Latest news with #SamanthaMumba
BBC News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Samantha Mumba's Gotta Tell You: From 'obnoxious teen' to pop fame
In the summer of 2000, a 17-year-old Dublin girl emerged with a debut single that would redefine the perception of Irish pop was a voice a far cry from the ethereal, mega-selling Celtic sounds of Enya; the pop-meets-Irish trad mash-up of The Corrs; or slick boy-band contemporaries, like Westlife and Ronan Keating who, between them, had already notched multiple UK numbers ones that Samantha Mumba's Gotta Tell You was a sleek, radio-ready hit that climbed international charts and, almost 25 years ago to the day, introduced a confident and cool new voice to the noughties music that the woman herself remembers it that way. "I was an obnoxious little teenager," she said with a laugh. "I don't really think I had a clue what I was doing. I was just winging it and hoping for the best." Winging it is one way to put it - Mumba followed Gotta Tell You with more hits, including the Davie Bowie-sampling Body II Body; a debut album that entered the top ten in UK and Ireland; and a starring role in a Hollywood blockbuster The Time Machine with Guy Pierce. It was a meteoric ascent. But subsequent years proved to be a bruising education in the music business, from record label problems to an unsuccessful bid to represent Ireland at Eurovision earlier this that Mumba is all about looking back."This is my new chapter to do anything and everything that I want to do," she said."I've got so much drive, I'm a hard worker and up for the challenge." From stage school to pop fame Born in Dublin in 1983, Mumba's musical journey began when she was three and her parents enrolled her at the Billie Barry Stage School for dance key musical influences took hold early - Whitney Houston, Toni Braxton and her "obsession" Michael Jackson."I used to write him letters. I remember being sent a letter back from the Neverland Ranch - to this day, I'm devastated we don't have it any more." Performing in stage productions until she was 15, she attracted plenty of attention."Back then you didn't really very often see young black girls on stage in Dublin. I was young and I had a big voice, and so I started getting a lot of press. I was very lucky in that regard," she industry soon came knocking and she was invited to a meeting with the Spice Girls' producers, which later led her to future manager Louis for his success with Westlife and Boyzone, Mumba admits she was "definitely a different project" for the future X Factor judge. 'We were making something special' After signing a deal with Polydor Records, Mumba set about recording her debut with heavyweight producers like Dave Pensado, Teddy Riley and Stargate. She built a "big rapport" with the team behind Gotta Tell You - and it was soon apparent they were doing something right."You can feel when you're making something special, and I'll never forget it... we all were like: 'Oh God, no, wait, this is really, really special.'"I still stand by that song to this day. I still feel like it could be released now." First released in Ireland on 2 June 2000, the single quickly shot up the charts, peaking at number four in the United States, and clearing the top three in Australia, New Zealand and the still remembers her surprise."Are you kidding me? I was beyond shocked. I just couldn't get my head around it."I remember being in a bubble and doing tonnes of press, but that didn't really compute with me, I was still a teenager." Race 'just wasn't a thing' The cultural significance of her rise also didn't immediately register with the new-born into an interracial marriage, Mumba was giving people something they had rarely heard before - an Irish accent on a famous black "just wasn't a thing" for her then, but now, at 42, she said it blows her mind. "When girls send me messages or I meet them and they say how much it meant to them to see me, and that they looked like me... that just means so much," she said."I wasn't raised with race being significant, obviously I am a black woman now and I have a black daughter and I'm very aware of the significance of representation, and the importance of that."I'm just grateful I got to be that for anybody, because I certainly didn't have that growing up." Mumba's debut album came out in October 2000, making her contemporaries the likes of Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Destiny's a string of successful singles, she set about recording a follow-up while also juggling commitments such as her role in The Time Machine opposite Guy Pierce and a collaboration with Damian Marley. But, Mumba's sophomore album - Woman - never saw the light of day."I kind