early age. Her first stage experience was at pre-school age as an extra in a Porgy and Bess performance at the Berlin Theater des Westens. She attended the Fläming-Grundschule in 12159 Berlin-Friedenau and the Paul-Natorp-Gymnasium in 12161 Berlin. After finishing school with the Abitur in 2000 she decided to pursue her singing career full-time.

She is engaged to socially deprived children and was patroness of the network Take-My-Hand e.V.

Music career

Silvashado band

In 1996, Francisca Urio founded together with Priscilla Harris, N'gone Thiam and Boussa Thiam the band Silvashado in Berlin. They performed regularly in clubs in Berlin and at festivals in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.[3] In 2002, the band took part at a performance in Dresden in front of the Sempera Opera House for eighty-thousand helpers in the 2002 100-year flood. The band toured and performed with singers like O-Town, Mary J. Blige,[4] Ben,[5] Seal,[6] Mousse T.,[7] Shakira, and Wyclef Jean[8] and featured on concert DVDs with Ben[5] and Seal (One Night to Remember, recorded live in Düsseldorf).[6] After first Boussa and later N'gone Thiam left the band, Urio and Harris continued as duo until their last concert in October 2006[7] when they started to concentrate on their solo careers.

Urio performing 2012 in Cologne

Deutschland sucht den Superstar

Francisca Urio gained national recognition as contestant and 'Top 10' finalist in the 2007 German "Idol" version Deutschland sucht den Superstar (DSDS) broadcast by RTL. She was considered a unique talent,[9] having the best voice[10] and being the favorite[11][12] in this competition, not only by the jury but also gaining acclamation by professional singers like the bass-baritone Thomas Quasthoff.

On 6 February 2007, the German newspaper Bild appeared with an article accusing Francisca Urio and her friend Priscilla Harris (who was also a contestant at the casting show) to be professional singers, having already recorded CDs and are therefore not entitled to take part in the competition.[7] However the accusations where quickly dismissed as the rules of the DSDS show only prohibit participants to have a current recording contract but not to have previous professional experience.[13]

Despite the praise her performances received from the jury[14] Francisca Urio was unexpectedly eliminated in the 4th motto show, which equally surprised the jury,[15] the other candidates[16] and the viewers.[17][18] However, in an online voting with over hundred thousand votes organized by the newspaper Bild after the casting show was finished, Francisca Urio won the voting by a small margin ahead of the DSDS winner Mark Medlock.[19]

Solo career

In 2006, Francisca Urio toured through Germany with the musical show The Magic Night of Dancing Musicals in which she presented 5 songs as solo singer. Since 2003, she was a presenter at the Berlin radio station Jazz Radio.

Urio 2011 in St. Petersburg

The radio station Spreeradio 105.5 arranged for Francisca Urio to perform and record with the Filmorchester Babelsberg in May 2007.[20]

Urio was invited to take part on 22 and 23 May 2007 in the semi finals of the International Competition Of Young Singers of Popular Music "New Wave 2007" in Moscow and qualified for the finals which took place in Jūrmala, Latvia from 25 to 30 July 2007. She reached the 5th place in the competition.[21]

On 7 July 2007, Urio sung the American national anthem before the fight between IBF/IBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko and challenger Lamon Brewster in Cologne in front of an audience of 19500 spectators and millions of television viewers.

In 2008, she started recording her debut album with producer Dieter Falk. The album called Alpha Girl was released on 10 June 2011.

In February 2010 she was the show-act at the Rosenball charity-event in Munich for the Tabaluga children foundation.[1]

At the festival White Nights of St.Petersburg she won the prize for 'Best Newcomer 2011' for her album Alpha Girl.[22]

Discography

Album
  • 2011 Alpha Girl (Nji-Music)

Singles
  • 2001 Silvashado: Die Reise durch mein ich (Sony Music Entertainment/BERLIN RECORDS)
  • 2010 It's a woman's world (NJI Media)
  • 2010 Baila Commigo (NJI Media)
  • 2011 We Are One (Nji-Music)
  • 2011 Stomp your Feet (Nji-Music)

Sampler
  • 2007 Power of Love (joined release of all finale participants of Deutschland sucht den Superstar)

DVD appearances
  • 2003 Ben Hörproben Live
  • 2005 Seal One Night to Remember

References
  1. francisca-urion.de
  2. Der Tagesspiegel (25.4.2007): Im echten Leben zurück Archived 2007-05-29 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Tourlist, Priscilla Harris webpage Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Francisca Urio - offizielle Homepage Archived 2007-10-15 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Ben Hörproben Live (ASIN)
  6. Seal One Night to Remember (ASIN)
  7. Bild Online (6.2.2007): Was haben Profis bei den Superstars zu suchen? Archived 2007-03-18 at the Wayback Machine
  8. RTLmusik biography
  9. Süddeutsche Zeitung (11.3.2007): "Licence to kill" - ein Star namens Francisca Archived 2007-05-27 at the Wayback Machine
  10. Bild Online (1.4.2007): Wer wird jetzt Superstar? Archived 2007-05-13 at the Wayback Machine
  11. Bild Online (3.4.2007): Warum Deutschland Lauren mehr liebt als Francisca? Archived 2007-05-22 at the Wayback Machine
  12. laut.de: DSDS: Beste Stimme ausgeschieden
  13. RTL Online: DSDS-Kandidaten wehren sich gegen Profivorwürfe Archived 2007-02-27 at the Wayback Machine
  14. Die Welt (1.4.2007): Francisca Urio hat es nicht geschafft
  15. Bild Online (2.4.2007): Flog die Beste raus, weil sie zu schön ist? Archived 2007-05-21 at the Wayback Machine
  16. VIVIANO Magazin: DSDS: Kandidaten noch immer fassungslos Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
  17. Der Tagesspiegel (3.4.2007): Warum flog Francisca raus?
  18. Bild Online (2.4.2007): Fan-Wut nach Franciscas Aus Archived 2007-05-26 at the Wayback Machine
  19. Bild Online: Superstar online voting Archived 2007-05-16 at the Wayback Machine
  20. Die Welt (4.4.2007): Zweite Chance für Francisca Urio
  21. New Wave Competition Archived 2007-09-09 at the Wayback Machine
  22. White Nights of St. Petersburg
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