{{short description|Venezuelan singer born in San Cristóbal|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Aneeka | image = | caption = | image_size = | birth_name = Andrea Martínez | alias = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1985|8|18}} | death_date = | origin = San Cristóbal, Venezuela | genre = Pop, R&B | occupation = Singer | label = | website = [http://aneekamusic.com/home/?lang=en aneekamusic.com] }} '''Aneeka''' (born '''Andrea Martínez'''; August 18, 1985) is a Venezuelan singer born in San Cristóbal.<ref name="biography"/> Her name means ''believe'' in Wayuu.<ref name="biography">{{cite web|title=Aneeka lanza hoy su primer video|url=http://www.am.com.mx/leon/espectaculos/aneeka-lanza-hoy-su-primer-video-13610.html|accessdate=January 20, 2015|language=Spanish|date=May 2, 2013|work=Periódico AM|publisher=Compañía Periodística Meridiano}}</ref>
==Career== Aneeka sought opportunities to record an album in Venezuela but was unsuccessful. She found willing investors in Mexico and after working in different music clubs for seven years,<ref name="biography"/> she recorded an album that was never released. She released her first album ''Ni Antes, Ni Después'' (''Not Before, Nor After''), produced by Ettore Grenci, in 2013. It consists of a mix of Pop, R&B and funk music.<ref name="biography"/><ref name="new-artist-latingrammy"/> ''Ni Antes, Ni Después'' included ten songs written by Mexican Latin Grammy Award winner Mónica Vélez, whose lyrics deal with topics such as jealousy, infidelity, revenge, sex, and solidarity.<ref name="monica-velez-lga">{{cite web|title=2010 Latin Grammy Awards winners|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/awards/2010/11/2010-latin-grammy-awards-winners.html|accessdate=January 29, 2015|date=November 11, 2010|work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref><ref name="busca-aneeka">{{cite web|title=Busca Aneeka tener más impacto en América Latina con su música|url=https://mx.noticias.yahoo.com/busca-aneeka-impacto-am%C3%A9rica-latina-m%C3%BAsica-171227915.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150121025940/https://mx.noticias.yahoo.com/busca-aneeka-impacto-am%C3%A9rica-latina-m%C3%BAsica-171227915.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 21, 2015|accessdate=January 20, 2015|language=Spanish|date=August 9, 2013|work=Yahoo! News|publisher=Yahoo!}}</ref> The album was pre-produced in Mexico, with melodies by Anneka and her producer Grenci. It was recorded at the Sonic Ranch studio in El Paso, Texas.<ref name="aneeka-recording">{{cite web|title=Aneeka, una nueva voz venezolana al mundo|url=http://www.elnuevoherald.com/entretenimiento/musica/article3790631.html|accessdate=January 29, 2015|date=November 11, 2014|work=El Nuevo Herald|publisher=The McClatchy Company|first=Hernán|last=Vera|language=Spanish}}</ref> Reflecting on the album, Aneeka declared: "Today I see my dream crystallized and it was worth the sacrifice of being away from my family and having lived through my teens quickly. This is what I was born to do".<ref name="busca-aneeka"/> Anneka has stated that her musical influences include the American singers Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin. She remarked that she attempted to include their musical styles on the album, blending them with pop music.<ref name="aneeka-recording"/>
Three singles were released from ''Ni Antes, Ni Después'': "Ojo por Ojo"; "Sin Combustible"; and "Demasiado Tarde". The music video for "Ojo Por Ojo" was directed by the photographer and fashion designer Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri.<ref name="biography"/> "Sin Combustible" was successful in Mexico as the fourteenth best performing single of 2013, reaching number two in the airplay charts. In the United States, the track peaked at number 24 in the ''Billboard'' Tropical Songs chart.<ref name="tercer-sencillo">{{cite web|title=Estrena Aneeka su tercer sencillo "Demasiado tarde"|url=https://es-us.celebridades.yahoo.com/noticias/estrena-aneeka-tercer-sencillo-demasiado-tarde-205038372.html|accessdate=January 20, 2015|language=Spanish|date=January 20, 2014|work=Yahoo! News|publisher=Yahoo!|archive-date=March 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305072158/https://es-us.celebridades.yahoo.com/noticias/estrena-aneeka-tercer-sencillo-demasiado-tarde-205038372.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="sin-combustible-billboard">{{cite magazine|title=Aneeka - Chart History|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/5873977/aneeka/chart|accessdate=January 20, 2015|year=2014|magazine=Billboard}}</ref> Aneeka was nominated for Best New Artist and performed at the Latin Grammy Awards of 2014. She lost to fellow Venezuelan singer Mariana Vega.<ref name="new-artist-latingrammy">{{cite magazine|title=Latin Grammys 2014: Meet the Best New Artist Nominees|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/latin/latin-grammys-best-new-artist-6319870/|access-date=January 20, 2015|first=Justino|last=Aguila|date=November 17, 2014|magazine=Billboard}}</ref><ref name="new-artist-latingrammy-performers">{{cite magazine|title=Latin Grammys Deliver Big Ratings, But Few Music Sales|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/latin/latin-grammys-big-ratings-few-music-sales-6327822/|access-date=January 20, 2015|first=Leila|last=Cobo|date=November 26, 2014|magazine=Billboard}}</ref> Aneeka received a nomination for the Lo Nuestro Awards for New Artist of the Year.<ref name="lonuestro-nominees-anuncio2015">{{cite news|url=http://corporate.univision.com/2014/12/enrique-iglesias-and-romeo-santos-lead-nominations-for-2015-premio-lo-nuestro-a-la-musica-latina/|title=Enrique Iglesias and Romeo Santos Lead Nominations for 2015 "Premio Lo Nuestro a La Musica Latina"|work=Univision|publisher=Univision Communications|date=December 2, 2014|accessdate=January 19, 2015|format=Press release|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150120053213/http://corporate.univision.com/2014/12/enrique-iglesias-and-romeo-santos-lead-nominations-for-2015-premio-lo-nuestro-a-la-musica-latina/|archive-date=January 20, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In December 2014, it was announced that Aneeka would join the vocal coach Gary Catona's team in the reality show ''The Ultimate Diva'', a singing competition to be broadcast on the video-sharing website YouTube in 2015.<ref name="the-ultimate-diva">{{cite web|title=Aneeka participará en el "reality show" "The ultimate diva"|url=http://www.elporvenir.com.mx/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=823570:aneeka-participar%C3%A1-en-el-%E2%80%9Creality-show%E2%80%9D-%E2%80%9Cthe-ultimate-diva%E2%80%9D&Itemid=561|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150129214004/http://www.elporvenir.com.mx/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=823570:aneeka-participar%C3%A1-en-el-%E2%80%9Creality-show%E2%80%9D-%E2%80%9Cthe-ultimate-diva%E2%80%9D&Itemid=561|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 29, 2015|accessdate=January 29, 2015|language=Spanish|date=December 16, 2014|work=El Porvenir|publisher=Editorial El Porvenir}}</ref>
==Discography== *''Ni Antes... Ni Después'' (2013) *''Ni Antes... Ni Después "en vivo"'' (2015)
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
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Category:1985 births Category:Living people Category:Venezuelan emigrants to Mexico Category:21st-century Venezuelan women singers Category:Venezuelan pop singers Category:Rhythm and blues singers Category:Women in Latin music