Anika Moa

Born on 21 May 1980 in Papakura, Auckland Anika Moa announced herself as "different" when she turned up at a rock and roll talent quest normally competed by bands which was being held on the grounds of her high school in Auckland. She joked to the audience that her band hadn't turned up, but there was never a band, just Anika. She managed to pull off a performance that elevated her to the next level of the talent quest. More significantly, the 18 year old was spotted and signed up by a manager.

At a record company conference in Hong Kong a New Zealand executive took the initiative to slip a demo recorded by Anika for $500 to one of the most powerful men in the international music industry, Atlantic Records' Ron Shapiro. On the strength of that demo tape she was flown to New York to meet with Shapiro's "people" A year later Anika Mora was back in the US, living in a central New York apartment, recording her debut album with producer Victor Van Vugt, known for his work with Beth Orton, P.J.Harvey, Nick Cave, and Kylie Minogue.

Anika's recording career was launched at home in New Zealand with a single, 'Youthful', which immediately captured the imagination of her homeland. When the album, 'Thinking Room' was released in October 2001, it entered NZ's national charts at. No.1.