of got caught in between when all the labels merged," she said. "I was frozen, I couldn't be released from my label, but they wouldn't release music at that time."If I had to go back and do it all over again, I would, just with better attorneys and kind of industry savvy," she laughed. Instead, Mumba was "ready to be a normal girl" - she moved to Los Angeles, in an effort to "live a little bit and grow up". On her return to the stage in recent years, Mumba said she is trying to adapt to a very different rise of social media and streaming has been an advantage "because it's taken a lot of the power away from the labels", she said, adding she can now release music without expectation, connect with people instantly and shut down any untrue rumours."I remember things would be written about me in newspapers and there was nothing I could do. Whereas [now] you can just laugh and nix it immediately." Samantha Mumba and Eurovision: 'Zero regrets' Indeed, social media was to the fore when Mumba's emoji-loaded post criticising Ireland's Eurovision selection process made headlines earlier this year. Mumba, who came second with her track My Way, questioned some of the judging panel's credentials for the Eurosong hindsight, would she have reacted differently?"I stand 10 toes down, absolutely," she said. "I've been asked about [competing in Eurosong] for years and never at my age would I have thought I would consider doing a competition."So it was very personal for me. It was really more just about me pushing myself out of my comfort zone. I have zero regrets." Eurovision aspirations aside, Mumba said there is still "an awful lot more" she would like to been guest starring in Irish mystery-drama Harry Wild since 2023 and popping up on summer music festival bills, including Mighty Hoopla in London this evidently, are still drawn to the Dubliner and she's keen to get unreleased music from "back in the day" out to the public - although she wants to strike a balance."I'm constantly trying to teeter on, you know, 'are people over the old stuff? Do they want new stuff?'"For now, Mumba said she's happy to be riding the current wave of noughties nostalgia."It was a great time in all of our lives. Things were a lot simpler, easier, happier, and almost a lot more innocent," she reflected."I'm grateful that 25 years in people still stream the song and and come and see me perform. That's not lost on me at all. "But yeah, it it definitely feels like a lifetime ago."
Telegraph
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
I live near a festival site – and I love it
Brockwell Park stands at the southern end of Herne Hill in south London. Opened to the public in 1892, it still feels like a spirited reminder of Victorian philanthropy; a place where London's cultural and social divisions are eroded; a free space for joggers, tai chi practitioners, footballers, families and the occasional miscreant. In the early weeks of the pandemic, the park had to be closed due to fears of overcrowding – a sign that it's a part of everyone's lives. For many years, I have lived nearby. I've benefited from Brockwell's commanding views across the city, its lido, its beautiful walled garden. I have also been to the occasional music gig – and it's the site's use as a venue for festivals that has attracted so many headlines recently, and caused many of my neighbours much consternation. It sometimes feels as though the battle for Brockwell Park were being pitched as a battle for London's soul. In short: part of the park is closed off every year for about seven or eight weeks for a series of festivals known as Brockwell Live – this closure is for the setting-up, as well as the events themselves. The most high-profile festival is Mighty Hoopla, which brings together 2000s favourites such as Daniel Bedingfield, Samantha Mumba and Jamelia. The complainants have, inevitably, been branded Nimbys. I'm not so sure: for one thing, I'm sympathetic to their environmental concerns. The park is a haven for pipistrelles, Daubenton's bats and a variety of birds such as herons, and green-winged teals. Traffic, both human and automotive, increases horribly when major events are happening. Litter unfurls through the Victorian streets. And yet I don't oppose Brockwell Live. For one thing, I get a weird Proustian rush when I open my window and, if the wind is in the right direction, I hear the sound of Sugababes performing Push the Button. More seriously, we know that live music in Britain remains in a perilous position. The decline has been coming since the early 2000s, and was exacerbated horribly by the pandemic. In 2023, no fewer than 125 grass-roots venues closed in the UK, with escalating costs in the form of