Three voices inspire me. They come from different worlds, and each one shows what a voice can be when artistry is complete.
Whitney Houston
The first is Whitney Houston. I love her unique voice, her incredible range and her outstanding vocal technique. She grew up in Newark, New Jersey, singing in church long before she entered a recording studio, and that foundation stayed present in everything she sang. Her range reached across roughly four octaves, and she carried it with a purity of tone and a command of breath that made the most demanding phrases sound effortless. She was one of the singers who brought melisma into the centre of popular music, shaping a single syllable into an entire line of feeling.
Skeng
The second is Skeng. He is a rapper, and I love the warm, deep timbre of his voice. I also really like how he accents certain words and uses them to create rhythm and complement the beat. Born Kevon Douglas in Spanish Town, Jamaica, he rose to prominence in the early 2020s within a style that brings dancehall and trap together. His delivery is built on cadence, weight and precision, so the voice sits inside the rhythm rather than above it, working as part of the groove itself.
Maria Callas
The last is Maria Callas, an opera singer who really inspires me. Her voice is warm and powerful at the same time, and she performs with such elegance. Born in New York to Greek parents and trained in Athens, she returned much of the bel canto repertoire to the stage and gave it a dramatic truth it had lost. Every phrase she sang carried meaning, shaped by diction so exact that the words arrived before the emotion did. She was both an incredible singer and an actress, and for me she represents the highest level of artistry.