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Martika
American singer (born 1969)

Marta Marrero, known as Martika, is an American singer and actress who gained fame as Gloria in Kids Incorporated. She signed with Columbia Records and released her critically acclaimed debut album in 1988, featuring the hit single "Toy Soldiers," which topped the US Billboard Hot 100. Her second album, Martika’s Kitchen, achieved Gold status and included singles like "Love... Thy Will Be Done." After a hiatus, Martika returned with the band Oppera and was later credited on Eminem’s "Like Toy Soldiers." In 2012, she released the single "Flow With the Go" but shelved her planned album Mirror Ball.

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Early life, family and education

Martika was born in Whittier, California, to Cuban parents of Canary Islands ancestry.11

Career

Kids Incorporated (1982–1988)

She entered mainstream show business in an uncredited role as one of the 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. Once the second season began, she formally adopted her stage name Martika Marrero before shortening it to the mononym Martika, which she has used ever since. 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 available for purchase.12

Rise to prominence and Martika (1988–1991)

Her debut album, Martika (1988), reached number fifteen on the US Billboard 200 albums chart.13 The album spawned the internationally successful single "Toy Soldiers", which she co-wrote with her producer Michael Jay and it became a top-5 hit in the United Kingdom,14 Ireland,15 Germany,16 and Australia.17 In the US, "Toy Soldiers" spent two weeks at No. 1 in 1989.18 "Toy Soldiers" also went to No. 1 in New Zealand.19 "Toy Soldiers" was written about drug addiction, but can sound like a break-up ballad.

Two additional singles were released from Martika, and also charted within the top forty in the United States – "More Than You Know" and "I Feel the Earth Move" which reached No. 1820 and No. 2521 on the Billboard Hot 100 respectively. "I Feel the Earth Move" is a cover version of Carole King's song from her album Tapestry. Both of the singles also peaked within the top twenty on the US Dance charts22 and the UK Singles Chart.23 "I Feel the Earth Move" also reached the top 10 in Australia.24 New Zealand,25 and Ireland.26 A fourth and final single from the album, "Water", entered the lower regions of the UK27 and Australian charts.28 "Water" is partially sung in Spanish, a homage to Martika's Cuban ancestry. Other songs were re-recorded fully in Spanish for international release.

The album was certified platinum in the UK in 1990,29 and double platinum in Australia.30 In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awarded Martika a Gold certification, indicating sales in excess of 500,000 copies.31 In 1990, Martika co-wrote the track "Kiss Me Quick" with Michael Jay and Marvin Morrow. The track was recorded by freestyle/pop singer Alisha for her 1990 album Bounce Back, with Martika contributing backing vocals. Martika has since sold over three million copies internationally since its initial release.32

Martika's Kitchen and hiatus (1991–2000)

Martika was encouraged by her agent to combine her love of film and music by scoring soundtracks and, in 1990, she wrote and recorded the song "Blue Eyes Are Sensitive to the Light" for the soundtrack to the film Arachnophobia. The producers of the album did not like her vocals, so the song was re-recorded by Sara Hickman for the film. The song has also been recorded by Brazilian singers Deborah Blando (on her 1991 debut, A Different Story), Elba Ramalho, and Frances Ruffelle.

In 1991, Martika approached Prince to do some new tracks.33 Among these was her second (and last) US Top-10 single,34 "Love... Thy Will Be Done", which also became a Top-10 hit in the UK35 and reached No. 1 in Australia.36 "Love... Thy Will Be Done" started out as a prayer written by Martika, and Prince then changed it into a song.

Her second album, Martika's Kitchen, peaked at No. 111 on the Billboard Top Albums chart.37 The title track received only minor airplay in the US, and reached No. 93 on Billboard Hot 100 chart.38 However, the album was a bigger success abroad, though on a lesser scale than her debut. It peaked at No. 15 in the UK Albums Chart,39 No. 9 in Australia,40 and spawned further hits with the songs "Coloured Kisses" and the title track, "Martika's Kitchen".41 "Temptation", another track from this album, was covered by Patti LaBelle on her album Burnin'. Martika played the role of the lounge singer Dahlia Mendez in the crime drama TV series Wiseguy in 1990,42 opposite Steven Bauer who took over from Ken Wahl for the fourth and final season.

She eventually faded from the public eye in 1992 after walking away from the music industry, due to burnout and feeling overwhelmed with the burden of fame.43 In 1997, a greatest hits compilation album, The Best of Martika: More Than You Know was released.