rent and utility bills the main cause. Last year, it was estimated that the music sector contributed £6.1 billion to the economy – not just because of ticket sales, but due to spending at the venue and in the local environment. Big tours, such as those undertaken by Coldplay, accounted for three-quarters of the total. But no one in that echelon plays at Brockwell Park – apart from Kneecap, who appear this weekend at Wide Awake Festival, – but they may be the Coldplays of tomorrow, and they need to hustle: their careers are reliant on events such as these, particularly in an age when streaming has critically reduced artists' revenues. The reduction of live music venues in London has also been catastrophic for youngsters who want to discover new artists, or even just have a good time. In the late 1990s, the landscape was filled with a mix of emerging talent and established names. You could crawl along Camden High Street on a Thursday night and catch five different bands (or so it seemed). I wonder how many of those venues still exist. My favourite, The Falcon, a wonderfully dingy hub for shoegazers and hyperactive indie kids, was situated on Royal College Street: it has long gone. Today, a festival at a London park feels about as close to the live experience I was lucky enough to have nearly 30 years ago. Of course, even these festivals aren't what they once were. Brockwell Live is promoted by Superstruct, a multinational company which is in turn owned by KKR, a global investment firm. This is a long way from the heyday of the rackety independent festival. Some vanished events sound rather wonderful: I would have loved to attend the Anti-Heroin Festival at Crystal Palace Park in 1985, when Hawkwind and Spear of Destiny shared the stage with Dame Vera Lynn. Brockwell Park, too, has had its fair share of politically themed events, notably Rock Against Racism in 1978 and 1979, when attendance is thought to have been in excess of 150,000 (these were, of course, free). Mighty Hoopla's current capacity is less than 20 per cent of this. So let the music play? Brockwell Live announced earlier this week that the festivals would go ahead despite a successful legal challenge from a local campaign group. Yet certain things do need to change: I would argue that, given environmental concerns, the capacity should be reduced, and also that Superstruct should pledge a considerable donation to the Music Venue Trust. Live music is crucial to Britain's cultural infrastructure – but it's ever more becoming a tale of haves and have-nots.
The Irish Sun
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘This is what I do for a living', rages RTE star reigniting Samantha Mumba Eurovision row & defending ‘honest' actions
DANCING With The Stars judge Arthur Gourounlian has hit back at Samantha Mumba after she blasted him and other Eurosong judges for their "unnecessarily rude and vile" comments. 5 Arthur Gourounlian has reignited the Eurovision row with Samantha Mumba Credit: Sportsfile - Subscription 5 Samantha Mumba raged about comments made on her performance during the RTE Eurosong Credit: RTE 5 The Eurosong judging panel consisted of Arthur, Laura Fox , Donal Skehan and Bambi Thug The Irish panel, made of TV chef judge and last year's Irish Eurovision entrant Mumba lost out on a chance to represent In an online rant, unhappy Sam insisted the judges — apart from Bambie — weren't 'factually qualified for the job' and were 'a bunch of absolute bozos'. Irate Samantha also branded them 'unnecessarily rude and vile' and said she hoped they 'choke on a bag of gone off d****.' Read more on Eurovisionn Singling out choreographer Arthur, she said he was 'a dancer with no formal training critiquing a song/songwriting contest is laughable at best'. But Arthur told The Irish Sun: 'My CV speaks for itself. I am not going to boast about it. 'I'm a nice person and what happened with Samantha wasn't nice. If you go on a show like Eurosong, you expect to be criticised, and if you don't want to be criticised, don't go on. 'No one forced Samantha in that competition. I am judge on TV. This is what I do for a living and I have to be honest. Most read in News TV 'But I had nothing against Sam. It was the song she sang and we were judging a song for the Eurovision Song Contest.' Despite the flak, Arthur, 44, said he would judge on Eurosong again because he feels part of the legacy of the competition having worked with Eurovision winners. Judge's blown away by Emmy's performance He said: 'If RTE asked me to come back and judge on Eurosong. I would do it in a shot'. Arthur was speaking at a promotional event for Newbridge Silverware launching their brand-new Legendary Blue Box campaign — a tribute to timeless style and craftsmanship. His husband Brian said: 'Arthur trained himself. He was living in "So he trained himself. It didn't stop him touring the world with so many amazing people.' SUPPORT SHOWN Following the row, some of the other Eurosong contestants came out in support of Mumba after her tirade at the panel. In the aftermath of the contest, songwriter Reylta, 25, likened the panel to a bunch of mean girls 'trying to outdo each other' with their put-downs. 