My self-imposed mandate is to be the voice for the voiceless.

Healthy children are born from healthy, respected, well-nourished and educated mothers and it is imperative that they have a voice in the decisions which affect them. If you empower a mother and let her have her say towards a poverty-free future, the positive impact this would have on ending hunger will be immense.

I look at the careers of people I'm standing on the shoulders of. People like Lena Horne, Ella Fitzgerald, Sammy Davis Jr., and Sarah Vaughan. These are icons I wanted to emulate, and I feel like they've been holding me up for quite a long time.

It is frustrating to be a Black woman in the entertainment industry.

Do you know that other than my father, I've never had a man take care of me?

Every time we buy a CD or download a song, the artist is paid for their work. You might not know that this isn't the case when a musician's work is played on the radio.

I try to be cognisant of when and how and what I eat and get as much rest as I possibly can, as that helps the vocal cords.