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Maya Jupiter
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==Biography== Maya Jupiter was born as Melissha Martinez on 21 December 1978 in [[La Paz, Baja California Sur|La Paz]], Mexico. Her father is [[Mexican people|Mexican]] and her mother is [[Turkish people|Turkish]].<ref name="Mitchell">{{cite web | last1 = Mitchell | first1 = Tony | last2 = Munn | first2 = Karli | last3 = Campagna | first3 = Alessia | publisher = [[Music Council of Australia]] | title = Maya Jupiter Crossing Musical Borders β From R&B to Hip Hop to Salsa β November 2003 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090915071841/http://www.mca.org.au/web/fileadmin/user_upload/PDFs/mf111mitchell.pdf | url = http://www.mca.org.au/web/fileadmin/user_upload/PDFs/mf111mitchell.pdf | archivedate = 15 September 2009 | accessdate = 23 August 2012 | date = November 2004 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=Discogs|title=Maya Jupiter|url=http://www.discogs.com/artist/Maya+Jupiter|accessdate=2010-05-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Electronic Beats|title=Six mixed maestros (Part 3): Emiliana Torrini / Maya Jupiter|url=http://www.electronicbeats.net/Music/Features/Six-mixed-maestros-Part-3-Emiliana-Torrini-Maya-Jupiter|accessdate=2010-05-11|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100424015732/http://www.electronicbeats.net/Music/Features/Six-mixed-maestros-Part-3-Emiliana-Torrini-Maya-Jupiter|archivedate=24 April 2010}}</ref> She has an elder sister, Shiraz Martinez.<ref name="Mitchell2"/> Her family moved to [[Melbourne]], Victoria when Jupiter was one year old, then relocated to Sydney, when she was four. From four to twelve years old, she grew up in [[Busby, New South Wales|Busby]], a suburb in [[South-western Sydney]] and then lived in [[Ashfield, New South Wales|Ashfield]].<ref name="Mitchell"/> Her parents provided a wide range of musical experience, "At home, we always had different styles of music playing ... [m]y mum used to play classical music, traditional Turkish and pop music, but she was also into jazz and soul. My father used to listen to Spanish-language music".<ref name="Roman"/> In primary school Jupiter was a school captain, and in secondary school she became a prefect and a sports captain.<ref name="Mitchell"/> At the age of 14, she wrote her first rhyme.<ref name="Macgregor">{{cite web | url={{AllMusic | pure_url=yes | class=artist | id=p784916 | tab=biography}} | title=Maya Jupiter > Biography | last = Macgregor | first = Jody | publisher=[[AllMusic]] | accessdate = 24 August 2012 }}</ref> Her sister took her to local salsa and Latin American clubs.<ref name="Mitchell2"/> In public Jupiter mostly used English and did not speak much Spanish until she was 17,<ref name="Mitchell"/> later she reflected, "I speak more Spanish than I do Turkish! But I was raised by my Mum, so she reminds me that I should be making more Turkish music".<ref name="Cyclone"/> At the age of 18, she adopted her stage name using her mother's advice, "to reflect the Mayan side of her heritage" and began performing in an [[R&B]] club in Sydney.<ref name="Macgregor"/> In 1998, Jupiter was introduced to the Australian hip hop scene at the Urban Xpressions Festival.<ref name="Mitchell"/> One of her early inspirations was [[MC Trey|Trey]], "That was the direction I wanted to go in, and it was nice to have a female role model".<ref name="Mitchell"/> From 2001 she started recording tracks "in a piecemeal fashion". She had a minor role in the feature film, ''[[Lantana (film)|Lantana]]'', as a dance instructor.<ref name="Macgregor"/> In August 2003 Jupiter released her first album, ''Today'', on Mother Tongues β the first label in the world dedicated to developing women in [[Hip-Hop]] music.<ref name="AMOMother">{{cite web | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080810213529/http://www.amo.org.au/label.asp?id=118 | url = http://www.amo.org.au/label.asp?id=118 | title = Record Label profile β Mother Tongues | publisher = [[Australian Music Online]]. [[Federal Government of Australia]] | date = August 2003 | archivedate = 10 August 2008 | accessdate = 24 August 2012 }}</ref><ref name="AMOToday">{{cite web | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080817234115/http://www.amo.org.au/release.asp?id=5484 | url = http://www.amo.org.au/release.asp?id=5484 | title = Releases β ''Today'' | publisher = Australian Music Online. Federal Government of Australia | date = August 2003 | archivedate = 17 August 2008 | accessdate = 24 August 2012 }}</ref> "Mamacita" was a track dedicated to her mother, "[it] was about the divorce of my parents and I guess it was very personal ... very full on. ... I needed to get out about my father because I didn't see him for about seven years, which I think incited the whole fascination of wanting to know about the Mexican culture".<ref name="Mitchell2">{{cite news | url = http://www.migrazine.at/artikel/hip-hop-generation-next-english | title = Hip Hop Generation | work = MigraZine | last = Mitchell | first = Tony | publisher = Maiz (Assimina Gouma, Cristiane Tasinato, Radostina Patulova, Vina Yun) | year = 2011 | accessdate = 24 August 2012 }}</ref> Also that year, she worked with eleven-piece [[Latin music (genre)|Latin]], [[jazz]], [[hip-hop]] band, Son Veneno, and accompanied them to The Belligen Global Music Festival. The combination have since performed at numerous festivals including [[Homebake]], Bacardi Festival and supported American singer, [[Kelis]]. By August 2003, Jupiter was also a regular host for shows such as ''Soul Kitchen'' and ''Freestyle'' on television video outlet, [[Channel V Australia|Channel V]], and held hip-hop / rap workshops in community centres.<ref name="AMOToday"/><ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.smh.com.au/news/Music/Feminem-wiles/2005/04/07/1112815660328.html |title=Feminen wiles |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |last=Coleman |first=Tim |date=8 April 2005 |accessdate=2008-04-15}}</ref> She took over as host of national radio station [[Triple J]]'s weekly music program, ''[[Hip Hop Show]]'', in 2004. In 2006, Jupiter joined with fellow [[rapping|rap]] artist MC Trey and DJ Nick Toth to form the group, Foreign Heights. They released their first single, "It Goes On", featuring Mr Zux in November of that year. In January 2007 their self-titled album was released in Australia and they performed at the [[Big Day Out lineups by year#2007|Big Day Out]].<ref name="BDO07">{{cite web | url = http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/gallery/big_day_out_sydney_2007/ | title = The Big Day Out 2007 β Sydney | date = 25 January 2006 | publisher = [[Triple J]]. [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] (ABC) | accessdate = 23 August 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131113035115/http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/gallery/big_day_out_sydney_2007/ | archive-date = 13 November 2013 | url-status = dead }}</ref> At the [[ARIA Music Awards of 2007]] Foreign Heights was nominated for 'Best Urban Release' for "Get Yours (Remix)".<ref name="ARIA2007">{{cite web|url=http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history/year/2007 |title=ARIA Awards β History: Winners by Year 2007: 21st Annual ARIA Awards |publisher=[[Australian Recording Industry Association]] (ARIA) |accessdate=23 August 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071118143950/http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history-by-year.php?year=2007 |archivedate=18 November 2007 }}</ref> On 14 April 2008, Hau, frontman of [[Koolism]], took over Jupiter's role as host of the ''Hip Hop Show'', and she left Australia to further her solo career in Los Angeles.<ref name="Cyclone"/><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.triplej.net.au/hiphop/ |title=Triple J β Hip Hop Show |access-date=18 April 2008 |archive-date=17 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080417160255/http://www.triplej.net.au/hiphop/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.inthemix.com.au/news/aust/37185/Koolism_frontman_takes_the_wheel_at_Triple_J_hip_hop_show |title=Koolism frontman takes the wheel at Triple J ''Hip Hop Show'' |publisher=In The Mix ([[Sound Alliance]]) |date=3 April 2008 |accessdate=2008-04-18 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080405131231/http://www.inthemix.com.au/news/aust/37185/Koolism_frontman_takes_the_wheel_at_Triple_J_hip_hop_show |archivedate=5 April 2008 }}</ref> In December 2010, Jupiter released her second album, ''Maya Jupiter'' with Blacc assisting on recording and Quetzal Flores and Martha Gonzalez (both are members of [[Quetzal (band)|Quetzal]]) co-producing.<ref name="Roman">{{cite news | url = http://www.ocweekly.com/2011-10-06/music/maya-jupiter-australia/ | title = Maya Jupiter Brings Latino Flavor From Down Under | last = Roman | first = Gabriel San | work = [[OC Weekly]] | publisher = [[Village Voice Media]] | page = 1 | date = 6 October 2011 | accessdate = 24 August 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111011201312/http://www.ocweekly.com/2011-10-06/music/maya-jupiter-australia/ | archive-date = 11 October 2011 | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref name="Cyclone">{{cite news | url = http://www.onion.com.au/article/3554 | title = Maya Jupiter β Global Beats | last = Cyclone | work = Onion | issue = 3554 | publisher = Rip It Up Publishing | date = 26 May 2011 | accessdate = 23 August 2012 }}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> ''[[OC Weekly]]''{{'}}s reviewer, Gabriel San Roman described the album as "an innovative collection of songs anchored in lyrical themes of social justice and ''[[Son Jarocho]]'' vibes" and was pleased by "[t]he sample-free, original instrumentation [which] adds to her music's unique appeal. A [[Harp#Americas|Latin American harp]], [[requinto]]s, [[jarana jarocha|jaranas]], electric guitars, trumpets and keys round out her melodies, and there's a striking use of live percussion instruments such as the [[Jawbone (instrument)|quijada]], [[cajΓ³n]], tarima and pandiero {{sic}} instead of [[Music Production Center|MPC drum]] beats".<ref name="Roman"/> Jupiter is married to Panamanian-American singer [[Aloe Blacc]]. In September 2013, they had their first child, a girl named Mandela. In January 2016, they had their second child, a son.
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