Hollywood Celebrities

Nelly Furtado played her first real shows after signing a record deal last year at the tender age of 20. "I did four Lilith Fair dates, and for the encore, everyone who performed that day would get onstage and sing [Bob Dylan's] 'I Shall Be Released.' I was singing with Chrissie Hynde and Sarah McLachlan and Beth Orton," she says, still incredulous. "It was like a dream. I just kept thinking, What am I doing here with all these seasoned pros?'" It's a reasonable question for an untested artist who grew up in remote Victoria, British Columbia, a first-generation Canadian, the daughter of working-class Portuguese parents. Furtado has indeed taken only the first few steps along her path, but her wide-ranging taste suggests an artist who has sampled much that music has to offer.