Samantha Mumba

Samantha Mumba
Mumba in 2009
Background information
Birth name Samantha Tamania Anne Cecilia Mumba
Born (1983-01-18) 18 January 1983
Dublin, Ireland
Genres Dance-pop, R&B
Occupation(s)

• Singer

• songwriter

• dancer

• actress

• fashion model

• TV presenter
Years active 1999–Present
Labels
• Universal

• Polydor

• Interscope

• A&M

Associated acts

• *NSYNC

• Aaron Carter

• MNEK

• Omero Mumba

Samantha Tamania Anne Cecilia Mumba[1] (born 18 January 1983) is an Irish singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, fashion model and TV Presenter.

She shot to fame in 2000 with the release of her debut single "Gotta Tell You", which reached the Top 10 in Ireland, United Kingdom and the United States. In the US, it charted at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, making her one of the youngest, highest debuting female soloists, in the history of the chart.

Gotta Tell You has since been listed in Billboard's 100 Catchiest Choruses of the 21st Century! [2]

Internationally, she sold over 5 million copies of her debut album, Gotta Tell You, which became one of the biggest and fastest selling debut albums of the 2000's. In addition, she's had 5 top 10 hits in 17 countries and was nominated for a Grammy.

After a relatively short music career, she went on to pursue an acting career. Her film debut was in the 2002 film The Time Machine. She has also appeared in a number of Irish independent films.[3]

In early 2017, she participated in a Celebrity Version of MasterChef Ireland and went on to fill in as co-host on The 6 O'Clock Show, while Lucy Kennedy took maternity leave.

In 2018, she made her comeback onto British television, firstly as a guest and then a panellist on Loose Women.

Following recent rumours of Samantha renewing her publishing deal with Warner Chappell and returning to music, she finally confirmed she's back in the studio. She took to Instagram to share a photo of her, in a recording booth, collaborating with MNEK.

Early life and education

Mumba was born in Dublin, Ireland.[4] Her father, Peter Mumba, is from Zambia and was formerly an aircraft engineer;[5] her mother is Irish. Mumba attended Dublin's Billie Barry Stage School from the age of three to fifteen.

When Mumba was 15 she was discovered on a RTÉ TV talent show Let Me Entertain You by Irish music executive Louis Walsh (manager of Boyzone and Westlife). Walsh was impressed by her talent and she was signed to Polydor Records.

She subsequently spent several months moving between Denmark, Sweden, the UK and Ireland, where she co-wrote and recorded her debut album, Gotta Tell You. She eventually dropped out of school to focus on her music career, explaining that it was becoming difficult to stay in school and work on her music.[6]

Career

Mumba sings contralto.[7] Her first single, Gotta Tell You, was released in 2000 and reached No. 1 in the Irish charts. It later reached No. 2 in the British charts. She also had success in the US, with the song peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, making her one of the youngest, highest debuting female soloists, in the history of the chart.

The album Gotta Tell You stayed on the charts for six months and was eventually certified platinum for sales of 1 million copies in the UK.

Six more Top 10 hits followed in the UK and she had two further hits on the Billboard Hot 100, with four top 20 hits on the Billboard Pop Songs and Billboard Club Play charts.

Another hit from this album was Baby, Come Over (This Is Our Night), a remixed version of Baby, Come on Over and features on the US edition of the album, which was then nominated for a Grammy for Best Remixed (Non-Classical) Recording.

To date, her first album has sold over 5 million copies worldwide. In 2001, Mumba contributed to the track "You Raise Me Up" by The Celtic Tenors. An EP titled Samantha Sings Christmas was released at Christmas 2001, which featured covers of White Christmas and All I Want For Christmas Is You. Samantha Sings Christmas also serves as a bonus disc on rare special editions of Gotta Tell You.

In 2001, following her international success with Gotta Tell You, Arnold Leibovit picked her to play Mara in The Time Machine. She co-starred with Guy Pearce and her real-life brother, Omero.

Mumba's second venture into films was in 2003, where she appeared in the film Spin the Bottle.

In 2001, Mumba and fellow teen star Aaron Carter performed a concert at Disney MGM Studios for the Disney Channel titled Aaron Carter and Samantha Mumba in Concert. She performed Gotta Tell You, Baby Come on Over, and Don't Need You To. A year later, she and Carter also appeared on an episode of All That.

In 2002, Mumba released a new single "I'm Right Here" with a laid-back sound. The video features Damian Marley, son of Bob Marley. The single became Mumba's fifth UK top 5 single and her fifth top 40 single in Ireland and her fourth Billboard Hot 100 hit.

Rumors circulated that Mumba was getting ready to release a second album, Woman and that due to the poor sales of the lead single "I'm Right Here" in the US and a short lived time on the UK chart, she was dropped from her label. However, Mumba has since confirmed she was unable to release any new material anyway, due to contract restrictions following the restructure of Polydor Records, which resulted in her being dropped.

She also stated on the Late Late Show (3 February 2007) that there never was a second album, and the tracks leaked on the internet were attempts by her to find a new sound.

In December 2005, she collaborated with Filipino singer Jay R to sing Just the Way You Are.

