Samantha Tamayna Ann Cecilia Mumba, 18 January 1983, Drumcondra, Dublin, Eire. American dominance of the lucrative pop/R&B crossover market was threatened in 2000 by this highly talented singer-songwriter, who broke into the transatlantic Top 10 with her debut singles "Gotta Tell You" and "Body II Body". A talented actress as well as singer, Mumba attended Dublin's Billie Barry Stage School. Her education was interrupted in September 1998 when she landed the lead role in an adaptation of Gilbert And Sullivan's The Hot Mikado. Mumba's breakthrough into the music industry came about when she was introduced to Louis Walsh, manager of Irish pop stars Boyzone and Westlife, who helped secure the singer a deal with Polydor Records. 

Mumba wrote and recorded her debut album in several countries, but the end product sounded distinctly American in its adoption of a slickly-produced, pop/R&B sound. "Gotta Tell You" shot to the top of the Irish charts, but more importantly broke into the upper regions of the UK and US charts. "Body II Body", built around a hypnotic sample of David Bowie's "Ashes To Ashes', indicated that Mumba has a more natural affinity with the R&B market than the reigning queens of urban pop-lite, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. Mumba inaugurated her acting career in 2002 with a role in Simon Wells" adaptation of The Time Machine.

Credit: music.lycos.com