Norwegian and Iranian singer (born 1997)
Amanda Delara Nikman (; born 1997), known by her stage name Delara (formerly Amanda Delara), is a Norwegian and Iranian singer. Starting her career in 2016 with debut single, "Paper Paper", she has released four EPs and one studio album, "Shahrazad" (2023). In 2024, her song "", from the film "The Snow Sister", reached number-one in Norway.
Early life.
Delara Nikman was born in Sweden in 1997 to Iranian parents. Her mother grew up in Iran during the war with Iraq and was raised by a single mother. Delara moved to Norway at the age of one, spending fourteen years in Lillehammer, and subsequently in Neskollen from the age of fifteen. Her original plan was to become a doctor. At the age of six, she heard "Numb/Encore" by Jay-Z and Linkin Park, which had a lasting impact on her; she describes it as the first time she felt a love for music. Delara won a school talent competition, which led her to think that she could pursue a career in music. She started making music full-time after secondary school.
As a teenager, Delara would post videos on Instagram of her singing while playing piano. At the age of sixteen, she got a hold of the Snapchat account of Kaveh, a fellow Norwegian–Iranian artist who was popular at the time, and sent him videos of herself singing. He invited Delara to his studio in Økern, Oslo, and became a mentor to her, helping her with recording her self-written songs.
Career.
Debut single "Paper Paper" was released in August 2016 under the name Amanda Delara, through the independent record label . The dark pop song reached Spotify's Viral charts both globally and in the US. She additionally signed with Sony Music Norway in 2017, prior to the release of R&amp;B follow-up singles "Dirhamz" and "New Generation", and Delara's first EP, "Rebel", released later that year. In the same year, she also released a cover of "Gunerius" by Karpe, which was featured in the Norwegian television series "Skam".
The single "We Don't Run from Anyone" was released in early 2018, and was used as the theme song to the television series "Mesternes mester". It was included on her second EP, "Running Deep", released in May 2018, which Delara described as showcasing a more personal side of herself. The EP, along with the follow-up single "Soldiers" produced by Askjell Solstrand, garnered Delara a nomination at the 2018 Spellemannprisen in the category of Pop Artist of the Year.
, Delara's third EP and her first in Norwegian, was released in January 2020. Its cover features Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, considered one of the most influential Norwegian writers, and its lyrics discuss Delara's identity as a minority in Norway, as well as the Law of Jante, crime, and self-confidence. Some of its content was incorporated into the national curriculum for secondary schools in Norway. In September 2020, she decided to use the mononymous Delara as her stage name. Later that year, "Checka", a collaboration with rapper Loredana, became a hit in German-speaking Europe, charting in the top five in three countries and earning Gold certifications in Austria and Switzerland. It was included on her fourth EP, "Timepiece", released in May 2021 and created during the COVID-19 pandemic, which features music that is more calm and the productions less heavy.
In May 2023, Delara was one of seventy women of colour who accompanied Alicia Keys in a reimagined version of "If I Ain't Got You" for the of "". In June 2023, Delara's Norwegian-language cover of the Swedish-language "Josefin" by Albin Lee Meldau became popular on TikTok, resulting in her releasing a studio version. It charted at number two in Norway and has been certified double platinum by IFPI Norge. "Shahrazad", Delara's debut album, was released in November 2023; it was named after the character of the same name from the Middle Eastern folk tale collection "One Thousand and One Nights". At the 2023 Spellemannprisen ceremony, "Shahrazad" won in the category of Release of the Year.
In 2024, Delara appeared on the fifteenth season of "Coke Studio Pakistan", contributing to the song "Piya Piya Calling" alongside Karpe, Pakistani singer Kaifi Khalil, and Norwegian dance group Quick Style. The song was recorded remotely, with its music video shot in mid-2023, and features lyrics in Arabic, Balochi, English, Farsi, Gujarati, Norwegian, and Urdu. It became a top-five hit in Norway and went on to win the P3 Gull for Song of the Year at the 2024 ceremony, where Delara had two additional nominations. "", a Christmas song written for the film "The Snow Sister" (2024), became viral on social media, with the song being used in videos to memorialise people who had died. It reached number-one in Norway in November 2024, becoming Delara's song to do so.
Other ventures.
In 2021, Delara participated in the reality television series "Over Atlanteren", where she and five other Norwegian celebrities with little sailing experience were tasked with sailing across the Atlantic Ocean.
Personal life.
Delara has an Iranian passport and has been active bringing awareness to social issues affecting Iran such as human rights abuses. Following the death of Mahsa Amini, Delara collaborated with Amnesty International to organise a protest in front of the Norwegian parliament in late 2022, with over 1,000 participants. At the red carpet of the 2022 P3 Gull ceremony, Delara carried a sign in support of Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi, who was arrested during protests.
Delara speaks Persian and was interviewed on the Persian-language channel Iran International about her activism. Though most of her songs are in English, she has also released songs in Norwegian. In addition, Delara revealed she was teaching herself Spanish during the COVID-19 pandemic.
References.
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