Nelly Furtado charges ahead with 'Whoa, Nelly!'

Nelly Furtado blends her Portuguese roots with urban pop to create a sound all her own on "Whoa Nelly!"     AUDIO Nelly Furtado on her Lilith Fair concert experience ... WAV sound On the sound of her new CD ... WAV sound Hear a sample of Nelly Furtado's song 'Turn Off the Light' WAV sound

From CNN Showbiz Today staff

(CNN) -- Canadian native Nelly Furtado is flying high these days. The 22-year-old's debut album, which hit record stores in September, was a critical success, and her single "I'm Like a Bird" continues to soar up the music charts.

The music on "Whoa, Nelly!" reflects Furtado's heritage and her wide source of musical influences. Furtado's parents are from Portugal, and she incorporates an element of the Portuguese style of music called fado that is similar to the free-styling of hip-hop. Furtado then mixes in folk-pop, bossa nova, dance, Latin and R&B.

Furtado appeared on the music scene in 1998, playing four dates on the Lilith Fair Tour. "It was amazing," she says. "I felt a little green it was my first time out performing in the (United) States. I kind of call it an experiment in estrogen."

She was influenced by artists covering the musical spectrum. She lists U2, Radiohead, Sade, Tricky, De La Soul and Bjork as just a few of the musicians who have fueled her musical style.

For Furtado, international musicians have made the most lasting impression -- artists like Amalia Rodrigues, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Pedro Abrunhosa. Furtado says she would like to make a Brazilian album someday, sung entirely in Portuguese.

Furtado, in fact, believes she is open to nearly anything musical. "I'm attracted to the roots of anything fresh and cutting-edge," she says.

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