Nocera (singer)
Encyclopedia
Maria Nocera known by her stage name
s, Nocera or DJ Nocera, is a Sicilian
-born American club DJ, trip hop
, pop
, and freestyle
singer. She is probably best known for her 1986 Latin freestyle
hits "Summertime, Summertime" and "Let's Go".
, Nocera was raised in Parma,Emilia-Romagna, in central Italy
, before emigrating
to the United States when she was 18 years old.
Nocera signed with independent
Sleeping Bag Records
in 1986, and released the single, "Summertime, Summertime" that same year. The single, produced by Floyd Fisher, and remix
ed by Kurtis Mantronik, was included in Nocera's 1987 debut album, Over the Rainbow, and reached #2 on Billboard
's Hot Dance/Club Play chart
in 1986. The album also featured "Let's Go," a track remixed by Little Louie Vega
, which reached #8 on the Hot Dance/Club Play chart in 1987.
Following the release, tour, and promotion of Over the Rainbow, Nocera began work on a second album, but the album was not completed or released due to the closure of Sleeping Bag Records in 1991.
for freestyle acts Sa-Fire
, India
, and Information Society
in the early to mid 1990s
. She also toured both nationally and internationally with Information Society, providing background vocals and keyboards.
In 2000, Nocera formed the trip hop
group Voice of the Satellites with guitar
ist Gregg Fine and keyboardist
John Roggie. The band's sound has been described as "a loose, trippy blend of hip hop
, acid jazz
, and points in-between and elsewhere." The band has released a couple of EP
's, but has yet to be signed to a major label.
Nocera is also currently a club DJ based in New York City
, and toured the United States with the Freestyle Explosion concert series in 2006, where she favorably reprised her mid-1980s hits from Over the Rainbow.
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
s, Nocera or DJ Nocera, is a Sicilian
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
-born American club DJ, trip hop
Trip hop
Trip hop is a music genre consisting of downtempo electronic music which originated in the early 1990s in England, especially Bristol. Deriving from "post"-acid house, the term was first used by the British music media and press as a way to describe the more experimental variant of breakbeat which...
, pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, and freestyle
Freestyle music
Freestyle or Latin freestyle, sometimes referred to as Latin hip hop, is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in the early 1980s. Mostly popular during the mid 80s to the early 90s...
singer. She is probably best known for her 1986 Latin freestyle
Freestyle music
Freestyle or Latin freestyle, sometimes referred to as Latin hip hop, is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in the early 1980s. Mostly popular during the mid 80s to the early 90s...
hits "Summertime, Summertime" and "Let's Go".
Early years
Born in SicilySicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, Nocera was raised in Parma,Emilia-Romagna, in central Italy
Parma
Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
, before emigrating
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
to the United States when she was 18 years old.
Nocera signed with independent
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
Sleeping Bag Records
Sleeping Bag Records
Sleeping Bag Records is a defunct New York City-based old school hip hop and dance music independent record label that operated from 1981 to 1992...
in 1986, and released the single, "Summertime, Summertime" that same year. The single, produced by Floyd Fisher, and remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
ed by Kurtis Mantronik, was included in Nocera's 1987 debut album, Over the Rainbow, and reached #2 on Billboard
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
's Hot Dance/Club Play chart
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
in 1986. The album also featured "Let's Go," a track remixed by Little Louie Vega
Little Louie Vega
Luis Fernando Vager , better known as "Little" Louie Vega, is an American musician and one half of the Masters At Work musical production team...
, which reached #8 on the Hot Dance/Club Play chart in 1987.
Following the release, tour, and promotion of Over the Rainbow, Nocera began work on a second album, but the album was not completed or released due to the closure of Sleeping Bag Records in 1991.
Voice of the satellites and DJ career
Following the demise of Sleeping Bag Records, Nocera sang background vocalsBacking vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
for freestyle acts Sa-Fire
Sa-Fire
Wilma Cosmé better known by her stage name SaFire, is an American singer. While she was one of the few freestyle artist to have major pop-chart success, she is considered an important part of Latin freestyle...
, India
La India
La India , known also as "La Princesa de la Salsa" , is a singer of salsa. She has been nominated for both Grammy and Latin Grammy awards.-Early years:...
, and Information Society
Information Society (band)
Information Society is an American band originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, primarily consisting of Kurt Larson , Paul Robb, and James Cassidy; the latter two reconvened the band in 2006, initially with Christopher Anton as lead vocalist, then with Harland rejoining them as lead vocalist by...
in the early to mid 1990s
1990s in music
For music from a year in the 1990s, go to 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99This article includes trends in popular music in the 1990s....
. She also toured both nationally and internationally with Information Society, providing background vocals and keyboards.
In 2000, Nocera formed the trip hop
Trip hop
Trip hop is a music genre consisting of downtempo electronic music which originated in the early 1990s in England, especially Bristol. Deriving from "post"-acid house, the term was first used by the British music media and press as a way to describe the more experimental variant of breakbeat which...
group Voice of the Satellites with guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist Gregg Fine and keyboardist
Electronic keyboard
An electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:...
John Roggie. The band's sound has been described as "a loose, trippy blend of hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
, acid jazz
Acid jazz
Acid jazz is a musical genre that combines elements of jazz, funk and hip-hop, particularly looped beats. It developed in the UK over the 1980s and 1990s and could be seen as tacking the sound of jazz-funk onto electronic dance: jazz-funk musicians such as Roy Ayers, Donald Byrd and Grant Green are...
, and points in-between and elsewhere." The band has released a couple of EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
's, but has yet to be signed to a major label.
Nocera is also currently a club DJ based in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and toured the United States with the Freestyle Explosion concert series in 2006, where she favorably reprised her mid-1980s hits from Over the Rainbow.
External links
- [ AllMusic.com Biography - Nocera]
- Discogs.com Profile - Nocera