| Louise Setara | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Louise Setara |
| Born | 21 August 1988 |
| Origin | Reading, Berkshire, England |
| Genres | Pop / Soul |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Labels | Manhattan Records / EMI (2004-present) |
Louise Setara, born Louise Smith (Reading, Berkshire, England, 1988) is an English singer-songwriter. Her first album, Still Waters, was released by Manhattan Records/EMI in February 2007.
Setara decided to become a singer at the age of seven, after performing at a wedding party with a member of The Drifters. When she was fifteen years old, she signed a management contract with Kwame Kwaten, who had worked with Mick Jagger and Seal. She chose the name Setara, from sithara, meaning "little star" in Punjabi.[1]
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Setara was born in Reading, England, where she was homeschooled by her mother, Lorraine. She decided at the age of seven that she wanted to become a professional singer, when a member of The Drifters performed at a wedding she was attending and invited her on stage to sing "My Girl" with him.[1]
Setara was signed up at the age of 15 by producer Kwame Kwaten, who spotted her at a talent contest. Her singing style is described as a mixture of soul and gospel. She wrote her first song, "Wrong Again," with composers Peter Gordeno and Chris Porter. Another of the tracks on Still Waters is performed with the South African group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and "Can't Stop the River" was written by Seal. The album was chosen as "Album of the Week" by the BBC's Radio 2 in January 2007.[2]
Setara released her debut single, an EP, "Can't Stop the River" in the UK on 27 November 2006 without a music video. Unknown to her, it was also given to Duncan James and Guy Sebastian to record. She eventually released her original recording of the song after both artists had released their versions of "Can't Stop the River", re-titled "Can't Stop a River".
Louise supported Lionel Richie on his UK tour in 2007.
A download-only single, "Wrong Again," was released on 29 January 2007 and as a full single later in 2007.