Miss Platnum

German R&B singer Miss Platnum infuses her bold tracks with humor of a quirky and somewhat dark variety, one rooted in the difficult circumstances of her Romanian origins. During her childhood in what she refers to as "the vampire country," her parents escaped Romania's "corruption, brutality, pogroms, trafficking of women, the Mafia and criminal gangs threatening everybody" and settled in Germany. Because they withheld all details of the journey for fear their daughter might inadvertently reveal something to officials, the young Miss Platnum remained unaware of their whereabouts. She stayed behind with her grandparents until her parents, six months after their departure, returned for her and took her to their new home in Germany. Shaped by Romania's rigorous educational system, she was immediately labeled a nerd and turned to music as an escape. She performed with a church choir all through her teenage years, and at age 18 she joined a workshop led by legendary singer Jocelyn B. Smith. That experience evolved into an apprenticeship that molded her soulful approach. After working as a studio vocalist and background singer, she emerged as a solo artist via the single "Give Me the Food," a rallying cry for Rubenesque women, which appeared on her 2007 debut album, Chefa.