Turn It Up (Flashback): Martika - Toy Soldiers + News

This is a bit of a two for one sale. Not only do you get the stunning music video above for Martika's 1989 hit Toy Soldiers, but I also bring you new album and single news from the Lady herself.

For those of you who don't know much about Martika (born Marta Marrero), her career in show business really got it's start in the early 80's when, after a small role as one of the orphan's in the 1982 film version of the musical Annie, she was cast as Gloria in the long running kids show "Kids Incorporated" (which has turned out stars like Jennifer Love Hewitt, Mario Lopez, and Stacey "Fergie" Ferguson). The show featured it's young cast in a variety of musical numbers in between the storylines, and it wasn't long before Martika was signed to Columbia Records and released her self-titled debut album in the fall of 1988. Her first album spawned the hits "Toy Soldiers" (seen above), "More Than You Know", and her cover of Carole King's "I Feel The Earth Move".

Her second album, 1991's "Martika's Kitchen", was produced in part by Prince but did not break into the US Billboard 100 chart and after three single releases Martika pretty much disappeared from the limelight.

In the subsequent years, Martika teamed up with her husband, musician Michael Mozart, to form the band "Oppera" who independently released two rock inspired latin pop records, 2004's "Violince" and 2005's "Oppera", and also starred in and co-produced the web-based television program "J8ded" under the moniker "Vida Edit".

Which brings us to the present day. Dropping the moniker Vida Edit and returning to her original stage name, Martika is ready to take the music world by storm again with the release of her new album "The Mirror Ball" which will be released on February 12th of this year, and the first single "Flow With The Go", being released next week, on January 12th. I'm very excited for this release and the tour that is promised by the woman herself to come with it, and with that news in place I decided to add her world announcement video so we can all hear it from her own lips. What a great start to a new year. If you want to keep up with all things Martika, visit her official website www.martikamartika.com or join her official facebook page or follow her on twitter @MartikaTunes.