Top 8 Facts about Deborah Nowalski Kader

Grammy Awards by Katie from Wikimedia Commons

Top 8 Facts about Deborah Nowalski Kader

Deborah Nowalski Kader, better known as Debi Nova, is a Costa Rican singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles. She worked on six Grammy-nominated projects, including “One Rhythm,” a dance song that peaked at number one on the US Dance Club Songs chart and was featured in the EA FIFA 2005 video game.

She has worked with artists such as Boney James, Mark Ronson, Q-Tip, Sérgio Mendes, the Black Eyed Peas, Sean Paul, Ricky Martin, Franco De Vita, and others. Her fourth album, 3:33, was nominated for Best Latin Pop or Urban Album at the 63rd Grammy Awards in 2020.

Here are 10 incredible facts you probably don’t know about her. 

1. She is of Polish Jewish descent

Debi was born on August 6, 1980, in San José, Costa Rica, to Polish Jewish parents. She began playing the piano at the age of four and studied classical music for ten years. At the age of 14, she began her career as a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. When she was 17, she moved to Los Angeles and signed her first record deal. She graduated from the Los Angeles College of Music.

2. Nova started as a background vocalist

Nova began as a backing vocalist for Gandhi, with whom she had the opportunity to open for Deep Purple. She has also recorded a Spanish version of “I Don’t Care” with Ricky Martin. Nova provided background vocals for Britney Spears’ song “Lace and Leather” from her album Circus.

3. She had the number one song on the US Dance Club Songs chart in 2004

With “One Rhythm,” she reached number one on the US Dance Club Songs chart in 2004. A remix of the song was included on the soundtrack for the EA Sports video game FIFA Football 2005.

She has appeared in projects by Illa J (J Dilla’s brother) and Sa-Ra, as well as Urban Legend’s Tropical Techniques. She made her American television debut on Dancing with the Stars on April 20, 2010. Nova also took part in the Colgate MaxWhite Charging Up The Music campaign.

4. MTV Latin America presented her with an award for her contributions to the United Nations 

MTV TV by Walters-Storyk Design Group from Wikimedia Commons

MTV Latin America awarded her the MTV Chiuku prize in 2011 for her work in the United Nations campaign “UNITE to end violence against women” organised by UN Women, and in April 2012 she was named YUNGA ambassador (Youth and United Nations Global Alliance).

5. Nova had been chosen as the official voice of the Central American Games

Central American Games by Johnny Araya from Wikimedia Commons

Nova was chosen as the official voice of the Central American Games in San José 2013 with the song “Arriba Arriba” (Get Up, Get Up), and she was also invited to take part in the TEDx Joven Pura Vida (Youth Pure Life) conference, where she shared her story, her music, and encouraged young people to pursue their dreams.

6. She had an album that was produced by  Grammy-winning producer Cachorro López

Cachorro Lopez by Revista Pelo from Wikimedia Commons

Her EP Un Dia a la Vez was released on December 17, 2013. The album was entirely in Spanish and served as a preview for her upcoming album, “SOY,” which was released on June 24, 2014. Cachorro López, a Grammy Award winner, produced the album. “Un Da A La Vez,” “Amor,” “Emergencia,” and “Cupido” were the album’s four singles. The latter was released in two versions, one with Puerto Rican singer Sie7e and one with Ce’Cile, a Jamaican Reggae/Dancehall singer. SOY was nominated for Best New Vocal Pop Album at the 2014 Latin Grammys.

7. She released her third album on Sony Music Latin

In 2017, she released her third album, Gran Ciudad, on Sony Music Latin, for which she received a nomination for “Best Singer-Songwriter Album” at the Latin Grammys. She sang “No Nos Sobran Los Domingos” at the 2017 pre-Grammy show.

8. She was nominated at the 2020 Latin Grammys 

After a series of concerts in Costa Rica, she released her album ‘3:33’ in May 2020. She was nominated for Best Tropical Song for her collaboration with Pedro Capó, “Quédate,” and Best Singer-Songwriter Album for “3:33” at the 2020 Latin Grammys.

The album was also nominated for Best Engineered Album, which it ultimately won. The song “3:33” by Nova was performed at the main ceremony. Nova was nominated for Best Latin Pop or Urban Album at the 63rd Grammy Awards Ceremony on November 24, 2020, her first nomination at the awards.