Imany

Born on 5 April 1979 in Martigues into a family of ten children of Comorian origin, Nadia Mladjao grew up on the Istres air base, where she discovered singing in a choir. Scouted as a model at 17, she left for New York and landed contracts including with Calvin Klein, before growing tired of the industry. Discovering Tracy Chapman's "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution" pushed her to become a singer under the name Imany, meaning "my faith" in Arabic. She writes and sings in English, favoring a soul, folk, and blues aesthetic. Her debut album, "The Shape of a Broken Heart" (2011), certified platinum thanks to the success of "You Will Never Know," revealed a deep, haunting voice that has become one of the most recognizable in French music.