Return to music and Oppera (2000–2011)

During the 2000 explosion of Latin pop, Martika sang backing vocals on various projects[which?] and contributed lyrics to releases by other artists[who?], although she failed to receive any major-label attention for herself. Instead, she built martika.net in 2001, a website for her fans, and released a remix of a newly self-recorded song, "The Journey". She also recorded a track "Monday" for a new solo album which the website stated was on its way. Eventually, however, her website was shut down and the album never materialized.

In 2003, Martika and her husband, musician Michael Mozart, formed the band Oppera. Adopting a Latin pop sound, she and Mozart released Oppera's debut album, Violince, in 2004. Rapper Eminem used a sample of her biggest US hit, "Toy Soldiers", for "Like Toy Soldiers", a track on his 2004 album Encore and featured Martika on the chorus of the track. In response, Martika's British greatest hits album was repackaged with its title altered to Toy Soldiers: The Best of Martika. A biography was added to the album insert reflecting the new Eminem sample, though it asserted that she had not released any albums since Martika's Kitchen.

Oppera released a self-titled second album in 2005. Martika promoted Oppera's release with a Borders bookstore tour. In 2010, Martika, using the stage name Vida Edit, starred as Lolly Pop and co-produced a web-based television action program J8ded.44

Mirror Ball and touring (2011–present)

In October 2011, Martika stopped using the stage name Vida Edit and launched a new personal website. A year later, she announced an Australian tour, but it was canceled. She performed in 2014 alongside Debbie Gibson, Samantha Fox, and Rick Astley at a HitParade Festival in Chile.4546 In 2012, she released "Flow With the Go" via DCR Records, which marked her first solo single release since "Safe in the Arms of Love" which was released as the last single from Martika's Kitchen, and other than a remixed, promotional only release of "Spirit", also marked her last single to be released during her initial musical career. Despite her first single release in over twenty years, Martika did express doubts about a "full musical comeback", citing "changes to the music industry" and claimed she is "not really basically career-driven like I was back when I was a teenager", claiming that she "just sort of become like a happy housewife".47 The release of "Flow With the Go" was supported by an Australian tour in 2012.

The single was originally intended to serve as the lead single from her third studio album, Mirror Ball. Originally intended to be an album release consisting of purely new material, Martika spent a considerable amount of months in the recording studio engaging in the recording and songwriting process, however, as a result of the death of a "close family member", Mirror Ball was subsequently shelved.48

In July 2016, she was part of the Totally 80s Tour of Australia. The concerts included seven international 1980s acts, including Martika, Berlin, Limahl of Kajagoogoo, Paul Lekakis, Katrina of Katrina and the Waves, Men Without Hats and Stacey Q. For her performance at the tour, she received positive reviews from the Australian press.49 She claimed that touring was an entirely new concept for her, citing the fact she had been out of the music industry for the past twenty-five years and hadn't performed any of her songs since then. Speaking about the Australian tour, she claimed that it was a "fresh experience for me" to "wake the songs up" after a considerably long period of time.50

Discography

Main article: Martika discography

For discography by Oppera, see Oppera.

Filmography

Film
YearTitleRoleNotes
1982AnnieDancerUncredited
1984Breakin' 2: Electric BoogalooKidas Marta Marrero
1984Kids Incorporated: The BeginningGloriaas Marta Marrero Video
1984Be Somebody... or Be Somebody's Fool!Martaas The Dimples Video
1998ExposéSelf
2001Route 10Penny
Television
YearTitleRoleNotes
1984-1986Kids IncorporatedGloria65 episodes
1985Hardcastle and McCormickLuisa MontegaEpisode: "You're Sixteen, You're Beautiful, and You're His"
1986One Big FamilyNatashaEpisode: "Kate's Friend"
1986Kids Incorporated: Rock in the New YearGloriaTV movie
1987Silver SpoonsKikiEpisode: "Band on the Run"
1990The Little and Large ShowEpisode #10.1
1990WiseguyDahlia Mendez6 episodes
Music videos
YearTitleRoleNotes
1989Toy SoldiersMartika
1989I Feel the Earth Move
1991Love... Thy Will Be Done
1992Coloured Kisses

Personal life

As of 2016, Martika was living in Dayton, Ohio, with her musician husband, concentrating on married life.51

Awards and nominations

AwardYearNominee(s)CategoryResultRef.
ASCAP Pop Music Awards1990"Toy Soldiers"Most Performed SongWon52
Smash Hits Poll Winners Party1989HerselfMost Fanciable FemaleNominated53
Most Promising New Solo ArtistNominated
1991Well-Dressed PersonNominated
Best Female Solo SingerNominated
Worst Female Solo SingerNominated
"Love... Thy Will Be Done"Best SingleNominated

Further reading

Wikiquote has quotations related to Martika.

