Martika
| Martika | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Marta Marrero |
| Born |
May 18, 1969 Whittier, California, United States of America |
| Genres | Pop, dance-pop, pop rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, record producer, actress |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Labels |
Columbia Records Dunda Chief Records |
| Associated acts | Oppera, Prince |
Marta Marrero (born May 18, 1969), known as Martika, is an American singer-songwriter and actress, who released two internationally successful albums in the late 1980s and early 1990s, selling over four million copies worldwide. Her biggest hit was "Toy Soldiers" which peaked at number 1 for two weeks in the American charts in mid-1989. She also played Gloria on the long-running musical children's show Kids Incorporated.
Martika was born in Whittier, California, United States, to Cuban parents from Havana. She entered mainstream show business in an uncredited role as one of the orphan girls in the 1982 motion picture Annie. This led to her being cast as Gloria on the long-running children's show Kids Incorporated as one of a group of neighborhood children who rise to local fame by singing staged productions at a corner malt shop. Martika and many other Kids Incorporated cast members were featured in the musical numbers from the Mr. T motivational video Be Somebody... or Be Somebody's Fool! in 1984.
Following her role in Kids Incorporated and Be Somebody, Martika was signed by Columbia Records. Her first solo release was released only in Japan: "We are Music" was recorded to promote Sony cassette tapes in the Japanese market, where the song was released in 12", 7" and CD formats.
In 1987, Martika recorded a version of the Michael Jay/Gregory Smith song "Bounce Back" which included a music video which was aired on Entertainment '80, although it was not officially available.
Her first album, 1988's Martika (No. 15 US) spawned the song "Toy Soldiers", which she co-wrote with her producer Michael Jay, and became a top-5 hit in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, and Australia. In the US, "Toy Soldiers" spent two weeks at No. 1 in 1989 and was certified Gold by the RIAA. "Toy Soldiers" also went to No. 1 in New Zealand.
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