Bio

MAJA NIKOLIC

Marija "Maja" Nikolic was born April 11, 1975 in Nis, Serbia. From an early age, she found herself immersed in the world of music and started singing with her younger brother Marko, forming a duo called "Marmaja."

Marmaja performed in the "Majska Pesma" festival in Nis, Serbia, in 1986, winning 1st Prize with the song "Mesec Maj" ("Month of May," composed by Novak Radulovic). The brother and sister team went on to win several first prizes in children's festivals, such as the one in Paracin, Serbia, in 1988, with their song "Konjski Rep" ("Ponytail", by N. Radulovic). Marmaja also won 1st Prize in "Djeca Pjevaju Srcem," the last federal festival in the former Yugoslavia, in 1989.

After Yugoslavia fell apart, but before the war, Marmaja was offered a recording deal by the biggest record label in Croatia, named "Jugoton", including an advance. The plan was to record songs and to release them at the end of 1989, but the war engulfed the entire country and the Marjmaja project fell apart, another victim among so many of the war.

Maja moved to Belgrade in 1991, traveling back to Nis a few days each week to finish gymnasium (Svetozar Markovic) with excellent marks. She took part in many music festivals, working with her godfather Vladimir Graic. It was Graic who wrote all the beautiful ballads Maja became famous for.

After the war, that fame received a major boost when Maja won 1st prize at the "MESAM" festival in 1993, with the song "Odlazi" ("Go"). She actually won three 1st prizes then, for Best Singer, Best Song and 1st prize at the TV auditions. Once that wave of first prizes started, it just kept right on going. Maja's voice and Graic's lyrics proved a powerful combination, winning many 1st prizes in festivals all across Serbia and the new republics formed after the fall of Yugoslavia.

The festivals included:

  * Beogradsko, in Prolece, 1994 -- "Napustio Si Sve" ("You Left Me") won 1st prizes for Best Singer and Best Song.

  * Suncane Skale, in Herceg Novi, Montenegro, 1994 -- "Bas Sam Se Zaljubila" ("I am so In Love"), 1st Prize.

  * Beogradsko, Prolece, 1995 -- "Ne Trazi Me Vise" ("Don't Look for Me"), 1st Prize.

  * Suncane Skale, 1998 --  "Varali Me Svi" ("Everyone Lied to Me"), 1st Prize for Best Singer.

  * Sveslavjanski Bazar, celebrated in two cities: Saratov, Russia and Odessa, Ukraine, 1996 --  "Djelem Djelem" (old gipsy song, title not translatable) and "Ne Trazi Me Vise" ("Don't Look for Me") won 1st Prizes.

  * Sunflower International Festival, Zrenjanin, Serbia, 2003 -- "Bolesna" ("Lovesick"), 1st Prize.

  * Ohrid' festival, Macedonia, 2008 -- she won 1st Prize for Best Singer with "Samo Za Tvoje Oci" ("For Your Eyes Only," composed by Mirko Cajic).

  * Maja has won numerous second and third prizes, but can't count the number. (All songs by V. Graic, unless otherwise noted.)

Maja's Albums include:

  * "Sad Me Pronadji" ("Find me Now") -- 1995, debut album.

  * "Uzmi Me" ("Take Me") -- 1998, most sold out album in all six former Yugoslav republics (Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Macedonia, Slovenia).

  * "Iz Inata" ("In Spite of Everything") -- 2000.

  * "Za Moju Dusu" ("For my Soul") -- 2006.

  * "Ljubavni Parti" ("Love Party" ) -- 2009, a 38-song "Greatest Hits" compilation.

  *  "Sudbina" ("Destiny") -- 2011, now in stores in Serbia.

In between, Maja presented more than 15 single songs at various festivals.

From 1998 to 2000, Maja split her time between Belgrade and London. In 2000, after releasing "Iz Inata," she moved to America, living in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and San Diego, where she stayed until 2006.

Maja sang in many jazz, pop, soul and blues clubs across America when she lived there, and had tour each year for  ex-Yugoslavian people (Serbs, Macedonians, Croatians, Bosnians, Slovenians and Montenegrians) in America's 50 states. In New York she sang at the China Club with her band, singing jazz, blues, evergreen, and even '80s disco hits and current pop. She sang at  Harry's Velvet Room, downtown Chicago and also at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles. She also sang during the Golden Satelite Film Awards (part of the Golden Globe Awards) in 2003. Maja still tours each year, singing in Australia, America, Canada, New Zealand and  all across Europe.

In America, Maja worked with producer David Moss in Chicago and with Mat Warren in New York, at Warzone Studios, which produced Witney Houston's 2001 album. She also worked and recorded three songs with Tony Coutura, who has more than a dozen platinum records (one of his greatest hits is "Lonely").

Branching out to the movie industry, Maja sang the cover song for the 2002 movie "About a Boy," starring Hugh Grant. The song is called "Something To Talk About," by Bradlly Scott. 

Maja has two sons Novak (born April 18, 1997) and Lazar (Lazarus, born November 8, 2006) and is happily divorced. She moved back to Belgrade, Serbia in 2006.

Maja's latest projects are to record traditional slavic choral music and work on some classic blues and original tracks in English.

Maja is available for concerts anywhere in the world, her repertoire covering a wide range of musical styles, in several languages. For more information, please email agent@majanikolic.com.