Francisca Urio, born on February 6, 1981, in Meiningen, Thuringia, East Germany, is a German singer of Afro-German heritage. Raised in Berlin, she was influenced by her father's R&B, Soul, and Pop music collection. Urio began performing at an early age and founded the band Silvashado in 1996. The group collaborated with artists like O-Town and Mary J. Blige. In 2007, Urio gained national recognition as a top 10 finalist on Deutschland sucht den Superstar. She released her debut album, Alpha Girl, on June 10, 2011, and won the prize for Best Newcomer 2011 at the White Nights of St.Petersburg festival.
