Marina and the Diamonds
Birth name Marina Lambrini Diamandis
Born 10 October 1985
Brynmawr, Wales
Origin London, England
Genres
Indie pop electropop synth-pop new wave
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter
Instruments
Vocals piano keyboards
Marina Lambrini Diamandis (Greek: Μαρίνα-Λαμπρινή Διαμαντή; born 10 October 1985), known professionally as Marina and the Diamonds, is a Welsh singer-songwriter. Diamandis has described herself as an “indie artist with pop goals” and often analyses components of human behavior in her music. She is additionally known for her unconventional fashion styles.
Born in Brynmawr and raised in nearby Pandy, she moved to London as a teenager to become a professional singer, despite having little formal musical experience. In 2009, Diamandis came to prominence upon placing second in the BBC’s Sound of 2010. Her debut studio album, The Family Jewels (2010), incorporates indie pop and new wave musical styles. It entered the UK Albums Chart at number five and was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry. The album’s second song, “Hollywood”, peaked at number 12 on the UK Singles Chart.
Marina Lambrini Diamandis was born on 10 October 1985 in Brynmawr, and grew up in the nearby village of Pandy. She has one older sister. Her Welsh mother and Greek father met at Newcastle University and divorced when Diamandis was four. Following the divorce, her father returned to Greece but would occasionally visit, while Diamandis remained in a bungalow in Wales with her mother, where she shared a bedroom with her sister; she described her childhood as “simple and idyllic” and “peaceful, very normal, poor”.
Diamandis’s debut single “Obsessions” was released on 14 February 2009 through Neon Gold Records, while her first extended play The Crown Jewels EP followed on 1 June. That summer, she performed at BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend, the Glastonbury Festival, and the Reading and Leeds Festivals. She also performed at iTunes Live, releasing a second EP in July 2009 of performances from that festival.
In December 2009, Diamandis was ranked in second place on the Sound of 2010 poll organised by BBC, behind singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding;[18] she was one of three nominees for the Critics’ Choice Award at the 2010 BRIT Awards, which also went to Goulding.
Diamandis has identified Sophia Loren, Leigh Lezark, Shirley Manson and Gwen Stefani as her fashion icons, and Asli Polat and Mary Benson as among her favourite designers. As part of Selfridges’ “Sound of Music”, Diamandis and Paloma Faith designed their own window display for the London Oxford Street branch in May 2010, and additionally appeared as “live mannequins” for the display.
Discography
The Family Jewels (2010)
Electra Heart (2012)
Froot (2015
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia