Bic Runga

At 48 years old, Bic Runga physical status not available right now. We will update Bic Runga's height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, and measurements.

Briolette Kah Bic Runga (born 13 January 1976), known as Bic Runga, is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist pop musician.

Her first three studio albums debuted on the New Zealand Top 40 Album charts, ranked at number one.

With her album "Sway," Runga has also found success in Australia, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.

Early life

Runga was born in Christchurch. When Sophia Tanga met Joseph Te Okoro Runga, a Mori ex-serviceman, she was a Chinese Malaysian lounge singer in Malaysia. They went to New Zealand to live. Runga is of the Ngti Kahungunu descent. "You say it Bec rather than Bic," she says of her name. ... It's Chinese, and it's a strange vowel sound that doesn't appear in Australia. It's the colour of jade, which could also mean green.'"

Runga grew up in Hornby, Christchurch, surrounded by a musically inclined family, and began recording songs with her sisters, Boh and Pearl, when she was four years old. Boh, Runga's elder sister, was the singer of the New Zealand rock band Stellar, while Pearl is a session singer.

She learned how to play drums at the age of eleven and guitar at around fourteen years old. Around this time, Runga discovered how to use the keyboard. She attended Cashmere High School, playing in high school bands and appearing with local jazz bands by her mid-teens.

Personal life

Kody Nielson, Runga's partner, is the singer. Joe (born 2007), Sophia (born 2013), and Frida (born 2015). Pearl Runga and Boh Runga are two sisters who are also musicians.

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Career

Under the name of "Love Soup", Runga and Kelly Horgan entered the 1993 Smokefreerockquest in Christchurch, winning third place and a music contract with Pagan Records. Using a QE II Arts Council grant, Runga recorded the first Drive EP in Wellington. Unsatisfied with the direction that her music was being taken, she moved to Auckland in 1994 and spent a year writing and performing.

In 1995, she sent a new demo of "Drive" to Sony Music, who signed Runga in September of that year and bought her Wellington recordings from Pagan Records. Sony had her re-record the song with more instruments, but it was eventually her demo that was used on the upcoming album. It entered the Top 10 in New Zealand and won her the APRA Silver Scroll award in 1996.

Runga then released "Bursting Through", the first single from her upcoming album, also entitled Drive. The success of the singles led to the release of her debut album, Drive, in 1997. Runga's song "Sway", along with a duet with Dan Wilson of Semisonic called "Good Morning Baby", were used in the films American Pie, and Cruel Intentions. Six singles were released from the album, while "Sway" was released in New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Germany.

Runga has recorded two songs called "Drive". The first was her own, which appeared on her debut album of the same name. The second was a 1999 collaboration with fellow New Zealanders Strawpeople, providing guest vocals for their cover of The Cars' classic 1984 hit.

In 2000, Runga toured with Tim Finn and Dave Dobbyn, resulting in a release of a live album in November 2000, titled Together in Concert: Live. It peaked at number 2 on the New Zealand charts and has been certified 3× platinum. Runga released her second solo album, Beautiful Collision in 2002. It entered the New Zealand charts at number one and has been certified 10× platinum in New Zealand.

Her third studio album, Birds, was released in New Zealand on 28 November 2005. New Zealand artists Neil Finn (piano) and Anika Moa (backing vocals) contributed to the album. The first single, "Winning Arrow", was released on the same day. It was her third consecutive studio album to enter the New Zealand charts at number one. Birds was certified triple platinum.

Runga played a 'Vietnamese lounge singer' in the 2005 film Little Fish, and covered Gene Pitney's "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" for the soundtrack. In the 2006 New Year Honours, Runga was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to music.

In November 2008, Runga released Try to Remember Everything which is a collection of unreleased, new and rare Bic Runga recordings from 1996 to 2008. The album was certified Gold in New Zealand on 14 December 2008, selling over 7,500 copies.

Runga contributed to the score and soundtrack to New Zealand filmmaker Roseanne Liang's debut feature film My Wedding and Other Secrets (2011). In addition to featuring "Say After Me" from Birds, the film also included two tracks ("Hello Hello" and "This Girl's Prepared for War") from her fourth album Belle.

Belle was released in November 2011. Runga completed a 17 date tour across New Zealand and 13 dates across Ireland, United Kingdom and Australia.

A greatest hits album, Anthology, was released on 1 December 2012.

In June 2015, Runga released a new single titled "Dreamed a Dream". This was a collaboration with Hollie Fullbrook of Tiny Ruins, with whom she toured New Zealand in June and July 2015. As well as solo performances by both artists, these shows included covers of songs by Simon & Garfunkel, Yoko Ono, Francoise Hardy, Donovan and Fleetwood Mac.

In October 2016, it was announced that Runga would release an album of consisting of ten covers and two original tracks titled Close Your Eyes. "Close Your Eyes" was released on 14 October 2016 as a single.

In November 2016, Runga was inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame. Recorded Music CEO Damian Vaughan said "Bic is one of our most loved and treasured recording artists, her songs are instantly recognizable and have been part of the fabric of New Zealand for more than 20 years. We're honoured to present Bic with the 2016 Legacy Award and induct her into the NZ Music Hall of Fame".

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