On 23 October 2006, a compilation album, The Collection, was released. The album features songs from Gotta Tell You, B-sides and two new tracks including her single "I'm Right Here".

On 17 January 2008, Mumba appeared on UK daytime TV show Loose Women. After discussing her time away from the music scene, and her appearance on ITV reality TV show Dancing on Ice, which ended after three weeks, the singer stated that she had almost finished recording a new album, and hoped it would be released in summer 2008.

Irish DJ Micky Modelle made a remix of Mumba's hit song "Gotta Tell You" and Mumba re-recorded some of the vocals to fit the song. A video for it was filmed in London and Belfast and was premiered in June 2008. The song charted at Number 36 on the UK Dance Chart.

In a 2009 interview, Mumba suggested that the new album would be released early in 2010, but it never surfaced and in late 2010, Mumba confirmed she would no longer be releasing new material and would be concentrating on her acting career.

On June 2013, Mumba confirmed her comeback on Twitter. On 16 August 2013 she appeared on the RTÉ television show The Hit to compete for a spot in the show's final. The song selected for chart battle was "Somebody Like Me" which was released on iTunes immediately afterwards and will compete against "Thinking of You" by Irish band Republic of Loose. The song peaked at number 5 on the Irish Singles Chart, marking her first hit single in 11 years since "I'm Right Here" in 2002.

On June 25, 2015, Mumba made an appearance in 4 Dame Lane, which was described as "fierce glam altogether".

In early 2017, she participated in a Celebrity Version of MasterChef Ireland and went on to fill in as co-host on The 6 O'Clock Show, while Lucy Kennedy took maternity leave.

In 2018, she made her comeback onto British television, firstly as a guest and then a panellist on Loose Women.

Following recent rumours of Samantha renewing her publishing deal with Warner Chappell and returning to music, she finally confirmed she's back in the studio. She took to Instagram to share a photo of her, in a recording booth, collaborating with MNEK.

Modelling

Shortly after the success of Gotta Tell You, Mumba became the face of Reebok appearing in print advertising in the UK and Ireland for the Quest range.[8]

Around the same time, Mumba was also seen as the face of the fashion designer Louise Kennedy's spring/summer collection.[9]

In 2004, she chosen to model the World's Most Expensive Dress. A £5m diamond cobweb dress, created by Scott Henshall, which was showcased at the London premier for Spider-Man 2.

Shortly after, she became the face of Dior ambassador and launched the Dior Watch Collection in Ireland.

In 2005, Mumba modelled for the Ultimo Per Amore range, available exclusively at the Irish main-street chain Dunnes Stores.[10]

Personal life

She previously dated R&B singer Sisqó from 2004–2005.[11]

Mumba became engaged to policeman Torray Scales in June 2011.[12][13] The couple married in Los Angeles on 24 February 2012.[14] In September 2014, she announced that she was pregnant with her first child.[15]

In February 2015 she escaped uninjured from a three car pile-up in Los Angeles.[16]

On 3 March 2015 she gave birth to a baby daughter to whom Mumba and her husband gave the name of Sage.[17]

Discography

Filmography

Films

Television

Awards and nominations

References

  1. ↑ "RTÉ Two: The Cafe, Samantha Mumba". RTÉ News. 23 September 2005. Retrieved 28 May 2008.
  2. ↑ "Askmen.com: Samantha Mumba Profile". Archived from the original on 26 July 2008.
  3. ↑ Samantha Mumba filmography at the Internet Movie Database
  4. ↑ All Music Guide to Soul, p. 486. ISBN 978-0-87930-744-8.
  5. ↑ "Samantha Mumba Rift With Father". Showbiz Ireland. Retrieved 28 May 2008.
  6. ↑ "Samantha Mumba: Where did it all go wrong?". Irish Independent.
  7. ↑ Rock N Roll Gold Rush: A Singles Un-Cyclopedia, by Maury Dean
  8. ↑ ShowbizIreland: Samantha Mumba's Quest To Be J-LO retrieved 28 May 2008
  9. ↑ "Music3w.com: Samantha Mumba". Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 29 May 2008.
  10. ↑ "BreakingNews.ie - Irish News - Breaking News from Ireland". breakingnews.iol.ie.
  11. ↑ Lorna Nolan, "Loved-up Samantha won't watch ex Sisqo on CBB", Herald.ie, 6 January 2010.
  12. ↑ "Samantha Mumba admits she is terrified every time her LAPD officer husband goes to work". 16 July 2016.
  13. ↑ "Exclusive: "Gotta Tell You" Singer Samantha Mumba Is Engaged!" 23 August 2011, US Magazine
  14. ↑ "Gotta Tell You" Singer Samantha Mumba Marries – See Her Dress! 26 February 2012, US Magazine
  15. ↑ 'It's a GIRL': Samantha Mumba announces she's pregnant and expecting first child Archived 5 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine. 7 September 2014, GOSS.ie
  16. ↑ "Samantha Mumba in three-car pile up weeks before she is due to give birth". evoke.ie. 11 February 2015.
  17. ↑ "I'm a new Mum-ba! Joy for Samantha as daughter Baby Sage arrives". evoke.ie. 7 March 2015.
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