Gong Linna (chin. 龚琳娜, born 1975) is a Chinese singer. She studied at the China Conservatory of Music in Peking. In 2000 she was awarded "best singer" at the Chinese National Singing Competition. Gong Linna was born in Guiyang, Guizhou province (located in the Southwest of China). She first appeared on stage at the age of five. Since her early childhood she knew that she wanted to become a professional singer.
Maria Farantouri (Greek: Μαρία Φαραντούρη), born in Athens on 28 November 1947 is a Greek singer. She has collaborated with prominent Greek music composers such as Mikis Theodorakis (Μίκης Θεοδωράκης), who wrote the score for Pablo Neruda's Canto General, which Farantouri performed. During the military junta which ruled Greece until 1975 she colloborated with Mikis Theodorakis by recording protest songs in Europe.
Jazziz praised Brazilian guitarist Badi Assad (pronounced Bah-Jee Ah-Sahje) as "a virtuoso of the highest order" while Guitar Player pegged her as "fearless!" Wonderland, her second for Deutsche Grammophone is not only an album fantasy and hope; it is also a plea for some sanity in this insane world of ours. The CD touches on many taboo topics including rape, prejudice, child prostitution and loss of cultural identity.
Wunmi, real name Ibiwunmi Omotayo Olufunke Olaiya, is a singer, dancer and fashion designer. She was born in the United Kingdom, to Nigerian parents, but spent much of her childhood in Lagos, Nigeria. She worked with the band Soul II Soul, notably appearing as a dancer in the video for "Back To Life" (1989). Her debut single, "What a See (A Guy Called Gerald Mix)" was released in 1998, and her debut album A.L.A. (Africans Living Abroad) came out on the Documented record label in 2006.
Reem Kelani is a Diaspora Palestinian, born in Manchester and brought up in Kuwait. Initially influenced by the Jazz music her father used to play on his record player, a family wedding Reem attended in her maternal home in Galilee in the seventies sparked her interest in Palestinian music.
Aziza is a Saharawi from Western Sahara, born in a refugee camp in Algeria. At the age of 11 Aziza received a schoolarship to study in Cube where she spent seven years, before abandoning her studies in order to dedicate herself to music. She won the first prize in a national song competition in a cultural festival of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic - the self-proclaimed Saharawi state, exiled in the refugee camps and recognized by over 80 countries.
Abida Parveen (Urdu: عابدہ پروین), a Pakistani singer, is one of the foremost exponents of Sufi music. Her forte is the kafi and the ghazal, though she has also ventured into traditional male territory and sung qawwalis. She is known for her particularly stunning voice, as well as her vivid musical imagination. She has attained legendary status in the Indian Sub-Continent, especially within her home province of Sindh, Pakistan.
Souad Massi (Kabyle: Suɛad Masi, Arabic: سعاد ماسي) (born 23rd August 1972), is an Algerian of Kabyle descent, singer, songwriter and guitarist. She began her career performing in the Algerian political rock band Atakor, before leaving the country following a series of death threats. In 1999, Massi performed at the Femmes d'Algerie concert in Paris, which led to a recording contract with Island Records.