Lianne La Havas

Lianne Charlotte Barnes , known professionally as Lianne La Havas, is a Londonborn British folk and soul singer, songwriter and multiinstrumentalist. Her career began after being introduced to various musicians and singer Paloma Faith, for whom she sang backing vocals. In 2010, La Havas signed to Warner Bros. Records, spending two years developing her songwriting skills before releasing any music publicly. La Havas debut album, Is Your Love Big Enough , was released to positive reviews from critics and earned her a nomination for the BBCs Sound of 2012 poll and awards for the iTunes Album of The Year 2012.

La Havas was born in London, England, to a Greek father and Jamaican mother. She was raised in Tooting and Streatham, spending the majority of her time with her grandparents after her parents separated. La Havas began singing at seven, and cites her parents diverse musical tastes as having the biggest influence on her music. Her father, an accomplished multiinstrumentalist, taught her the basics of guitar and piano. Lianne wrote her first song at the age of 11, but did not learn to play the guitar until she wasyears old. Lianne sang in her school choir. She attended Norbury Manor Business and Enterprise College for Girls in Thornton Heath where she studied art Alevel, and had planned to take an art foundation course before she decided to leave college to pursue a career in music fulltime. Although born Lianne Barnes, her stage name is an adaptation derived from her Greek father Henry Vlahavass surname. She lives in London.

Source: Wikipedia