References

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  2. Larkin, Colin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 1626. ISBN 0-85112-939-0. 0-85112-939-0 ↩

  3. "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved February 17, 2025. https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=Martika&ti=Toy+Soldiers&format=Single&type=#search_section ↩

  4. "BIOGRAPHY". martikamartika.com. Retrieved February 17, 2025. https://martikamartika.com/biography ↩

  5. "Various Artists, Concert For George, Video - The BPI". BPI. Retrieved February 17, 2025. https://www.bpi.co.uk/award/4171-2235-2 ↩

  6. "Dropbox" (PDF). www.dropbox.com. Retrieved February 17, 2025. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/orr9fphn3kyhykimwm11l/ANxvzhYUTPpTzz4pfC23NhA/1991%20Accreds.pdf?rlkey=b5et6u9n5p7f3gkxgmqhivbyf ↩

  7. "BIOGRAPHY". martikamartika.com. http://martikamartika.com/bio ↩

  8. Devery, Mike (March 24, 2016). "Martika – Today Extra interview March 2016". Archived from the original on December 11, 2021 – via YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHnlCxeVDAo ↩

  9. "martikamartika.com - DISCOGRAPHY". martikamartika.com. Retrieved February 19, 2025. https://martikamartika.com/discography ↩

  10. "ROCKWiRED MAGAZiNE HiGHLiGHTS | MARTiKA TALKS TO ROCKWiRED ABOUT HER FORTHCOMiNG RELEASE 'MiRRORBALL'!!!". www.rockwired.com. Retrieved February 19, 2025. https://www.rockwired.com/rockwiredhighlights14.html ↩

  11. Larkin, Colin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 1626. ISBN 0-85112-939-0. 0-85112-939-0 ↩

  12. "Entertainment 80 Ryan Samans, Martika singing 'Bounce Back'". July 20, 2007. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2012 – via YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLdVvT4JBDM ↩

  13. "Billboard > Artists / Martika > Chart History > Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2016. http://www.billboard.com/artist/309724/martika/chart?f=305 ↩

  14. "Official Charts > Martika". officialcharts.com. The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved January 21, 2016. http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/25549/martika/ ↩

  15. "The Irish Charts – All there is to know > Search results for 'Martika'". Retrieved January 21, 2016. http://i.imgur.com/E2fMC19.jpg ↩

  16. "Offizielle Deutsche Charts > Martika – Toy Soldiers (single)" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved January 21, 2016. https://www.offiziellecharts.de/titel-details-2006 ↩

  17. Australian (ARIA Chart) peaks: Top 50 peaks: "australian-charts.com > Discography Martika". Hung Medien. Archived from the original on February 21, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2016. Top 100 peaks: Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. /wiki/ARIA_Charts ↩

  18. "Billboard > Artists / Martika > Chart History > The Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2016. http://www.billboard.com/artist/309724/martika/chart ↩

  19. "charts.nz > Discography Martika". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 21, 2016. https://charts.nz/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Martika ↩

  20. "Billboard > Artists / Martika > Chart History > The Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2016. http://www.billboard.com/artist/309724/martika/chart ↩

  21. "Billboard > Artists / Martika > Chart History > The Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2016. http://www.billboard.com/artist/309724/martika/chart ↩

  22. "Billboard > Artists / Martika > Chart History > Dance Club Songs". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2016. http://www.billboard.com/artist/309724/martika/chart?f=359 ↩

  23. "Official Charts > Martika". officialcharts.com. The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved January 21, 2016. http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/25549/martika/ ↩

  24. Australian (ARIA Chart) peaks: Top 50 peaks: "australian-charts.com > Discography Martika". Hung Medien. Archived from the original on February 21, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2016. Top 100 peaks: Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. /wiki/ARIA_Charts ↩

  25. "charts.nz > Discography Martika". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 21, 2016. https://charts.nz/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Martika ↩

  26. "The Irish Charts – All there is to know > Search results for 'Martika'". Retrieved January 21, 2016. http://i.imgur.com/E2fMC19.jpg ↩

  27. "Official Charts > Martika". officialcharts.com. The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved January 21, 2016. http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/25549/martika/ ↩

  28. Australian (ARIA Chart) peaks: Top 50 peaks: "australian-charts.com > Discography Martika". Hung Medien. Archived from the original on February 21, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2016. Top 100 peaks: Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. /wiki/ARIA_Charts ↩

