Do you remumba?

There was once a time when Samantha Mumba was kind of a big deal. Why? Well without sounding terribly politically incorrect, she was black and she was Irish.

You see Ireland wasn't, and still isn't, as racially diverse as the UK or US. That's not to say we we're all horribly racist over here; it's just our black, Asian and foreign national communities have only significantly risen in the last ten years or so. 

So when our top, and arguably only, pop princess of the time was a black girl, it showed us that Ireland was changing; and we felt proud, very proud indeed.

Colour aside, I don't think Samantha Mumba is given enough credit for the pretty epic pop music she provided us with during her short musical career.

Six singles in two years. But they also happened to be six little gems.

My personal favourite was the raunchy, 'Body II Body', where Mumba proved you could sample the legend that is David Bowie, and make it sound catchy and contemporary.

But the song we're always gonna best remember Sam for is her debut, 'Gotta Tell You'.

This tune showed us Sam wasn't your average popstar. And during a time when pop music was becoming overcrowded with blonde American clones called 'Britney' and 'Christina', or even worse, 'Jessica' and 'Mandy'. Samantha was a breath of fresh air, but more importantly, a breath of fresh IRISH air.

Sometime in 2002, Samantha fucked off to the States to play some sort of creature in a film called, 'The Time Machine'. We were lead to believe that she was en route to becoming a Hollywood superstar. But, alas, we were lied to.

More recently she returned to the UK to appear in the critically acclaimed reality television masterpiece, 'Dancing On Ice'. Unfortunately, she didn't prove too popular with viewers, and with reports that her diva-like behaviour was wearing thin with producers as well, she was voted off the show in Week 3.

Apparently Sam has an album coming out this year. My source for this is Wikipedia so it may not be entirely credible, and what with it being November already the chances are slim, but if it is true, I for one will listen and hope that Ireland's most talented black musician (aside from Phil Lynnot*) is going to make a welcome return to the business we call 'show'.

Until then, lets not remember her for 'The Time Machine' or 'Dancing on Ice' or for wearing a diamond-encrusted spider-web dress to a premiere. 


Let us all remember her for 'Gotta Tell You', one of the most amazing debut singles from a popstar. Ever.

*Debatable.

She also a released a remixed version of 'Gotta Tell You' in 2008, see below, but it's probably better for everyone if we forget about that travesty and just listen to the original.