19/06/2010

This week, Dermot has Saturday sessions from two female artists who don't bother with surnames, Nneka and Robyn.

The daughter of a Nigerian father and a German mother, Nneka Egbuna was born in Nigeria in the mid 70s. For nineteen years, she soaked up the sounds and rhythms of her birthplace, before relocating to Hamburg, Germany, to study for a degree in anthropology. Her debut album, Victim Of Truth, was released in 2007, drawing favourable comparisons with Lauryn Hill. Her new song, Viva Africa, features on the Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Album.

Robin Miriam Carlsson was born in Stockholm in 1979, discovered by a Swedish pop star at the age of 13, and immediately signed to the record label BMG. Her 1995 debut album saw her paired with Max Martin [who's produced hits for Backstreet Boys, Britney and Katy Perry] and she enjoyed success with the single Show Me Love. However, frustrated with the lack of artistic control on her first three albums, she retreated back to Stockholm, hooked up with electronic duo The Knife, and set up her own record label. 2007's eponymous album produced an international hit single, With Every Heartbeat, and she's now back with the first of three albums.