Lamya

Born in the country of Oman, Lamya was raised in Kenya and then educated in England and Egypt. Singing before she could talk, Lamya (pronounced "lamb-ya") was a classically trained opera singer and vocalist. After watching an interview with Madonna from New York City, Lamya ran away to New York to pursue her musical career. After going from dance club to dance club and asking to sing, she caught her first break in New York City in 1991. Singing lead vocals on "Break 4 Love" by DJ Vaughn Mason, the song led to her singing lead vocals for Soul II Soul. From there, Lamya joined Duran Duran on tour and also performed with David Bowie and James Brown. In 2002, Lamya released her debut album, Learning From Falling. Singing, producing, and composing all of her own songs, the five-octave singer used poems written since age 11 as lyrical content. Lamya has been compared to Björk and Kate Bush in her style and vocal abilities. She has also appeared on The Tonight Show.