'HAD TO CONSOLE PEOPLE' She told 'We were telling each other, 'Don't listen to them, what they're saying is not true.' 'I had to console people and other people tried to console me.' Unhappy Reylta said the judges could have given their comments 'with a bit more dignity'. NO REGRETS She added: 'It felt like a couple of girls talking away to each other in a bar, like the people weren't right behind the curtain listening.' But rising star Reylta — dubbed Alt-Folk Queen — said she had no regrets about taking part in Eurosong and had been well treated by RTE. And Ireland's Eurovision Song Contest rep Emmy also said she was 'scared' of the Irish judges. Emmy said: 'I love 'And because we are humans with feelings. . . we have feelings, even though we put ourselves out there so panels – when music is what we do – make comments, it can be really scary, yeah, because we have feelings.' 5 Emmy was selected to represent Ireland at the Eurovision in Basel, Switzerland Credit: Splash News 5 Some Eurosong contestant backed Samantha Mumba after the row Credit: Andres Poveda LTD
Extra.ie
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Eurovision hopeful Emmy says she was ‘scared' of Eurosong judges
Eurovision Song Contest hopeful Emmy Kristiansen has said she was 'scared' of the Irish judges who sent her through to represent the country, which jointly holds the most wins with Sweden. The 24-year-old Norwegian singer was voted through as the 2025 Ireland Eurovision representative after performing her song Laika Party – about a dog that was sent into space by the Russians – on RTÉ's The Late Late Show. Samantha Mumba, 42, the Dublin singer and actress known for smash hits including Gotta Tell You and Body II Body, strongly criticised the judging in February, saying the panel 'were unnecessarily rude' to the finalists, after she entered with My Way for Basel 2025. Emmy has revealed she was 'scared' of the Eurosong judges Pic: Andres Poveda Emmy told the PA news agency: 'I love Samantha, we are good friends, and I feel like… I was also scared of the panel. 'And because we are humans with feelings… we have feelings, even though we put ourselves out there, so panels – when music is what we do – make comments, it can be really scary, yeah, because we have feelings.' The panel, made up of TV chef Donal Skehan, Dancing With The Stars judge Arthur Gourounlian, radio presenter Laura Fox and last year's Eurovision entrant Bambie Thug, who came sixth in Malmo, all suggested that Ms Mumba's song could be better. Donal Skehan previously hit back at claims from Samantha Mumba that he had the other judges did 'not have the credentials' to be judges Ms Mumba posted online saying they did not have the 'credentials' to judge, and she stood by her 'art', with Skehan responding that her post was 'entirely understandable in such a high-stakes competition', but defending his background – which included entering the Irish competition and being behind hit singles. Emmy also said it was 'so crazy hard to believe' that she has gone from being a TikTok star to performing in front of audiences, alongside her brother Erlend Guttulsrud Kristiansen aiding her performance. Emmy will make her Eurovision debut during the second semi-final next Thursday on RTÉ2 Pic: The Late Late Show via YouTube 'It's a huge honour, and we're just so grateful,' she said. 'I feel like it's almost an even bigger honour to represent another country. I'm so, so, so grateful and happy for the support of the Irish people. That really means a lot.' She also called the experience a 'childhood dream', shared by her brother, and said she hopes that the song helps move away from the 'really traumatising' true story of Laika. The two-year-old dog's flight to space on November 3 1957 paved the way for human missions, but despite surviving in orbit, the hound was soon dead. Emmy said: 'I'm such a big animal lover; if I see a fly drown, I try to save it. So to hear about a dog that was sent out in space all alone, to die, it just broke my heart and I wanted to create a scenario where she gets to be happy and alive instead.' Emmy will perform in the second Eurovision semi-final next Thursday, May 15 – representing Ireland, which has had seven wins at the contest.
