Samantha Mumba

Dublin, Ireland, is the unusual birthplace of teen sensation Samantha Mumba, whose urban style and American-accented singing makes her sound like TLC's little sister. Mumba dropped out of school when she was 17 to produce her first album, which contains musical stylings that sound like they were generated by someone much older. School itself was a great preparation for her musical career, however, because Mumba attended Dublin's Billie Barry Stage School from the time she was three to 15. That school also produced members of the British boy band Westlife and provided her with the beginnings of her education in showbiz. In 2000 she released her debut album on Polydor, Gotta Tell You, which featured heavy pop production and an aggressive, frank style which helped set her apart from the sea of teen stars.