  29. "BPI > Certified Awards > Search results for 'Martika'". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved January 21, 2016. http://i.imgur.com/0ttUsYM.jpg ↩

  30. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. ↩

  31. "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved February 17, 2025. https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=Martika&ti=Martika&format=Album&type=#search_section ↩

  32. "BIOGRAPHY". martikamartika.com. Retrieved February 17, 2025. https://martikamartika.com/biography ↩

  33. Cashmere, Paul (June 26, 2012). "Martika Explains How Prince Crafted Love Thy Will Be Done". Noise11.com. Retrieved December 16, 2012. http://www.noise11.com/news/martika-explains-how-prince-crafted-love-thy-will-be-done-20120626 ↩

  34. "Billboard > Artists / Martika > Chart History > The Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2016. http://www.billboard.com/artist/309724/martika/chart ↩

  35. "Official Charts > Martika". officialcharts.com. The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved January 21, 2016. http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/25549/martika/ ↩

  36. Australian (ARIA Chart) peaks: Top 50 peaks: "australian-charts.com > Discography Martika". Hung Medien. Archived from the original on February 21, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2016. Top 100 peaks: Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. /wiki/ARIA_Charts ↩

  37. "Billboard > Artists / Martika > Chart History > Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2016. http://www.billboard.com/artist/309724/martika/chart?f=305 ↩

  38. "Billboard > Artists / Martika > Chart History > The Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2016. http://www.billboard.com/artist/309724/martika/chart ↩

  39. "Official Charts > Martika". officialcharts.com. The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved January 21, 2016. http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/25549/martika/ ↩

  40. Australian (ARIA Chart) peaks: Top 50 peaks: "australian-charts.com > Discography Martika". Hung Medien. Archived from the original on February 21, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2016. Top 100 peaks: Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. /wiki/ARIA_Charts ↩

  41. Larkin, Colin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 1626. ISBN 0-85112-939-0. 0-85112-939-0 ↩

  42. Larkin, Colin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 1626. ISBN 0-85112-939-0. 0-85112-939-0 ↩

  43. Devery, Mike (March 24, 2016). "Martika – Today Extra interview March 2016". Archived from the original on December 11, 2021 – via YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHnlCxeVDAo ↩

  44. Adams, Cameron. "Whatever happened to Martika?". news.com.au. Retrieved November 10, 2017. http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/tours/80s-hitmaker-martika-reveals-why-she-retired-from-pop-music-and-why-shes-making-a-comeback/news-story/1819c224ed363abad614471cb5ba76a2 ↩

  45. Cashmere, Paul (October 1, 2012). "Martika Aussie Tour Cancelled". Noise11.com. Retrieved December 16, 2012. http://www.noise11.com/news/martika-aussie-tour-cancelled-20121001 ↩

  46. "HOME". martikamartika.com. Martika. Retrieved December 16, 2012. http://www.martikamartika.com/home.cfm ↩

  47. Wehner, Cyclone. "Why Martika's Love Of Music Never Left". The Music. Retrieved February 19, 2025. https://themusic.com.au/features/martika-cyclone/fHJvbpGQk5I/22-06-16 ↩

  48. "ROCKWiRED MAGAZiNE HiGHLiGHTS | MARTiKA TALKS TO ROCKWiRED ABOUT HER FORTHCOMiNG RELEASE 'MiRRORBALL'!!!". www.rockwired.com. Retrieved February 19, 2025. https://www.rockwired.com/rockwiredhighlights14.html ↩

  49. Dwyer, Michael (July 16, 2016). "Totally 80s! review: Martika steals show with timeless hits". Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/totally-80s-review-martika-steals-show-with-timeless-hits-20160715-gq6l4j.html ↩

  50. "Whatever happened to Martika?". news.com. Retrieved February 19, 2025. https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/tours/80s-hitmaker-martika-reveals-why-she-retired-from-pop-music-and-why-shes-making-a-comeback/news-story/1819c224ed363abad614471cb5ba76a2 ↩

  51. Devery, Mike (March 24, 2016). "Martika – Today Extra interview March 2016". Archived from the original on December 11, 2021 – via YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHnlCxeVDAo ↩

  52. "Cash Box" (PDF). Worldradiohistory.com. June 23, 1990. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved September 28, 2021. https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/90s/1990/CB-1990-06-23.pdf ↩

  53. "Smash Hits Magazine Remembered". Archived from the original on August 24, 2018. Retrieved May 4, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20180824002253/http://michaelmouse1967.wixsite.com/smashhits-remembered/1990-poll-winners ↩