BreakingNews.ie
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
Eurovision star Emmy was ‘scared' of Irish judges
Eurovision Song Contest hopeful Emmy Kristiansen has said she was 'scared' of the judges who sent her through to represent Ireland in the competition. The 24-year-old Norwegian singer was voted through as the 2025 Ireland Eurovision representative after performing her song Laika Party – about a dog sent into space by the Russians – on RTÉ's The Late Late Show. Advertisement Samantha Mumba, the Irish actress and singer who appeared in a movie based on HG Wells' The Time Machine of the same name, criticised the judging in February, saying they 'were unnecessarily rude' to the finalists, after she entered with My Way for Basel 2025. Eurovision Song Contest hopeful Emmy Kristiansen will represent Ireland (Andres Poveda/PA) Emmy told the PA news agency: 'I love Samantha, we are good friends, and I feel like … I was also scared of the panel. 'And because we are humans with feelings … we have feelings, even though we put ourselves out there so (if) panels – when music is what we do – make comments, it can be really scary, yeah, because we have feelings.' The Irish panel, made of Donal Skehan, a TV chef, Dancing With The Stars judge Arthur Gourounlian, radio presenter Laura Fox and last year's Irish Eurovision entrant Bambie Thug, who came sixth in Malmö, all suggested that Mumba's work could be elevated. Advertisement Mumba posted that they did not have the 'credentials' to judge, and she stood by her 'art.' Skehan responded that her post was 'entirely understandable in such a high-stakes competition', but defended his background, which included entering the Irish competition and being behind hit singles. RTÉ said that the panel's feedback was done in a 'thoughtful and considered way'. Emmy also said it was 'so crazy hard to believe' that she has gone from being a TikTok star to performing in front of audiences, alongside her brother Erlend Guttulsrud Kristiansen, aiding her performance. 'It's a huge honour, and we're just so grateful,' she said. Advertisement 'I feel like it's almost an even bigger honour to represent another country. I'm so, so, so grateful and happy for the support of the Irish people. That really means a lot.' She also called the experience a 'childhood dream', shared by her brother, and said she hopes that the song helps move away from the 'really traumatising' true story of Laika. Emmy Kristiansen rehearsing her song with her brother (Corinne Cumming/EBU/PA) Emmy said: 'I'm such a big animal lover, if I see a fly drown, I try to save it. So to hear about a dog that was sent out in space all alone, to die, it just broke my heart, and I wanted to create a scenario where she gets to be happy and alive instead.' The two-year-old dog's flight to space on November 3rd, 1957, paved the way for human space missions, and despite surviving in orbit, she was soon dead. Advertisement Reports at the time said she was euthanised after a week, but conflicting stories after the Soviet collapse claimed Laika apparently died of overheating after only a few hours into her journey outside the Earth's atmosphere. Emmy was asked about the controversies at Eurovision last year, and Bambie accusing organisers of not supporting them over a row with Israel. View this post on Instagram A post shared by EMMY🤍 (@emmykgk00) She said: 'I hope that Eurovision can be a place where everyone can feel safe and happy and maybe like an escape from reality, celebrating music, because I used to say that my biggest job as an artist is to bring comfort and happiness to everyone that I can – especially in hard times.' The singer spoke before RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst revealed he has written to the organisers, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to ask for a 'discussion' on Israel's inclusion amid the war in Gaza. Advertisement The EBU has said it appreciated there are concerns about the 'current conflict in the Middle East' and remains 'in constant contact with those participating this year'. Emmy, who took part in the St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin in March, also said she has 'two goals for Eurovision, and that is to try to do my best and to make Ireland proud'. She also revealed her favourite Irish entry was Jedward, the singing twins John and Edward Grimes, who came eighth in 2011 and 19th in 2012 in the competition. Emmy will perform in the second Eurovision semi-final on May 15th, as she represents Ireland, which has had seven wins at the contest.
