8. Jill ScottWoman

So you didn’t get to hear much American music while you were growing up in Mali?

No, no. Not like this. How do you call it? Neo-Soul. I had a chance to listen to pop music: Beyoncé, Destiny’s Child. But Jill Scott – her vocals are very strong technically. I love her. I like her smile and I like how she plays with her voice. She knows what she’s doing, she has control of her voice. I needed those ladies for my own projects. I’m very curious, I like to learn new stuff every day. I learnt a lot from Jill Scott, in terms of technical skills.