Imaani

Early life and first music steps

Nottingham-born singer Imaani found music very early. On her official website, she says school gave her the first push. Teachers chose her for the choir, and friends kept asking her to sing in the playground. Music also lived in her family. She watched her uncles rehearse in her grandmother’s basement and wanted to join them. Then she moved to London in her late teens. That change started her career. A chance meeting with a record producer led to her first recording. Her first paid job in entertainment was not even a song. She danced as a shadow in a Jocelyn Brown video. However, that small job opened the right door. Soon after that, Imaani stepped into the London studio world and began to build her name.

Early recordings before Eurovision

Her first known release came in 1995 with “Easin’ My Mind” by FM Inc. and Imaani. One year later, her voice appeared on Incognito’s album Beneath the Surface. Those records show how her career began: first in collaboration, then in wider soul, acid jazz and dance circles. She had a flexible voice, and she could move between soul, jazz, pop and club music with ease. Therefore, by the late 1990s, Imaani was not a complete newcomer. She was already a working vocalist with studio experience, live experience and growing industry respect. Eurovision simply gave that career a much bigger stage.

Imaani at Eurovision 1998

That bigger stage arrived in 1998. Imaani won The Great British Song Contest with “Where Are You?” and earned the right to represent the United Kingdom in Birmingham. At the Eurovision Song Contest, she came second with 166 points, only six points behind winner Dana International. The song also worked outside the contest. “Where Are You” reached number 15 in the UK and stayed 15 weeks in the Top 100. So, Eurovision changed her career. It introduced Imaani to a much wider public in Britain and beyond, and it secured her place in UK Eurovision history.

Building a long career after Birmingham

After Eurovision, Imaani did not stay in the same lane. Instead, she moved deeper into collaboration work. In 2000, she sang lead on Tru Faith & Dub Conspiracy’s garage cover of “Freak Like Me”. The track reached number 12 in the UK. At the same time, her bond with Incognito kept growing. She has appeared on at least twelve Incognito studio albums, plus live albums, and has toured the world with the group. Her wider session work also became impressive. She has performed or recorded with artists such as Chaka Khan, Nile Rodgers, Jimmy Cliff, Gloria Gaynor, UB40, Mica Paris and Leon Ware. 

Solo work, house music and Standing Tall

Even so, Imaani never gave up on solo music. In the house scene, she built a strong second identity. Official sources on her website and Traxsource highlight club tracks with Copyright, including “Time”, “Bring Me Love”, “Wizeman” and “I Pray”. “Bring Me Love” reached number 5 on the UK Dance Chart, while “Time” reached number 11. Later, “Found My Light” arrived in 2011 on Reel People Music. The song was written about the joy of motherhood and started a new run of work with The Layabouts. In 2013, she released “Live Without Love”. Then, in 2014, she finally issued her debut solo album, Standing Tall, co-written and produced with Kevin Leo. That album gave her own songs the centre of the stage at last.

Imaani today

Imaani is still active today. In 2023, she released “Best Of My Love” with Revival House Project. During 2024 and 2025, venue listings showed new headline dates at PizzaExpress Live and the 606 Club in London, including appearances linked to the London Jazz Festival. She also returned to the Eurovision circuit in 2025 as a special guest at Eurovision in Concert in Amsterdam. New music has kept coming as well. Traxsource lists 2025 releases such as “Shine”, “Stay” and “Fool For You”, while Apple Music lists her feature on Atjazz’s “World We Know” from January 2026. In addition, QG Enterprise says TRIONIQ ft Imaani is working on an album for 2026.