Sampda Sharma, who is better known by her stage man Samsaya, is a singer based out of Oslo, Norway. Originally born in the Himalayan foothill town of Hamirpur, India, Sharma's family immigrated to Norway when she was only eleven months of age. Growing up, Sharma was influenced by hip-hop, primarily the seminal rap album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back by Public Enemy. Sharma released her debut album, Shedding Skin, in 2004 and the LP's original blend of pop sensibilities met with traditional Indian sounds helped firmly root Sharma as a preeminent artist in the modern European music scene.
